By Kennington Smith III, Joe Rexrode and David Ubben
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 11 Tennessee earned an announcement 24-17 win on Saturday towards No. 7 Alabama, dealing one other blow to its rival’s Faculty Soccer Playoff hopes within the Crimson Tide’s first season below Kalen DeBoer.
After a stagnant first half on each side, Tennessee got here alive offensively within the second half, together with a 16-yard landing move from Nico Iamaleava to Chris Brazzell II behind the tip zone with 5:52 left to place the Vols forward by 4. A couple of possessions later, Tennessee sealed the win with a Will Brooks interception of Jalen Milroe with 1:24 to play.
NICO TO BRAZZELL FOR THE LEAD IN THE 4TH 🔥🔥 @Vol_Football pic.twitter.com/jzq1gvK1kl
— SEC Community (@SECNetwork) October 19, 2024
Towards Tennessee’s second-ranked protection, Alabama’s last 4 drives totaled 3 yards on 11 performs. Critically, the Tide bought the ball again on their very own 30-yard line with 2:25 left and went backward. After an incomplete move on third down, Kendrick Legislation was referred to as for a private foul penalty, backing the Tide as much as fourth-and-22 on their very own 18. Regardless of having all three timeouts left, DeBoer opted to go for it, and a display screen move got here up properly in need of a primary down.
The Tide subsequently held the Vols to a discipline aim, however Milroe’s last move on Alabama’s final possession was intercepted.
Alabama (5-2, 2-2 SEC) had gained 15 consecutive video games within the Third Saturday in October rivalry from 2007-21 earlier than the Vols (6-1, 3-1) lastly bought over the hump with a dramatic residence win in 2022. Although the Tide gained final yr in Tuscaloosa, Saturday marked Tennessee’s second consecutive win towards Alabama at Neyland Stadium, one thing that hadn’t occurred since 2004 and 2006.
It additionally marked Alabama’s second loss earlier than November — one thing that hadn’t occurred since Nick Saban’s first season in 2007.
Will Brooks referred to as recreation! pic.twitter.com/DWMbCUWSTF
— Tennessee Soccer (@Vol_Football) October 20, 2024
Alabama, Tennessee in other places in SEC race
All of a sudden there’s actual hope for Tennessee, not just for a Playoff bid, however within the SEC race. After an idle week to have a good time, the Vols’ schedule finishes this fashion: Kentucky, Mississippi State, at Georgia, at Vanderbilt. That run really appears to be like more durable now than it did a month in the past, as a result of MSU has positioned its pulse, Kentucky goes to play some protection and Vanderbilt is a authentic SEC workforce. But when the Vols can deal with enterprise apart from Georgia — ideally with a aggressive efficiency there — a spot within the Playoff needs to be a strong guess.
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Tennessee proved towards Alabama it is not a one-hit marvel below Josh Heupel
Alabama entered Saturday with a 76 % likelihood to make the Playoff, in line with The Athletic’s projections mannequin, whereas Tennessee was at 31 %. The Vols jumped to 55 % after the win, and the Tide fell to 52 %.
Right here’s how Alabama finishes issues out in an SEC race that began Saturday with three groups unbeaten in league play and 6 extra with one loss: Missouri, at LSU, at Oklahoma, Auburn. With all due respect to the issue of predicting this league and sport at massive, simply a kind of video games, at LSU, appears to be like tough. Profitable out is on the desk, nevertheless it’s additionally completely vital if this workforce desires any likelihood of creating the Faculty Soccer Playoff. As for the SEC title recreation? It appears to be like like a distant hope. — Rexrode
Sorry, you’ll be able to’t take the goalpost out that tunnel. Pivot. pic.twitter.com/Q3XnvMdTEt
— Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) October 19, 2024
Sloppy errors make Alabama profitable out really feel unlikely
At its conception, the 12-team Playoff was purported to make it almost not possible for groups like Alabama to overlook the sector. Now, in its first yr, a Playoff with out Alabama is a really actual chance — a stunning improvement, on condition that the Tide made the four-team Playoff in eight of 10 seasons.
