Tide shakes loose from Vols, rolls to 45-7 win
Alabama shakes loose from Vols, rolls to 45-7 win
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Tennessee scrapped, clawed and ran for its life.
In the end, five-star hearts were no match for Alabama’s five-star players.
The top-ranked Crimson Tide sputtered in the first half against a feisty Tennessee defense but eventually rolled to a 45-7 victory over the offensively dormant Volunteers on Saturday in soldout Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Tennessee’s streak of quarters without an offensive touchdown reached 14 after the Vols made it to the Alabama 1-yard line midway through the fourth quarter and came away without points.
Five plays later, reserve Alabama receiver Henry Ruggs III scampered 60 yards on a touchdown reception from Tua Tagovailoa. Cigar smoke emanated from a jubilant Alabama student section with the outcome of the 100th edition of the Third Saturday in October cemented as a beatdown.
Tennessee senior defensive tackle Kendal Vickers acknowledged he could smell the smoke from the early celebration of the Tide’s 11th straight victory over the Vols as the final seconds ticked off the clock. The Vols fell to 3-4, 0-4 in the Southeastern Conference.
“We’ve just got to keep going, keep getting better and keep grinding,” Vickers said afterward. “Because eventually things will go our way.”
Vickers and the Tennessee defense offered stiff resistance for much of the first half, but that failed to show up in a final box score that listed a 496-yard disparity between the teams. Alabama (8-0, 5-0) outgained Tennessee in total yards by a margin of 604 to 108.
Tennessee’s offense has not scored a touchdown since the first half of a 17-13 win over Massachusetts on Sept. 23. Its touchdown Saturday came on a 97-yard interception return from Daniel Bituli that brought the Vols within 28-7 in the third quarter.
Junior defensive back Rashaan Gaulden quickly overshadowed that highlight
offering a clearly visible obscene gesture towards the raucous Alabama crowd. He was flagged for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty.
Embattled fifth-year Tennessee coach Butch Jones called Gaulden’s gesture “unacceptable” and said it would be dealt with internally. Gaulden went before the media after the game to offer an apology that seemed genuine.
“That’s not how my parents raised me,” Gaulden said. “That’s not how a leader of the team should show their emotions on the field. I really sincerely apologize to the student section at Alabama for disrespecting them.”
Gaulden said he realized “pretty quickly” that he had made a mistake.
“It was just a lot of frustration building up to that,” he said.
At least part of Tennessee’s frustration could be traced to a bizarre first-half sequence that changed the game’s momentum.
Alabama had punted on consecutive series and faced a third-and-13 on the Tennessee 36 midway through the second quarter while leading 7-0. That’s when a hands-to-theface penalty on Jonathan Kongbo negated a fumble through the end zone that would have given Tennessee the ball after freshman cornerback Shawn Shamburger poked it away from Alabama tight end Irv Smith at the 2-yard line.
Instead, the penalty gave Alabama a first-and-goal on the 1. The teams swapped penalties and running back Bo Scarbrough scored on a leaping 1-yard run to cap a 15-play drive and make the score 14-0.
A quick three-and-out by the Tennessee offense forced a weary defense back onto the field. Alabama struck again — aided by yet another hands-tothe-face penalty on Kongbo — to make it 21-0 with 1:18 left in the half.
In his first road start, Tennessee redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano was repeatedly hurried by a vicious pass rush. Alabama’s secondary locked Tennessee’s receivers down, and the Vols’ longest pass play was a 12-yard completion to tight end Ethan Wolf in the first quarter.
“They’re definitely as advertised,” Guarantano said of the Tide defenders. “They’re definitely a top-five defense in the country and number one (ranked team). Just know that before the game that nobody was scared, nobody was nervous at that. Nobody feared anybody. They’re just a very good defense and they played very well today.”
Alabama appeared to set the tone on its first possession with a 12-play, 63-yard touchdown
drive that came down to a fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Scarbrough leaped over the goal line to score the game’s first points.
Tennessee closes the season with five seemingly winnable games, beginning next week at Kentucky as questions of Jones’ job security linger.
“It’s all about our players,” Jones said. “It’s all about our kids. They’re working very hard, and I hurt for them because they invest so much in it. Like I told them, our leadership is being challenged. Our maturity is being challenged, but we have to continue to stay together and work. How you feel in that locker room right now, you have to apply it during the week. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. All that in terms of sacrificing and committing and taking pride in your preparation.
“I hurt for the players because we expect to win.
That’s why you play the game.”
Expanding rotation
Tennessee expanded its defensive rotation early with freshman linebacker Will Ignont getting his first significant playing time of the season and defensive linemen Alexis Johnson and Matthew Butler entering early.
Shamburger got his first career start and led the team in tackles while playing in place of injured Justin Martin. Sophomore cornerback Baylen Buchanan also had his most significant playing time of the year.
Offensive line shuffle
Tennessee started its fifth combination of offensive linemen this season. Coleman Thomas played center while Jashon Robertson, who had been playing center, slid to left guard. Robertson limped off the field in the second half with redshirt freshman Ryan Johnson entering in his place, as junior offensive guard Jack Jones did not play because of an apparent injury.
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com.