Georgia football will give UT Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt more reasons to keep on kicking

Coach-watching could be interesting Saturday at Sanford Stadium.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart can appear in a frenzied state even in the most mundane games. And first-year Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt hasn’t concealed his emotions during the Vols’ 2-2 start.

He grabbed linebacker Deandre Johnson by the facemask during a sideline teaching moment in UT’s 24-0 victory over UTEP. Last Saturday, he kicked the white board as his team piled one mistake on top of another in a 47-21 loss to Florida.

Pruitt might have more to kick about this Saturday when the Vols take on Georgia at Sanford Stadium. the Vols likely will be overmatched against the unbeaten Bulldogs.

However, don’t assume Georgia will match last season’s 41-0 victory over the Vols.

Georgia 41, Tennessee 7: The Bulldogs still have depth at running back, but they can’t match last season’s one-two punch of Sony Michel and Nick Chubb. Offensively, they could be a greater threat with quarterback Jake Fromm throwing against UT’s defense.

Tennessee’s offensive line should make Georgia’s D’Andre Walker a priority. He has three sacks and seven quarterback hurries.

Mississippi State 24, Florida 16: The Gators have no problems scoring as long as their opponent commits six turnovers (see Tennessee for details). Points will be harder to come by against the Bulldogs, who actually can pressure a passer.

Feleipe Franks will look like a different quarterback from the one you saw against UT last week. Different in a bad way.

LSU 38, Ole Miss 24: The Rebels’ wide receivers against the Tigers’ defensive backs will provide pro-like matchups. But the matchup between LSU’s wide receivers and Ole Miss’ vulnerable secondary will prove more decisive.

The secondary isn’t the only weakness in a Rebels defense that ranks 120th out of 129 teams in total defense.

Texas A&M 31, Arkansas 13: Razorbacks coach Chad Morris called Ty Storey a warrior after his quarterback’s performance against Auburn. But his warrior completed only 13 of 31 passes.

That won't keep up with Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond, who was 16-for-33 for 196 yards passing against Alabama.

South Carolina 27, Kentucky 24: The Wildcats already have beaten two Top 25 teams, thanks to Benny Snell Jr.’s running and a surprisingly tough defense.

That means they’re coach Mark Stoops’ best team yet. It also means they’re due for a letdown.

Alabama 52, UL Louisiana 6: Coaches sometimes complain about the media being too negative. But Alabama coach Nick Saban believes the media has been too positive.

Last week, he urged then to write more about his team’s flaws. Good luck finding Alabama’s shortcomings against a team that lost to Coastal Carolina last week.

Auburn 38, Southern Mississippi 10: This should complete a win-win week for the Tigers. They are favored by 29 points, and no one has quit their team.

Vanderbilt 37, Tennessee State 13: After back-to-back games against Notre Dame and South Carolina, the Commodores deserve an easier Saturday. Greater challenges lie ahead, though.

After Tennessee State, Vanderbilt will play Georgia, Florida and Kentucky in succession.

Record: 42-6 (.875), 20-15 (.571) against the spread. 

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

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