No. 6 Alabama rolled over No. 11 Tennessee with a score of 37-20 to claim the Third Saturday in October rivalry game victory.
With a fourth straight victory over a top-25 opponent, the Crimson Tide extended its home win streak to 16 straight, improving its record to 6-1 overall and a perfect 4-0 in the SEC.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
- Pass Rush Found
A huge surprise was Alabama finding a pass rush against Tennessee. The Vols came into the game allowing only four sacks all season long, while Alabama has only recorded nine sacks so far. Alabama dialed up the pressure and had four sacks and two hurries for the game. Yhonzae Pierre led the Crimson Tide with 2.5 sacks, as well as forcing an intentional grounding penalty that resulted in a safety.
- Huge Momentum Swing
Closing out the half, it looked like Tennessee was going to cap off a drive with a touchdown to cut the Alabama lead to just two points. Instead, Zabien Brown jumped the Tennessee route to pick off Joey Aguilar and took it back 99 yards for a touchdown, giving the Crimson Tide a more comfortable 23-7 lead going into the locker room.
- Williams Bounces Back
It’s been a rough season for star wide receiver Ryan Williams. Dropped passes have been an issue for the sophomore all season. Last week, he failed to record a catch for the first time in his short Alabama career. On Saturday, Williams finally looked healthy and caught five passes for 87 yards and zero drops. Williams also carried the ball back once for 16 yards.
- All-Purpose Bernard
Germie Bernard did a little of everything on Saturday, tallying up 109 all-purpose yards. Bernard was Alabama’s second leading receiver with five catches for 60 yards. The veteran receiver also led the Crimson Tide in rushing with 49 yards on four carries. Bernard continues to be Alabama’s most consistent playmaker each and every week.
- Drive of the Game
Over halfway through the third quarter, pinned back to their own one-yard line, Alabama began the drive of the game. The Crimson Tide marched down the field 99 yards on nine plays, ending in an 11-yard touchdown catch by Rico Scott. The key drive of the game took off 5:26 off the game clock to give Alabama a 30-13 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Alabama will travel to South Carolina on October 25 at 2:30 p.m. to face the Gamecocks. ABC will televise the game.
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