*****Jeremy Pruitt weekly press conference at noon (Notes and Video)

[columbia vol]

CJP:
"UT has a new corporate partner. I'm pleased to announce ULINE to the Vol family. ULINE manufactures the strongest, toughest whiteboard available".

Need to have Coach Fitzgerald’s creatine as a sponsor. Side effects are “ getting big as f## with occasional bouts of manliness”

 

[Voltopia]

I think we bounce back and play much better in Athens.

... in 2020? Right? That's the punchline? Surely that has to be the punchline.

 

[05_never_again]

I like JP but you give a guy mid level SEC talent, 30 million dollar facility to practice, 6 million in coaching salaries, 9 months to prepare then fill the stadium with 100,000 plus and what I saw Saturday is the result? Of course the guy is going to take some heat. Non-competitive is the only word to describe it. And on top of that, a win was not demanded or expected. Not calling for his head, the change coach train has left the station years ago.

It might actually be slightly better than mid-level SEC talent. Someone did the research on here and showed that the average star rating of our entire current roster was a tenth of a point higher than Florida's. When you're talking that's the average, a tenth of a point on a 1-5 scale isn't gigantic but it is noticeable. The "lack of talent" that some on here and most in the national media talk about is overstated. This team had, for years, a lack of development and proper coaching, not talent.

On paper, this team is the second most-talented in the East and probably 5th or 6th most talented in the SEC. IMO, only Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Auburn, and Texas A&M are noticeably more talented. There are 12 or 13 teams in this conference that actually play better than us, but I'm talking about how the roster looks on paper. This team plays like it has the least or second-least talent out of the 14 schools.

The gap between us and the rest of the league isn't a question of talent (we have more talent than some teams we are going to likely lose to this year). It was the total lack of coaching/development from the previous coaching staff.

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

Got to still have some dudes with blind hope to keep the rest of us from jumping off the Gay Street bridge.

We are going to get absolutely slaughtered

 

[Volinkentucky]

CJP:
"UT has a new corporate partner. I'm pleased to announce ULINE to the Vol family. ULINE manufactures the strongest, toughest whiteboard available".

coach, how's your toe?

 

[KBVol]

Sounds like Quart'e Sapp is still with team

Big mistake imo.

 

[zeppelin128]

We are going to get absolutely slaughtered

Unfortunately I concur. I picked 60-9 in the weekly pickem, and I wasn't joking.

 

[gregmaynard2]

I think we bounce back and play much better in Athens.

Cant really play worse on the offensive side of the ball.

 

[vollygirl]

-Sapp came to meet with CJP yesterday. One mistake, everybody makes mistakes. We're gonna move on and go from there. He's seen things like this happen before, or things like guys not showing up for practice. But Sapp has been a good student and a good leader for our team.

So he's doubling down on Sapp.

 

[ProudVOLfan]

Big mistake imo.

I can see where it may be a mistake but hopefully he learned a lesson and comes out better for it. Maybe Pruitt showing him that said behavior would not be tolerated will do the trick.. IDK one can hope tho

 

[74charger]

So he didnt address the totally different accounts from him and Sapp as far as what happened during the game? No one asked about that?!?!?!

 

[DeepSpringsVol]

He was quoted as saying "aight, cornbread, aight, cornbread" and walks out.

What about asparagus?

 

[Behr]

Big mistake imo.

Yea, my gut wants to say the same, but that same gut said it was a mistake to allow Jennings back.

I actually don't think its gonna matter one way or the other.

But what do I know.

 

[UTK]

I think this team will get better each week slowly but surely. Enough to beat Vandy at the end at least.

 

[BeecherVol]

I don’t think Jeremy truly had any earthly idea what an immensely difficult job this would be when he accepted it. He’s gotta completely change this culture, flip it around if he’s gonna have ANY success. Roster is full of a bunch of entitled losers who have no idea how to give the type of effort needed to win here. I’m convinced he’s gotta completely turn this roster over as soon as humanly possible. I don’t think he’s got more than 10-12 guys (maybe) that he ultimately needs in the program at the moment to win here.

I don't think it has caught him off guard as to where the program was when he got here. He may be some surprised that the change hasn't been accepted well enough to be further along at this point, by enough people. You never really know until that change is in place who will or wont respond to it. It doesn't take many to turn the majority of the group sour over time. And the quicker he can exchange the roster the better.

 

[volsportsfan]

We are going to get absolutely slaughtered

The only way we have a chance of making this a game for maybe 3 quarters is to identify our best wrs, our best pass blocking personnel, give them the majority of the reps this week to cut the mental mistakes down, and come game day, lean on the pass game. Use the pass to set up the run instead of vice versa like we have been doing. This line and these rbs have yet to prove that we can establish that traditional power run game we all want so bad. The talent on this team simply won't allow it.

Throw. the. ball. more.

Get it to Callaway and Jennings and Anderson. Put it in JG's hands. Thia line can't open holes, they aren't great at pass protection either, but they seem to be a little better at that than opening holes in the run game.

This is our only chance at making this game somewhat competitive.

 

[vollygirl]

Yea, my gut wants to say the same, but that same gut said it was a mistake to allow Jennings back.

I actually don't think its gonna matter one way or the other.

But what do I know.

Who do you believe, Sapp (that he never refused to play) or Pruitt (that Sapp refused to play)?

 

[Behr]

Who do you believe, Sapp (that he never refused to play) or Pruitt (that Sapp refused to play)?

