Jeremy Pruitt would rather have to pump the brakes than crack the whip.

The former is the situation he finds himself in with Tennessee running back Jeremy Banks. The 6-foot-1, 211-pound freshman from Cordova relishes contact and lowered the boom several times throughout the Vols’ 59-3 victory over East Tennessee State on Saturday.

Pruitt applauded Banks’ intensity, but he’d rather not see him involved in so many violent collisions.

“But you know what? I’d rather be saying whoa than go,” Pruitt said Saturday after his first victory as the Vols’ coach. “You have to say whoa with him.”

Banks rushed for 62 yards with two touchdowns on 13 carries.

He saw ample playing time Saturday with Ty Chandler withheld. Chandler exited the season opener after he took a knee to the helmet while being tackled. He practiced last week and was in uniform Saturday, but Pruitt opted not to use him in a lopsided affair.

Even when Chandler returns next week against Texas-El Paso (noon ET, SEC Network), Banks is likely to maintain a spot in the running back rotation. He has impressed Pruitt with his work leading up to game day.

“Jeremy Banks is another guy that likes to practice,” Pruitt said. “He practices the right way. He competes hard.”

The way you practice goes a long way with Pruitt.

“The guys that practice are the guys that’s going to play – the guys that practice the right way,” Pruitt said.

A lot of coaches say things like that, but so far, Pruitt is practicing what he preaches.

Take safety Theo Jackson, for example. His playing time spiked Saturday because of his practice performance.

“For the most part, Theo knows what to do. That’s a start,” Pruitt said. “He’s learning to communicate and tries to play with toughness. He practiced better than the other guys (this week). If the other guys practice better than him next week, they’ll play and he’ll watch.”

Pruitt glumly picked apart the Vols’ performance during Sunday’s airing of the “Jeremy Pruitt Show.” He sounded like a coach who knows one blowout win over an overmatched FCS opponent didn’t solve all of UT’s problems.

He did spare a compliment for Banks after watching a highlight of him plowing into the end zone from a yard out for his first career touchdown.

“That’s how you’re supposed to run the power right there – create your own hole,” Pruitt said.

Banks hopped up and celebrated by using his hands to wipe off the front of his jersey, a move that earned him a rebuke.

“He needs to act like he’s been in there before,” Pruitt said.

Fifteen seconds later, Banks was in the end zone again, scoring on a 3-yard run after a Tennessee interception.

“He came out and played well. Many more for him,” said senior running back Madre London, who added 47 yards and two touchdowns. “He’s going to be a good football player for Tennessee, but he’s still got to work. We can’t get big headed.”

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