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Soon, Tennessee football won't be storming the field because it beat Alabama

Posted on by Kennedy
Soon, Tennessee football won't be storming the field because it beat Alabama

KNOXVILLE – One day soon, and it's getting closer, SEC football fans will no longer storm the field when their team beats Alabama.

However, things aren't that far in Tennessee yet.

Smoke wafted across the pitch on Saturday evening as a large group of VFLs – recruits, students, middle-aged people – climbed from the stands onto the pitch with phones in hand and cigars between their lips. Eager to make the moment their own, they threatened the goalposts and reveled in Tennessee football's 24-17 victory over Alabama, which, let's be honest, deserved no such accolades.

Because this Crimson Tide is not The Crimson Tide. The monster built by Nick Saban has grown significantly weaker in his absence, a revelation that has brought much joy to our state of late. When they tore down the goalposts at Vanderbilt and led them across Broadway after defeating the top-ranked Tide, it made sense.

But when the goalposts came down (again) at Neyland Stadium in Tennessee, you had to ask yourself:

Why?

When it comes to this series, the dominance is over. Tennessee has earned the right to play its bitter rival like it's been there before. When the Vols won 52-49 two years ago and ended the losing streak with Saban on the sideline – it was an instant classic and an emotional relief after years of frustration. For Big Orange Nation, such an experience bordered on spirituality.

But this Saturday?

This was an entertaining game, but not a particularly well-played game. It was a stabilizing win in an uncertain few weeks for the 10th-ranked Vols.

But it wasn't a shocking, random surprise. Wasn't even the least bit surprising.

Tennessee, like Vanderbilt, was simply better than seventh-place Alabama. The Vols, despite another brutally slow start on offense, proved to be mentally tougher, physically stronger, better conditioned, better coached and better prepared to perform in the moments that matter than the Tide.

Saturday was more an example of the Tide's decline under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer than a confirmation of the Vols' 2024 title hopes under Josh Heupel. This Tennessee team is a work in progress. There are still a lot of wrinkles that need to be ironed out – especially on the offensive side of the football – before it's suitably dressed for a playoff run.

“Good teams get better,” said Heupel. “This team has to continue to get better.”

As ugly as that performance was most of the time — and indeed, “It wasn’t very early,” Heupel said — it was a necessary result to keep the Vols’ playoff hopes alive. Of the five games Tennessee (6-1) has after opening week, by far the toughest is Nov. 16 at Georgia. The next hardest? It could be November 30th at Vanderbilt. The other three are in Knoxville.

Other than that, these Vols are positioned to finish at least 10-2.

And a 10-2 record could get them into the playoffs.

And when they get to the playoffs, what do they always say? Defense wins championships?

No one is going to want to play against Tennessee because of their defense. Given his offensive prowess, Heupel is a strange turn this season as his offense has held Tennessee back.

“These guys are our backbone and we’re going to continue to lean on them,” quarterback Nico Iamaleava said of UT’s defense. “We have to perform better (offensively) and not be on their heels so much.”

Iamaleava wasn't consistently good against Alabama, but he was good enough late to duel with counterpart Jalen Milroe and make a few big throws that helped the Vols score on four of their final six possessions after They went scoreless in the first half (with three turnovers).

In fairness to Milroe, who was also missing too many open receivers, Iamaleava didn't have to deal with Tennessee's defensive front. The Vols ran for 214 yards. The flood? 75.

Tennessee's defense finished with nine tackles for a loss, and Alabama's offense had five triples.

This is the brawny way Alabama has won all these years. Saban's teams were better than most at the line of scrimmage, but they were particularly good at dealing with Tennessee.

That is no longer the case. The tide is receding. The Vols play and light it up.

And we'll have to wait and see whether the Vols are truly on the rise or just beating a beatable opponent.

Reach Tennessee sports columnist Gentry Estes at [email protected] and on the X Platform (formerly known as Twitter) @Gentry_Estes.

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