:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57469575/usa_today_10376543.0.jpg)
Hey, let’s check in on things with the Tennessee Volunteers, shall we?! The Vols are playing Southern Miss at home, and early in the game, Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano left the game briefly due to injury.
Already short on signal callers, head coach Butch Jones then ended the redshirt year of true freshman QB Will McBride, who ended up playing for a total of... three plays before Guarantano came back in.
Three plays and a redshirt lost for McBride.
— RockyTopTalk (@RockyTopTalk) November 5, 2017
Guarantano returns.
McBride came back in later and ended up throwing a total of eight passes on the day.
What’s especially interesting about this is Jones did exactly what he said he would earlier this week, when he was asked about the possibility of Guarantano needing to come out due to his helmet coming off. Jones admitted he’d burn McBride’s redshirt for that one, single play, even.
Butch on if Guarantano losing his helmet for one play would make him pull Will McBride’s redshirt. “He’ll be in the game and ready to go."
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) November 1, 2017
Vol fans on Twitter weren’t too pleased with what Jones did, to say the least.
I️ want Butch to be fired purely for the fact of what he just did to Will McBride.
— Zach Ogle (@Z_Ogle34) November 5, 2017
Wait, @UTCoachJones you fuckin moron. You burned McBride's RS for 3 plays (2 runs) and now our starting QB and stud backup are both sophs
— Lock Lyle Up (@Houston_1218) November 5, 2017
WE WASTED AN EXTRA YEAR OF WILL MCBRIDE FOR NO REASON
— R.T. McBride (@R_T_3_) November 5, 2017
Total coaching malpractice by Butch Jones. If I was Will McBride and parents, I would transfer tomorrow.
— Chris Davis (@tnchris1) November 5, 2017
That was dumb af I feel bad for McBride
— Christopher Cooper (@chriscoop3r) November 5, 2017
Jones is a dead man walking, his team being 3-5, and having already lost his “must-win” game to keep his job. He’ll be gone even if he didn’t burn McBride’s redshirt, but there are some folks who rightfully won’t be happy with him for that.