A loss to Tennessee coupled with the loss to Vanderbilt and a lackluster win towards South Carolina places Alabama in a easy however difficult place: win out or bust. Given what we’ve seen from the Crimson Tide over the previous month, profitable out doesn’t really feel seemingly. Alabama hosts Missouri subsequent week earlier than a bye week and a highway journey to LSU. There’s nonetheless a visit to Oklahoma and the Iron Bowl to come back within the last week of the common season.
Extra instantly, Saturday’s result’s massively disappointing for Alabama. Greater than the loss itself, it’s how Alabama retains discovering itself in these positions. It was one other penalty-heavy recreation (15 for 115 yards), one other recreation with expensive turnovers, one other recreation the place it’s been out-gained (408 to 314) and seemingly out-coached down the stretch.
There’s no query that the expertise is there, however the thought of nationwide championship competition for Alabama feels additional away than it’s been in a very long time. — Smith
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What’s completely different about Alabama below DeBoer?
The most important challenge proper now could be poor second-half play.
The 2023 Alabama workforce was identified for second-half comebacks with six. After Saturday’s recreation, it’s clear this yr’s workforce doesn’t have the identical DNA.
Saturday marked the fourth consecutive recreation by which Alabama trailed sooner or later within the fourth quarter. Up to now three video games, it had been outscored 57-45 within the second half. After Saturday’s loss, that margin has grown to 78-55.
This was the traditional story of two halves for the Alabama protection. A smothering effort within the first half gave solution to a disastrous second half by which Tennessee’s offense exploded for 21 factors and several other third-down conversions after it had only one within the first half. The Alabama offense managed two landing drives when wanted within the third quarter, nevertheless it stalled within the fourth because the Tide couldn’t recover from the hump.
It’s a regarding development now and transferring ahead. Alabama’s margin for error is gone, and it’s going to take sound four-quarter execution to win out. The Tide should do some soul-searching to search out that degree of play coming into November. — Smith
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Heupel’s conservative choices harm, then assist
It’s been gorgeous to look at Tennessee coach Josh Heupel forfeit alternatives to be aggressive on fourth-down calls, choices that was once no-brainers when this offense was producing at a excessive degree. The primary one he made Saturday felt like a mistake — relatively than attempt to get his offense going early with a fourth-and-3 on the Alabama 35, he despatched out Max Gilbert to attempt a 53-yard discipline aim that was missed. He made an identical — although extra defensible — resolution later within the first half. This time it was fourth-and-7 and a miss from 50.
However Heupel’s intuition, amid boos, proved appropriate within the fourth quarter with a choice to punt on fourth-and-6 from the Alabama 41, down 17-14. An ideal punt and protection resulted in Alabama’s ball on the 4, a three-and-out and a Tennessee go-ahead landing on the following sequence. The Vols’ stingy protection once more got here up huge the remainder of the best way to ship this system’s third AP top-10 win in its previous 5 tries. — Rexrode
Tennessee overcomes one other gradual begin with quick end
Tennessee’s first-half offensive struggles continued towards Alabama. For the third consecutive recreation, the Vols failed to attain within the first half. That hadn’t occurred since 1963 — and the drought got here after the Vols totaled 149 factors in first halves towards Chattanooga, NC State, Kent State and Oklahoma to begin this season.
4 Tennessee drives reached Alabama territory within the first half Saturday, however the Volunteers failed to attain on any of them. Working again Dylan Sampson fumbled for the primary time in his profession (on his 284th profession carry) on the finish of a possession within the first quarter that reached Alabama’s 18. Iamaleava returned from a again damage and threw an unpleasant red-zone interception whereas making an attempt to throw the ball away on a damaged play. And Gilbert missed these kicks from 53 and 50 yards.
However after totaling simply 143 yards within the first half, the Vols amassed 265 within the second half, whereas additionally avoiding expensive turnovers. Although Iamaleava threw for simply 194 yards, the Vols piled up 214 speeding yards behind Sampson’s 26 carries for 139 yards and two touchdowns and in the end averaged 5.7 yards per play to the Tide’s 4.0 as their protection stood tall once more. — Ubben
(Picture: Butch Dill / Getty Photos)
