The Tennessee Volunteers led 20-6 at the half but were blown away in the second 30 minutes, falling to Alabama by a score of 34-20 and dropping to 5-2 on the season.
What did we learn about the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday?
Second Half Issues Continue
Much like the earlier loss against the Florida Gators, the Tennessee Volunteers could not steady themselves on the road when things were slipping away in the second half. The Gators turned the game around in the third quarter earlier this season. Alabama did the same thing on Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa, roaring back from a 20-6 halftime deficit with a dominant third quarter that undid an excellent first half by the Volunteers.
“The communication is the only thing that’s, in my opinion, more difficult, as long as you’re settled into your job and doing that when you’re out between the white lines. We didn’t reset, refocus, and make any plays in the second half,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said after the game.
Alabama outscored the Volunteers 17-0 in the third quarter and 27-0 in the second half.
Offense Struggles to Find Explosive Plays
Joe Milton III performed admirably on Saturday against a tough Alabama defense. Milton was 28 for 41 for 271 yards with two touchdowns and added 59 yards on the ground. However, as has been the case all season, Tennessee’s offense struggled to connect on explosive plays. Squirrel White had a terrific day with ten catches for 111 yards, and Ramel Keyton had a 30-yard catch, but there were only two pass plays of 30 yards or longer, and it is tough to drive the ball on an elite defense without the aid of long completions. Milton is averaging 219.3 yards per game, a far cry from the 285 yards per contest Hendon Hooker averaged in 2022.
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Salvaging the SeasonTennessee has two losses in the conference, and their hopes of climbing another rung on the ladder toward national relevancy are dashed. The Volunteers cannot surpass Georgia and will struggle to make a New Year’s Six bowl game. Games remain against Kentucky and Missouri on the road, along with a home date against Georgia on November 18. It appears increasingly likely that Tennessee will fail to win double-digit games and take a step back from the heights reached in 2022.
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