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Alabama 19 Tennessee 14
A Win Is A Win Is A Win
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
At halftime during the contest between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers today, Alabama head football coach Nick Saban said, "We're not playing very well. We got a couple of stops, but we've got to play better. We're just not playing very well. We don't have the kind of intensity and energy we need, and we're losing our poise on things, getting penalties, giving up field position. It's not really playing to our kind of character."
Things actually got a little worse before they got better.
The Alabama Crimson Tide football team came through when they had too, though. With only 5:39 remaining in the contest, lightning struck as Tennessee put together a four-play, 75 yard scoring drive in only 79 seconds to snatch the lead 14-13. Bama had let the Volunteers stay with them all night, and now it was do or die, the season hung on a scoring drive if only the offensive line could keep the rush off Jake Coker.
Tennessee now had the first lead on the Tide since 2006, which was also the last time the Volunteers beat Alabama. The clock was ticking as Bama began their march to victory.
This would be a 71-yard scoring drive. Crimson Tide quarterback Jake Coker hit a 29-yard pass to wide receiver ArDarius Stewart, then a 15-yarder to Calvin Ridley, before allowing the man who has scored touchdowns in 13 consecutive games carry the pigskin home. Running back Derrick Henry carried the ball for 35 yards on five carries on that final scoring drive to put it all on his big shoulders, including the 14-yard run to the end zone with 2:24 remaining in the game. The two point conversion was no good, but Bama now had the lead 19-14.
Henry rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns tonight. Steward had six receptions for 114 yards, and Jacob Coker passed for 247 yards on 21 of 27 attempts with one interception.
On the defensive side of the ball linebacker Reggie Ragland had a game-high 12 tackles, eight of which were solo, to lead the Tide in that category. Punter J.K. Scott had an average of 49.8 yards in punts, including his longest of 56 yards for the afternoon.
The Alabama defense rose to the occasion to secure the victory this afternoon. Junior linebacker Ryan Anderson was able to get to Vol quarterback Josh Dobbs and cause a fumble, which was promptly scooped up by defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson who returned the ball to the Tennessee four-yard line.
Jake Coker then took a knee on three consecutive plays to run out the clock and secure the 19-14 victory. Alabama moves to 7-1 overall, 4-1 in the Southeastern Conference while Tennessee falls to 3-3, 1-2.
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
~More To Come~
