Still alive: Tide’s dominant second half sinks Vols
Alabama turns on the jets in the second half to blow past Tennessee, 34-20.
By: Dave in Tuscaloosa
Victory smells nice.
After the Week 2 home loss to Texas, Alabama found itself in a precarious situation. If there were to be any hope of making the college football playoff, the Tide would need to win all of its remaining games as any margin of error disappeared after falling to the Longhorns. Their biggest challenge to date would be the annual Third Saturday in October clash with the 17th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols had broken a 16-year losing streak on a memorable (or miserable, depending on if you wear Tennessee orange or crimson) fall day last season to hand the Tide one of its two defeats in 2022, and revenge was a topic well-covered in Bama circles leading up to last Saturday's contest. Revenge accomplished.
Behind a dominant second half, Alabama knocked off its old rival from Knoxville to the tune of 34-20 on a perfect fall day in Tuscaloosa. Tennessee had built a 20-7 lead over Bama at half (which tied the biggest halftime deficit in the Nick Saban era. The other one? The 2016 National title victory over Georgia) but met a determined, ferocious Crimson outfit that had not been seen yet this season. The win propelled the Tide to 7-1 and more importantly, kept Bama unbeaten and atop the SEC West standings. Tennessee dropped to 5-2 and 2-2 in the SEC.
Thoughts of staying undefeated in the conference and in the hunt for a national title were far from the anxious collective mind of Alabama nation during the first half. Simply put, Tennessee dominated the Tide through the first thirty minutes as the Vol offense, behind quarterback Joe Milton had their way, out-gaining Alabama 275 to 133. In the first quarter alone, which saw the Vols jump out to a 13-0 lead, the orange and white held a 187-36 yardage advantage and had already amassed ten first downs to Alabama’s one. Milton was gaudy 16-22 for 175 yards and two scores. Also, Vols sophomore receiver Squirrel White was having a career day, hauling in 9 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. The second half was an entirely different story, Bama stormed out of the locker room, scored a touchdown in just two plays, and would go on to outscore Tennessee 27-0 in the second half to register its best win of the season and give Tennessee head coach Josh Huepel his first loss when leading at the half. The Tide offensive line, who had given up a dismal 31 sacks so far this season, still gave up four sacks to the Vols but performed quite well in the second half. In addition, Bama has struggled terribly with penalties this season, yet on Saturday, they were flagged just once for five yards, much to the chagrin of Vols fans.
Tennessee scored on its opening drive, marching 75 yards in 8 plays that culminated in a 39-yard Milton to White pass that put the Vols up 7-0. While Bama quarterback Jalen Milroe and the offense struggled to get any traction against a solid Vols front seven, Tennessee would drive deep into Tide territory twice only to come away with two field goals. They would lead 13-0 at the end of the quarter but could have easily led 21-0. Tennessee’s final field goal of the quarter came as a result of a Milroe fumble that gave the Vols the ball at the Bama 23, but they could only muster one first down and had to settle for a 26-yard Charles Campbell field goal. Alabama got on the scoreboard at the 7:05 mark of the second quarter with a Milroe to Jermaine Burton strike from 10 yards out to cut the Vols lead to 13-7.
Alabama had a golden opportunity to cut deeper into the lead when the Tide defense stopped the Vols on a 4th and 1 (one of three fourth-down stops for the Tide D on the day) from the Tennessee 34. Milroe would lead the team to the 20 before throwing his only pick of the day when a nice pass deflected off Burton in the end zone into the waiting arms of Tennessee’s Jaylen McCollough to kill the drive. Tennessee responded with perhaps their best drive of the day as Milton marched the Vols 80 yards in 2:58, ending in a McCallan Castles 6-yard catch in the corner of the end zone to give the orange and white a 20-7 halftime lead. It would be the last offensive highlight for Tennessee.
Bama opened the second half with a Jace McClellan 29-yard run and on the next play, Isaiah Bond got behind the Vols secondary and Milroe hit him in stride from 46 yards out to cut the Vols lead to 20-14. The Tide continued to build momentum as the Vols started their first drive of the half from their own four-yard line and would go three and out. A solid punt forced Alabama to start from their own 30, yet they went on a six-play, 46-yard drive that stalled on the Vols 24 and ended with a Will Reichard 42-yard field goal to further cut into the lead to 20-17 at the 8:33 mark of the third quarter. Alabama would again stop Tennessee on a fourth and one, this time from the Vol 47, and would turn a questionable decision to go for it in Tennessee territory from Heupel into paydirt. Bama marched 47 yards in five plays and grabbed their first lead of the game, 24-20, on a five-yard McClellan run at the 3:42 mark of the third.
After another Vol three and out, the Bama O marched 56 yards in 15 plays that chewed up 7:51 and Reichard hit his second field goal of the day, this one from 50 yards out, to extend the Tide lead to 27-20 with 8:17 remaining in the contest. The make was particularly sweet for Reichard, as his 50-yard miss at the end of last year’s game against Tennessee opened the door for the Vols to hit their game-winning field goal as time expired. Reichard has not missed a kick since. Three plays later, Tide linebacker Chris Braswell made the play of the game when he crushed Milton from the backside, forcing the ball to pop out. Sophomore Jihaad Campbell scooped it up and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown for Bama’s 27th consecutive point to move the score to 34-20 with 7:26 remaining.
The Vols would get the ball three more times but ended the game with a punt, a turnover on downs, and had possession as time ran out. For the game, Milroe would finish 14 for 21 for 220 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a pick. Milton cooled off after half and would finish 28 for 41 271 yards and 2 touchdowns. McClellan led all rushers with 115 yards on 27 carries and a touchdown. Squirrel White led all receivers with 111 yards, yet only gained six yards after half. For the game, Tennessee would outgain the Tide 404 yards to 358.
The victory kept Alabama’s suddenly special season alive and well. Entering a much-needed bye week, the Tide’s path to Atlanta still must go through home contests against LSU and Chattanooga and road tussles with Kentucky and Auburn. Bama plays LSU in two weeks and most likely, the winner will win the West. But for now, light’em up, Bama fans, and enjoy the best win of the season to date.