Last year, Tennessee and Alabama traded blows in iconic fashion. Jalin Hyatt and Hendon Hooker were nearly unstoppable in upsetting the Crimson Tide for UT’s first win against the perennial National Title competitors in well over a decade. Alabama set the record in the series for most wins in a row at 15 before Tennessee drove 45 yards in 3 plays, taking only 15 seconds off the clock for a game winning, 40 yard field goal to win a 52-49 heart stopper.
2023 is a far cry from the 2022 squads. Tennessee’s offense has yet to open up through the air, and Alabama’s offensive line and run game have been producing well, but not to the level of previous years. The top two rushers, Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams, have combined for an average per game production of just about 110 yards, and the QBs for Alabama have been sacked 31 times in only 7 games. Both defenses have largely produced well. Tennessee’s defense folded in the first half against Florida, leading to a loss, and Alabama gave up 34 in a loss to Texas. In 2022, the game was high flying and modern. This year, it appears it may be old school, tough running and big tackles. The Tide’s lack of pass protection plays well into Tennessee’s hands. The sack production for the team has been phenomenal. But Milton’s inability to hit deep gives a huge advantage to Alabama, allowing them to focus on the run, and shut down Jalen Wright, who has been the offensive MVP for UT.
Tennessee got the ball first, with a chance to make a statement. Heupel began the play calling with an emphasis on the pass. Milton threw for short gains to Wright on a swing pass and then a bubble screen to wide receiver Squirrel White, but the two completions only gained three yards. With a 3rd and long, Heupal called another pass play. Alabama’s defense covered everything well, so Milton did something which has been rare thus far in the season; he scrambled out of the pocket, and used his legs. With a multiple Tide players in pursuit and another on set for collision just before the first down marker, Milton made the decision to make contact with the single defender, use his size to plow ahead for the first down, and he drove the opposing player nearly 10 feet, and beyond the sticks, before hitting the ground. Emboldened, Milton threw a slant for 7 yards to Squirrel, a comeback for 11, again to Squirrel, and then dialed up a perfect deep throw to Squirrel for a 39 yard score. It was the perfect drive for Milton, including a scramble for a first down to keep the drive alive.
Two drives later, Milton had some good plays as well. He hit Squirrel for a 12 yard gain on a 3rd and 8. He was willing to scramble for yards again, but a holding play moved them back 10. Milton ran the next play to get 13 yards before Dylan Sampson ran for 12, then Ramel Keyton took a catch for 12, his second catch for more than 10 yards on the drive. Milton’s first incompletion came on a perfect dart between defenders to Dont’e Thornton, which he dropped nearly 20 yards down field. He would miss he next two throws, and the drive would stall out, but Tennessee still gained a field goal and a 10-0 lead.
After recovering a fumble off a James Pearce sack, Tennessee again stalled, but got three from their kicker. Milton only completed one of three passes on the drive. After trading punts, Bama scored to cut the game to 13-7. ON UT’s next drive, Milton again scrambled. It looked like he gained the first on a 3rd and long, but his elbow came down just before the ball crossed the line to gain, and UT was facing 4th and less than a yard. Huepel took a risk, and called a designed QB run out of the shotgun, and it blew up, giving the Tide the ball already in field goal range. But the Orange defense benefited from an uncalled pass interference, instead getting a deflection in the endzone, resulting in an interception. Milton drove the offense 80 yards in under three minutes for another score, which included big runs and a beautiful deep completion to Ramel Keyton. With seconds remaining, Alabama still attempted to get something going, but Milroe was sacked to end the half with UT up 20-7.
As good as the score was, the game was tighter than it looked. It was a series of close plays which bent UT’s way which helped them score, and also cover up those mistakes and miscues which prevented the Vols from being further in the lead. Alabama, despite being down nearly two touchdowns, was still swarming, pursuing and wrapping up well for tackles, and used a lot of creative movement on offense. Milroe had been accurate, despite the interception, which had bounced off his receiver in the endzone due to the uncalled DPI.
