SEC report

Ex-Dawg QB doubts Vols' hire

Former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, who is now an analyst for CBS Sports Radio, doesn’t appear to be a big fan of new Tennessee Coach Jeremy Pruitt. “I don’t know if his personality is fit to be a head coach,” Murray said during a radio appearance in Nashville, Tenn. “I don’t think he’s the right guy to kind of be the CEO of a corporation.”
Former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, who is now an analyst for CBS Sports Radio, doesn’t appear to be a big fan of new Tennessee Coach Jeremy Pruitt. “I don’t know if his personality is fit to be a head coach,” Murray said during a radio appearance in Nashville, Tenn. “I don’t think he’s the right guy to kind of be the CEO of a corporation.”

ATLANTA -- The Tennessee-Georgia rivalry received extra bite this season after new Volunteers Coach Jeremy Pruitt had to defend himself from accusations made by former Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray.

Murray, now an analyst for CBS Sports Radio, recently questioned whether Pruitt -- a former defensive coordinator at Florida State, Georgia and Alabama -- has the temperament to run his own program.

"I don't know if his personality is fit to be a head coach," Murray said during a radio appearance on The Game in Nashville, Tenn. "As a head coach, there's so many things that go into it.

"It's not just going out there and coaching. You have to deal with the front office. You've got to go talk with the president of the university. You have to deal with boosters. You have to deal with the offense, the defense. It's not just going in there and dealing with the kids and scheming up. There's a lot that goes into it.

"I don't think he's the right guy to kind of be the CEO of a corporation. He's really good managing just a defense and being a defensive coordinator. He needs to prove to me that he can handle the whole ship."

Murray played at Georgia from 2009-13 before Pruitt became the team's defensive coordinator in 2014. The former quarterback's criticism stemmed from reports about harsh words Pruitt had at times for Bulldogs Coach Mark Richt.

Pruitt answered questions about Murray's comments during an interview session with Tennessee reporters at SEC football media days last week.

"I look at it like this: 15 years ago, I was a kindergarten teacher, and today I'm the head coach at Tennessee," Pruitt said. "So you probably don't make that ascension unless you know how to treat people."

Pruitt said he doesn't know Murray but respects what he did as a player.

'Skinny' Shurmur

Vanderbilt paid to have quarterback Kyle Shurmur featured on a digital billboard in downtown Atlanta during SEC media days last week.

The display, with rotating digital advertising, fronted Marietta Street just outside Centennial Olympic Park, and it faced traffic coming past the downtown attractions Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Phillips Arena and the CNN building.

"Yeah, I'm surprised they didn't have like some big, buff guy," Shurmur said. "They had me, a little skinny guy, up there. It was cool. My mom was the most excited about it."

Shurmur, a 6-4, 227-pound senior, ranked fourth in the SEC with 235.2 passing yards per game last season while throwing a school single-season record 26 touchdown passes.

"I truly believe Kyle Shurmur is one of the most improved quarterbacks and one of the most dynamic passers in this conference that people are not talking about," Vanderbilt Coach Derek Mason said. "That's OK. I don't need people to talk about Kyle Shurmur. I know and I understand his pedigree, and I have seen his development from when he was a freshman and where he is now."

Smile, breathe

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Coach Chad Morris was asked by a local media member Tuesday whether he was nervous while at the podium in the main media room during SEC media days at the College Football Hall of Fame.

"You know, I really wasn't," Morris said. "This is who I am. I had a little note on my opening statement that I wrote at the top. I said, 'Just smile, enjoy, and breathe and have fun.'

"I wrote myself a note. Make sure you're smiling. What a great, awesome opportunity we have to impact the lives of young men."

Meat mania

Arkansas defensive coordinator John Chavis helped arrange a dinner outing for the Razorbacks on Wednesday in which crews representing Champion Smokers, Dead End BBQ and Lotta Bull BBQ cooked for the Razorback football players, staff and auxiliary personnel.

Chavis posted a thanks to the groups Thursday via Twitter that read, "Thankful my good friends @deadendbbq @championsmokers @lottabullbbq could come to The Hill last night to cook for our players. Only the BEST here at Arkansas!"

The Arkansas football recruiting Twitter account posted the stats from the meal: 240 pounds of chicken, 36 racks of ribs, 160 pounds of brisket, 180 pounds of pork, 6 barbecue world championships and one "very happy" Razorbacks football squad.

Dynamic Deebo

South Carolina had two repeat players at SEC media days in quarterback Jake Bentley, and receiver and return man Deebo Samuel, whose 2017 season got off to a blistering start before he suffered a broken leg in the third game.

Samuel had 15 catches for 250 yards and 3 touchdowns, 2 kickoff return touchdowns and a rushing touchdown before his injury late in a 23-13 home loss to Kentucky.

"Deebo for 11 quarters last year was probably the most explosive player in college football," South Carolina Coach Will Muschamp said. "We're looking forward to getting him the ball a bunch and having him have a healthy senior season."

Fashion 'monster'

Vanderbilt Coach Derek Mason's energetic descriptions of his players during SEC media days reached an apex as he talked about senior safety LaDarius Wiley.

"LaDarius Wiley has probably as many tackles as anybody in this conference at the safety position, and has played as much football, but nobody is really talking about him, but I am," Mason said. "This dude's a monster.

"He's here today in probably the best-dressed suit here for SEC media day. He came in here and outdressed me, and I'm all about it."

Reed's shades

Georgia defensive back JR Reed showed up in the main media room Tuesday wearing suave fashion sunglasses.

He pulled back his chair and sat down with the shades on, but they didn't last.

"Nah, they told me I've got to take them off, man," said Reed, a tone of disappointment in his voice, after a reporter asked about the glasses.

Auburn linebacker DeShaun Davis wore his lighter-tinted sunglasses during his appearance Thursday.

RPO frenzy

Georgia defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter isn't a fan of practicing for offenses that feature heavy run-pass options.

"I think they all have their own aspects," he said. "I really just think they're kind of annoying. I mean, people just use them to get the ball out quick, just to get that fast pace.

"I don't hate them in the game so much. It's more practice because we do so many. We practice for so much and you're doing RPOs over and over and over again, fastball paced, and you're breathing heavy and you're like, 'C'mon coach, we just did like 20 RPOs.'

"You're resetting the ball at the line of scrimmage in like seven seconds. I mean, what team is going to get back to the line in seven seconds and run a play?"

Sports on 07/22/2018

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