OPPONENT: Tennessee Volunteers

WHEN: Saturday, October 27, 2018 at TBD

WHERE: Williams-Brice Stadium (Columbia, SC)

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORD: Tennessee leads 25-9-2

LAST MEETING: October 14, 2017 – South Carolina beat Tennessee in Knoxville, TN 15-9.

2017 RECORD: 4-8 (0-8)

Head Coach…

Photo day for Jeremy Pruitt, Tyson Helton and Kevin Sherrer. pic.twitter.com/6iASb9apow

— Dan Harralson (@danharralson) August 5, 2018

Jeremy Pruitt begins his first season as Tennessee head coach after the Butch Jones experience took a turn for the worst in Knoxville. Pruitt will look to re-energize the UT program and return them to national prominence.

Pruitt falls from the Nick Saban coaching tree, having spent his collegiate playing days at Alabama and working under Saban at Alabama as a defensive coordinator.

Returning Starters…

OFFENSE (5)

OL Drew Richmond (6-3, 309) Junior

WR Brandon Johnson (6-2, 193) Junior

WR Marquez Callaway (6-2, 190) Junior

C Ryan Johnson (6-6, 300) Sophomore

LT Trey Smith (6-6, 320) Sophomore

DEFENSE (6)

DE Kyle Phillips (6-4, 263) Senior

DE Jonathan Kongbo (6-6, 275) Senior

WLB Quart’e Sapp (6-2, 222) Junior

MLB Daniel Bituli (6-3, 240) Junior

SS Nigel Warrior (6-0, 194) Junior

FS Micah Abernathy (6-0, 203) Senior

How did they fare in 2017?

Tennessee began the year with a thrilling 42-41 win over Georgia Tech on Labor Day a year ago. After starting the season 2-0, not much good happened after that.

The Butch Jones experience finally crumbled and the Volunteers finished the season without a single SEC win. Jones was let go late in the year and the Vols finished 2017 with a disappointing home loss to their in-state rival, Vanderbilt.

Best Returning Player…

👀 Marquez Callaway is already in midseason form. https://t.co/A4yJP6hKd5 pic.twitter.com/7ZyfwI5Sn6

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) April 21, 2018

WR Marquez Callaway (6-2, 190) Junior

Callaway has all the physical tools to be a very friendly target for whoever is playing quarterback for the Vols. He burst onto the scene in week one a year ago, hauling in 2 touchdowns against Georgia Tech.

Expect Tennessee QB’s to go to Callaway early and often and for him to be a mismatch nightmare for opposing defenses.

Overall Outlook…

The Jeremy Pruitt era begins in Knoxville as the Volunteers look to rebound from a rocky 2017. Pruitt has already began to put his stamp on the UT program, giving Vols fans a breath of fresh from the disastrous Butch Jones campaign.

While coaching will be much improved, the Volunteers roster still doesn’t appear to be top of the line. The biggest question falls at quarterback, where Stanford transfer Keller Christ and returning sophomore Jarrett Guarantano will fight for the starting job.

Overall, year one for Jeremy Pruitt will be an adjustment period for the Volunteers. There is skepticism from some pundits about his abilities to be a head coach and run a big time organization like Tennessee. That being said, Tennessee should be improved from a year ago and will challenge for a bowl berth.

2018 SEASON PROJECTION: 5-7 (2-6)

For quality up-to-date sports reporting, visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.