As evidence the game was not as cut-and-dry as the score suggested, Alabama wasted no time in the second half, going 75 yards on two plays to draw closer at 20-14. The first play, Tennessee defenders shifted out of the hole the running back attacked, and slipped attempting to get back in position. The run gained 29 yards. The next play, the defender slipped in pass coverage, and Wesley Walker, who has at least one play every game where he puts himself insanely out of position, stepped forward covering a crossing route instead of playing the receiver on the deep post route. The receiver had no one within 10 yards of him as he waltzed into the endzone.
Tennessee’s drive started at the 4-yard line because one of the UT’s two return men was called for signaling for a fair catch, despite him not being the receiver. When Cam Seldon took the ball out beyond the 20-yard line, it didn’t matter, and the Vols offense set up with Milton in their own endzone. Three straight Jalen Wright runs netted eight yards, and a punt. Bama got a field goal to sneak inside the upright to draw with 20-17, and Tennessee again faced a challenging decision on their next drive. Milton overcame a short sack to run for first down, but a deep pass was blatantly interfered with, despite it not being called, and the Vols were facing another 4th and short. Setting up in shotgun once again, Huepal called another run, and the Bama defense came up winners of the paly again. Twice, facing a 4th and 1, or less, Huepel’s play call was a run from shotgun, which gained nothing. Bama capitalized on the short field, quickly scoring a touchdown, and taking a 24-20 lead.
It was all Alabama from there. The Tide would force a three-and-out, then kick a field goal. Milton would be stripped-sacked on the next UT drive, and the ball was recovered and returned for a touchdown by the Tide defense. Tennessee had another three-and-out, followed by their first sustained drive of the second half, only to stall, moving backwards in the red zone due to multiple penalties. The negative yardage led to and another 4th down play, resulting in an incomplete pass.
After such a promising first half, Tennessee fell 34-20. Some big statistical disparities stand out. The Vols were 0-3 on 4th down attempts. As stated before, two were easily convertible if you have a strong and athletic 240lbs QB. Line up under center, and push. Next; Jalen Wright was neutralized. He was the least productive running back for the Vols. Wright had the most rushing plays with him as the runner with 11, yet generated the least yardage, netting 22 yards. Jabari Small gained 24 yards on 8 carries, and Dylan Sampson gained 28 on 4 carries. Even getting sacked 3 times, Milton gained 59 yards on 15 credited carries. But the biggest difference to me was one specific statistic; Tennessee was penalized 8 times for 55 yards, and Alabama once for 5 yards. Some were obvious (a pair of offsides, back-to-back plays and a pair of false starts by the offense within a few plays of each other stand out). But Tennessee was called for holds twice where I had to stretch my brain to accept it, and they got called for a defensive hold in the secondary which was minimal, but changed a failed conversion on a 3rd and 9 pass out of bounds to moving the sticks on an eventual field goal and an extended lead. The other penalty was a strange call, where the UT middle linebacker was clapping his hands to get his teammates attention and fire them up, but he got called for simulating the snap. Though the drive ended in an interception, it was nearly a terrible outcome.
This game had all the makings of a great day for the Volunteers, but the offense completely collapsed in the second half. Bad play calling on 4th downs stalled the offense, missed assignment resulting in massive touchdowns again haunted the defense, and the disparity in recruiting was impossible to ignore in the second half. Alabama ball carriers were frequently just outside the reach of Tennessee defenders, while the Tennessee offense continually looked as though they were a step behind in making a massive play, only to get tripped up by an extended defender’s arm. The heart break for the Knoxville faithful has all the possibility of a resulting slide, as has happened so frequently in UT’s past seasons. Heupel needs to get his team back in it, and attack a gameplan for Kentucky. They need to shore up the defensive miscues, get Jalen Wright producing again, and focus on winning games moving forward instead of missed opportunities in their biggest rivalry.