Honestly Volly, I don't know. I would think if Sapp was telling the truth, he wouldn't give in this quickly. But I really don't know.

 

[WoodsmanVol]

Big mistake imo.

And if he proves to me a major asset down the road for our team, will post here that you were mistaken? Just curious.

 

[alavolfan]

I think he’ll do fine. He tells it like it is, he kicks whiteboards, and he is not afraid to get in a kids face... we have 2 and 3 star talent with an occasional 4 and rarely a 5... honestly, some of you pie in the sky - predicting 8 wins... pfft.

That said, 6 turnovers is ridiculous, and that needs to be corrected pronto! He’ll own this and we will be better, but it sure won’t be reflected in the final score- not against GA, FL and some others.

 

[McDad]

I don’t think Jeremy truly had any earthly idea what an immensely difficult job this would be when he accepted it. He’s gotta completely change this culture, flip it around if he’s gonna have ANY success. Roster is full of a bunch of entitled losers who have no idea how to give the type of effort needed to win here. I’m convinced he’s gotta completely turn this roster over as soon as humanly possible. I don’t think he’s got more than 10-12 guys (maybe) that he ultimately needs in the program at the moment to win here.

A sobering thought. Meanwhile our rivals get better and our recruiting right now is mid tier for SEC. Very daunting.

 

[McDad]

It might actually be slightly better than mid-level SEC talent. Someone did the research on here and showed that the average star rating of our entire current roster was a tenth of a point higher than Florida's. When you're talking that's the average, a tenth of a point on a 1-5 scale isn't gigantic but it is noticeable. The "lack of talent" that some on here and most in the national media talk about is overstated. This team had, for years, a lack of development and proper coaching, not talent.

On paper, this team is the second most-talented in the East and probably 5th or 6th most talented in the SEC. IMO, only Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Auburn, and Texas A&M are noticeably more talented. There are 12 or 13 teams in this conference that actually play better than us, but I'm talking about how the roster looks on paper. This team plays like it has the least or second-least talent out of the 14 schools.

The gap between us and the rest of the league isn't a question of talent (we have more talent than some teams we are going to likely lose to this year). It was the total lack of coaching/development from the previous coaching staff.

thank you.

 

[McDad]

Yea, my gut wants to say the same, but that same gut said it was a mistake to allow Jennings back.

I actually don't think its gonna matter one way or the other.

But what do I know.

This can be a powerful moment of buy in for Sapp and others. Knowing the coach will forgive/forget can forge a trust which can weather severe adversity.

 

[BeecherVol]

Yea, my gut wants to say the same, but that same gut said it was a mistake to allow Jennings back.

I actually don't think its gonna matter one way or the other.

But what do I know.

I don't think it will. They'll move on from it.

 

[ILOVEMYBIGVOLS]

-Hard to have success with six turnovers.

-Ball security is something we work on every single day, it's been an empasis, but we'll continue to work on it.

-We had several guys on defense that played their best game.

-We need to finish on the ball in the secondary.

-On offense, we had opportunities to create explosive plays but didn't come down with the ball. We need to improve in the run game. This was by far our worst game running the football. We have to finish blocks and backs need to fall forward. We need to protect better and quarterbacks need to get the ball out quicker. Need to coach better.

-In the kicking game, we had a penalty and a fumble. Kickoff coverage was pretty good.

-Players were in our office watching tape. Players organized it. Saw some ownership that's exciting. As more adversity hit, some guys tried to play their best. We need to not create adversity ourselves.

-Sapp came to meet with CJP yesterday. One mistake, everybody makes mistakes. We're gonna move on and go from there. He's seen things like this happen before, or things like guys not showing up for practice. But Sapp has been a good student and a good leader for our team.

-JG is back at it. He was throwing balls. A lot of our guys are itching to get going again, which is a good thing. Everyone is disappointed and nobody is more disappointed than the men in this building.

-Doesn't think the hit on JG was intentional. Didn't send anything to SEC.

-Worked with Kirby for six years. Good coach. Focuses on details. He's a good scheme guy. You can see it in their football program.

-We had more explosive plays than UF. We had 8 and they had 7. Thinks we need to be more productive on 1st down. It's hard to judge what the offense can do when we turn it over.

-Saw guys trying to rise to the occasion after we were down 14-3. Pruitt saw guys trying to find a way. You find out about yourself when adversity hits. Again, some guys played their best football Saturday, but it takes all 11.

-UGA is big and physical. Fromm is probably the most efficient QB he played against last year. They are one of the best teams in the country on offense. Very good team all around.

-Mincey got dinged up in warmups Saturday. Hurt his elbow, but the news seems good. He could have played but was held out.

-Chance Hall hasn't played the last two weeks but hope he can play this week.

-We didn't finish on the o-line as the game wore on, not as well as we did early in the game. We can't have negative plays. We have to fall forward. You aren't going to bounce outside and break runs against good football teams very often. Need to follow our block.

-Trey Smith was seen limping on Saturday, but he's fine.

-Buchanan played one of his better games. He played a lot of press coverage and guarded guys really well. He's gaining confidence.

-After the fumble told Pope, that play is over, let's move on and play the next play. He was trying to put his second hand on the ball and lost it. We want to be aggressive.

/end

It's encouraging to hear CJP say all the right things after a performance like that. Now, all we need to see is the results of all the leadership and hard work to pay off between the white lines. GBO!