No. 3: 2019
Head Coach: Jeremy Pruitt
Record: 8-5 (5-3, SEC)
Best win(s): at Kentucky, vs. Indiana
Key offensive players: Jauan Jennings, Marquez Callaway, Eric Gray
Key defensive players: Daniel Bituli, Nigel Warrior, Darrell Taylor
Once again, the goal for Tennessee in 2019 was simply to get into a bowl game and show signs of progress in the Jeremy Pruitt era. That dream look short-lived early on, as UT dropped a stunning season-opening loss to Georgia State, 38-30.
There was not much of a bounce-back, as the Vols lost again at home to BYU, in a game they had won until a busted coverage allowed the Cougars to cover 70 yards in one play with seven seconds left. BYU was able to get into the Tennessee red zone to boot a game-tying field goal. The Cougars won, 29-26, in overtime.
Back-to-back routes at the hands of Florida and Georgia left Tennessee sitting at 1-4, and a bowl game seemed like a pipe dream. The Vols picked up a win over Mississippi State at home to stop the bleeding, and turned things around after a loss at Alabama that was closer than the Crimson Tide would have liked. UT ripped off a a six-game win streak to close out the season, including an improbable comeback victory in the Gator Bowl over Indiana, scoring 14 points in three minutes late in the fourth quarter to win, 23-22.
Pruitt was able to keep his team together after a 1-4 start and closed out the year with momentum, compiling a 5-3 record in the SEC. The Vols finished third in the SEC East and matched the best conference record from Butch Jones’ tenure.
Jauan Jennings was the unquestioned leader of the team, and caught 59 passes for 969 yards and scored eight touchdowns, despite a quarterback rotation that included three different players.
Freshman Eric Gray had a breakout campaign at running back, and freshman linebacker Henry T’o T’o showed Tennessee’s linebacking core is in good hands post-Daniel Bituli.