ROLL TIDE!
What a half from the Crimson Tide. Alabama forced a three and out to open the game, then ran a boa constrictor drive to chew up most of the 1st quarter before scoring a TD. To Tennessee’s credit,
they did respond right after that when Bray Hubbard slipped down the seam and they completed a huge pass.
Still, the Alabama defense answered by forcing a safety, and the Ty Simpson and crew turned that into 9 points by promptly driving right down the field and taking a 9-point lead.
Pretty much the whole half was gone at that point, and Tennessee set out on a a mission to score to close out the half. They converted two 4th downs on the Alabama side of the field, opting to make sure they killed clock and prevent Simpson from getting the ball back over taking 3 points to get within one possession.
With only 8 seconds to go, the Vols faced a decision on the 2-yard line. Run again and risk getting stuffed again, then end the half without points…. Or take one quick pass, then take the field goal.
It seemed like a no-brainer, except Huepel lined his team up in a jumbo formation. It was one of the most obvious attempts at misdirection ever, and the Vols went with the classic play action with a throw to the full back in the flats. The problem with obvious, though, is that it was also obvious to Alabama’s defense. Deontae Lawson ignored the playaction, beelining for the QB, and Zabien Brown and Yhonzae Pierre both camped out in the flats, waiting for the pass. Brown took the ball from right in front former Bama TE Miles Kitselman’s wide eyes, then took off on a 99-yard sprint for glory. Hilariously, Connor Talty slipped on the extra point but still got the ball the ball through the uprights.
Brown’s pick six ended the half, and on topping of being an immediate 14-point swing, the Tide also gets the ball coming out of halftime to extend on their 23-7 lead.
All in all, you can’t ask for much more. The pass rush came alive for Alabama with Yhonzae Pierre playing like a man possessed. The defense gave up one scoring drive and did give up some yards on that final drive, but also forced their fare share of stops against the #1 offense in the entire country.
Offensively, Ty Simpson was carving up the Tennessee defense. Still, the Tide has 0 semblance of a running game. Alabama had one egregious 3-and-out where Kevin Riley was tackled for a loss on back to back plays. Something needs to get figured out there. I don’t know if it’s Daniel Hill or even AK Dear, but Miller and Riley got next to nothing going on the ground.
Finally, Ryan Williams is back on the field in full capacity and made three really impressive catches. It’s great to see him making an impact again.
On to the second half. Roll Tide!
