Amid transfer talk, injury updates and looking back at Saturday’s loss to South Carolina, Tennessee coach Butch Jones took time during his press conference on Monday to tout his team closing in on bowl eligibility.

“Somebody told me this,” the fourth-year UT coach said, “and I think this puts things in perspective: You talk about the negativity that’s out there, when we gain our next victory, it will be three straight years that we become bowl eligible, that will be the first time it’s happened since 2002.”

The Vols (5-3, 2-3 SEC) started the season with five straight wins, but are currently on a three-game losing streak, falling at Texas A&M, at home against Alabama and Saturday’s 24-21 upset at the hands of South Carolina. A win over Tennessee Tech on Saturday (TV: SEC Network Alternate, 4 p.m.) would make the Vols bowl eligible.

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Tennessee began the season No. 9 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25, but have fallen out of both the AP and Coaches poll after the three losses.

Earlier in Monday's press conference Jones confirmed that junior running back Jalen Hurd, who was closing in on the school’s all-time rushing record, plans to transfer and that sophomore defensive tackle Shy Tuttle was done for the season with a knee injury.

He addressed a question about his job security and leadership of the team, too.

“I’m not listening to that,” Jones said. “Just a few weeks ago everything was great. We live in a week-to-week season. That’s the job and responsibility of the head coach. I take great pride in that and that (speculation) means nothing.”

Jones in 2012 inherited a Tennessee football program that was in the midst of a two-year bowl drought. The Vols missed a bowl game in Jones’ first season, 2013, before winning the TaxSlayer Bowl in 2014 and the Outback Bowl last season.

Tennessee went to 28 bowl games from 1979-2010, failing to do so only four times during that span.

“Again, everyone wants to point toward negativity and chaos, the sky is falling,” Jones said. “But if my math serves me, that’s over 10 years (since Tennessee went to three straight bowl games).

“So this football team has done some very good things, will continue to do some very good things. We have a lot to play for.”