On Saturday, the Alabama Crimson Tide will make their first trip back to Knoxville since their long winning streak over the Tennessee Volunteers was snapped during the 2022 season.
Having won 15-straight in the rivalry at the time, Alabama went in to Knoxville that season to face off with what was a Top 10 ranked Volunteers team, and left town with a 52-49 loss that is remembered by most across college football to this day.
A back-and-forth contest, the two teams produced over 500+ yards of total offense in the game, with the Volunteers winning on a last-second field goal as time expired. This gave Alabama their first loss of the 2022 season, and was a big reason as to why the Crimson Tide ended up not making the College Football Playoff.
As the Crimson Tide now look to avoid a repeat of that loss, let’s take a look at five things in particular that Alabama has to do in order to flip the script from that 2022 defeat.
1
Keep the penalty number low
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There is simply no other way to say it than penalties hurt the Crimson Tide in a big way during their 2022 loss in Knoxville. In all, Alabama had 17 penalties for 130 total yards (Tennessee had six for 39 yards) in the loss, and will certainly have to keep that number low if they want to leave Knoxville with a win Saturday.
2
Have to start fast
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Facing one of college football’s top offenses that year, Alabama fell behind early in 2022, trailing by a score of 21-7 at the end of the first quarter. While they did end up coming back, Alabama played catch-up for a majority of this game, and will need a fast start in order to not fall behind by multiple touchdowns early in front of a packed Neyland Stadium.
3
Limit big plays
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The duo of quarterback Hendon Hooker and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt torched Alabama’s defense multiple times for long touchdowns in 2022, which had the Crimson Tide struggle at times to stop the Volunteers offense. Tennessee’s offense under head coach Josh Heupel has struggled at times in recent weeks, but is certainly capable of making some big plays down the field.
4
Get off the field
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There is no secret that Alabama’s defense has struggled to get off the field and third-and-fourth down this season, and in this game two years ago, the Crimson Tide limited Tennessee to 5-of-10 on third down, as well as 0-2 on fourth. It is crucial for Alabama to force the Volunteers to punt, as, even despite their recent struggles, this will be one of the best offenses that the Crimson Tide have faced this season.
5
Establish the run
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Lastly, Alabama was out-rushed in the 2022 loss at Tennessee a combined 182-114, with a majority of those yards coming from running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Alabama will likely lean on Milroe, Miller, and Haynes to have big games on the ground Saturday, and if that trio ends up seeing success, it could help open-up Tennessee’s defense for the Crimson Tide’s passing game.
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Publish date : 2024-10-15 08:10:00
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