Jones was asked at Wednesdays press conference whether Guarantano had expected to play against Georgia Tech and whether the course of the game caused Jones to stick with Dormady.
The message is always the same, Jones said. Youre always one snap away, and you have to be ready.
Its really the first time hes been in that situation. And really, Quinten went through the same thing behind Josh. Sometimes youre antsy; youre ready to play; youre going through everything in your mind. But youre always one snap away.
Nothing wrong with the one-snap-away philosophy. However, its important how that message is delivered to players, particularly quarterbacks.
Former UT quarterback Tony Robinson said Tuesday that he spoke to Guarantano and encouraged him. He got the impression that Guarantano thought he was going to play and was disappointed when he didnt get the chance.
If Jones told Guarantano to be ready, thats fine. But theres a fine line between convincing a quarterback that he needs to be ready and making him believe that he will play.
When Tennessees offense was struggling early, you could have made a case for trying Guarantano at quarterback to see whether he could provide a spark. Instead, Jones stuck with Dormady. It wasnt necessarily an easy decision, but the outcome proved that Jones made the right call.
Keeping a backup quarterback content can be a challenge for any coach. You also should appreciate the challenge facing a backup quarterback, though.
A competitor should be upset when he doesnt play. But in the heat of battle, he has to conceal that disappointment and put his team first.
