For the first time this season, Tennessee will participate in a game of a publicly declared beginner quarterback.
It is transparent for the first four games of the season that Jarrett Guarantano would be a starter, but after committing six ball losses in the more than two weeks, the starting quarterback position is more of an open competition, coach Jeremy Pruitt said Wednesday.
“We’ve replaced a lot of guys, and we’re going to keep doing it as the week progresses,” Pruitt said. “As we get closer, we’re probably going to restrict ourselves to who’s healthy enough and who’s in a position to play. “
Guarantano is a 29-match career opener. He pitched two interceptions, of which they were returned for a touchdown, in the 34-7 loss to Kentucky on Saturday, and also lost a loose ball.
Pruitt said after the match that the loose ball was not Guarantano’s fault – offensive part Ty Chandler fell on Guarantano while looking to throw a pass, and the friendly shot forced the loose ball – and said he didn’t like the game’s interceptions.
However, Tennessee played three quarters with Kentucky.
J. T. Shrout soon replaced Guarantano in the last quarter, launching an interception in his season pass attempt. Rookie Harrison Bailey made his debut in the last quarter, completing 1 of four passes.
Brian Maurer did not play this season after starting four games last season, adding that he opposed Alabama. Maurer was held back by a hamr tendon injury during the preseason.
The football program has soared in weeks.
The SEC fined the sports branch $100,000 for not dressing in his face mask on his mouth and nose in an October 10 game opposed to Georgia. The SEC will charge the fine in the form of $100,000 relief on the conference’s profit distribution.
Then, on Sunday, Pruitt fired defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh, who is owed more than $830,000 in severance pay. Brumbaugh has a duty to mitigate the damage.
Brumbaugh, hired in February, under contract until January 31, 2022.
When asked how he justified the dismissal of an assistant coach because of such reimbursement in a year when the sports branch threatened to lose tens of millions of dollars in revenue, due to the monetary effect of the pandemic, Pruitt said, “You, no. 1, do what you think is most productive for our players. All the decisions we have made here have to do with what is most productive for our student-athletes, and we will continue to do so. “
Former Tennessee coach Butch Jones is in his third year on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff, and will make his moment at Neyland Stadium since his dismissal in 2017 when no. 2 Crimson Tide (4-0) faces Tennessee (2-2) on Saturday (3:30 pm ET, CBS).
Jones got a new homework name for the off-season, going from offensive analyst to Saban’s special assistant.
“He does a lot of things for me personally as a special assistant in terms of comparing certain things about the educational film and comparing a lot of organizational things internally here,” Saban said. “He’s done a smart task for me and I like him. being part of our team. “
Jones receives severance pay from Tennessee.
When Tennessee fired Jones, he owed him a $8. 26 million purchase, at a rate of $2. 5 million a year, payable in monthly installments until the end of his contract, which expires on February 28, 2021.
Jones’ alabama salary did little to compensate for the damage: he had raised $5. 27 million in Tennessee purchase bills between the time of his dismissal and the end of 2019.
“We are pleased to have you here,” Saban said. ” It turns out to be satisfied to be here. We are very happy that you are part of our staff. “
Blake Toppmeyer covers football from the University of Tennessee. Send an email to the blake. toppmeyer@knoxnews. com and stay with him on Twitter at btoppmeyer. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, a virtual subscription will give you access to all of this. Current subscribers can click here to enroll in The Blake Subscribers Text Group that provides Football Flight updates and analytics.