The Alabama Crimson Tide has dropped a second game before November for the first time since 2007 with a 24-17 loss in Knoxville to the Tennessee Volunteers, the second consecutive time the Tide have lost in Neyland Stadium.
The offensive explosion of a football game that the 2022 duel between Bryce Young and Hendon Hooker battled in could not have been further from the 2024 edition. Bad quarterback play and bad offense marked a large portion of the game on Saturday afternoon.
A scoreless first quarter that included two punts and a dreadful Jalen Milroe interception in the end zone led to a 7-0 score at halftime after Alabama was able to find the end zone via a Milroe pass to Ryan Williams:
Right on the 🤑@jalenmilroe ➡️ @Ryanwms1
📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/8sYff3wntu
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) October 19, 2024
The Volunteers missed two field goals in the first half along with some missed throws from Nico Iamaleava that did not punish leaks in the Alabama secondary as well as an interception in the red zone. Graham Nicholson also missed a long field goal late in the half for Alabama.
The second half started with more of the same from both teams with punts on both first drives. The Volunteers got in the end zone for the first time late in the third via a Dylan Sampson carry. Alabama would take a 10-7 lead on the following drive before Tennessee went right back down the field and Sampson gave the Vols their first lead of the night with his second score.
The Tide responded with one of their most impressive drives of the season, moving the ball effectively both on the ground and through the air with Justice Haynes eventually finding his way into the end zone early in the fourth quarter:
WALK 👏 IT👏IN@justicehaynes6
📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/Srg9irUrTv
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) October 19, 2024
It was the final points of the night for Alabama as the teams traded punts following the offensive burst. Once Tennessee got the ball back, Iamaleava made his best throw of the night on a 16-yard score to Chris Brazzell II to put the Vols on top with just under six minutes to play:
right. on. the money.
📺 ABC
📲 https://t.co/vC0cBXiLkw pic.twitter.com/35NXiKnjJ0— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 19, 2024
From there, Milroe got even worse, struggling with accuracy and not able to hit even wide open receivers. After a controversial non-offsides call on 3rd down, he took a sack and Alabama was forced to punt. After getting the ball back again, the offense went nowhere and failed to convert a 4th and 22.
Alabama earned one last stop and held Tennessee to a field goal, giving Milroe the ball back with less than two minutes and trailing by seven. The Tide didn’t keep it long however, as Milroe’s second horrendous pick of the night on the first play of the drive put the game on ice:
WILL BROOKS WITH THE INTERCEPTION TO SEAL THE TENNESSEE WIN!!! pic.twitter.com/n08fBSXr85
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) October 19, 2024
Overall, Milroe seemed incredibly shaken by the environment and finished 25 of 45 for 239 yards, 1 touchdown, and two interceptions. With 15 penalties as a team, it was simply an incredibly sloppy performance from the Tide as it continues to search for answers.
As Missouri comes to town next week ahead of a bye and a trip to LSU on the horizon, Kalen DeBoer must get things under control quickly before the season starts to spiral out of control.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
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