NCAAF

Alabama Crimson Tide at Tennessee Volunteers

· NCAA - Football
5-2, 1-2 Away
Final
17 - 24
6-1, 4-0 Home

Sampson scores twice, Iamaleava overcomes early struggles in Tennessee's 24-17 victory over Alabama

Stephen A. voices disgust with Bama: Kalen DeBoer is no Nick Saban

Chris Brazzell II made a diving 16-yard touchdown catch from Nico Iamaleava midway through the fourth quarter to give the Volunteer defense a 21-17 lead to work with.

Dylan Sampson rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns for the Volunteers (6-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference). The victory keeps Tennessee in the hunt for a College Football Playoff spot.

“(That's how) they've played all year,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said of his defense. “How they played tonight kept us in the ballgame when, offensively, we were a little bit off.”

Sampson has rushed for at least 100 yards in all but one game this season, and his 17 TDs rank second in FBS.

“(Sampson) sparked it,” Heupel said. “What a night on Rocky Top.”

The Crimson Tide (5-2, 2-2) have their work cut out for them the rest of the season. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe struggled, connecting on 25 of 45 passes for 239 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Alabama rushed for just 89 yards compared to Tennessee's 214.

“You gotta look inward first and make sure that everything you're doing is right,” said Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer. “Anyone you sense has any type of questioning, you got to make sure you bring them with you.”

“I gotta take full ownership (of the loss),” Milroe said. “When it comes to communication up front, communication to the guys around, I gotta do better.”

Trailing 21-17, Alabama took over possession on its own 30 with 2:25 left in regulation. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on wide receiver Kendrick Law stymied the Crimson Tide's drive and allowed Tennessee to stretch the lead to seven with a field goal on its next possession.

Tennessee overcame three turnovers in the first half and trailed 7-0 at halftime. Iamaleava lit the fire with a 55-yard pass to Dont'e Thornton in the third quarter and the scoring pass to Brazzell in the fourth.

“(Recovering) takes toughness,” Heupel said of his quarterback. “Mental toughness. When it matters the most, how will you perform?”

“(It's the) next play mentality,” Iamaleava said. “I gotta keep going strong for my guys.”

The Volunteers grabbed a 14-10 lead, their first of the game, with one minute left in the third quarter. Sampson barreled in from three yards after Iamaleava connected on the 55-yard pass to Thornton.

Early in the fourth quarter, Alabama answered the Vols' score with a 7-yard touchdown run from Justice Haynes to go up 17-14. Germie Bernard set it up with a 28-yard reception from Milroe.

The takeaway Alabama: The Crimson Tide haven't lost twice before the end of October since 2007, Nick Saban's first year. Trying to recover from that will be tough with No. 19 Missouri and No. 8 LSU on the schedule.

Tennessee: Vols QB Nico Iamaleava took a step forward in his growth process after overcoming his early struggles to complete two key passes in the second half.

Up next Alabama: The Crimson Tide are at home against Missouri next week.

Tennessee: The Volunteers host Kentucky on Saturday, Nov. 2.

How To Watch

How can I watch Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Tennessee Volunteers?
  • TV Channel: Crimson Tide at Volunteers 2021 College Football, week 8, is broadcasted on ABC.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Matchup Prediction

Volunteers: 46.1%
Crimson Tide: 53.9%
*According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index

Scoring Summary

ALA TD 2nd Period 13:01 Ryan Williams 5 Yd pass from Jalen Milroe (Graham Nicholson Kick)
TENN TD 3rd Period 6:32 Dylan Sampson 2 Yd Run (Max Gilbert Kick)
ALA FG 3rd Period 3:11 Graham Nicholson 35 Yd Field Goal
TENN TD 3rd Period 1:00 Dylan Sampson 3 Yd Run (Max Gilbert Kick)
ALA TD 4th Period 13:56 Justice Haynes 7 Yd Run (Graham Nicholson Kick)
TENN TD 4th Period 5:52 Chris Brazzell II 16 Yd pass from Nico Iamaleava (Max Gilbert Kick)
TENN FG 4th Period 1:30 Max Gilbert 41 Yd Field Goal

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/333.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originALA https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2633.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originTENN
23 1st Downs 21
3-14 3rd down efficiency 6-14
1-2 4th down efficiency 0-0
314 Total Yards 408
239 Passing 194
25/45 Comp/Att 14/28
5.3 Yards per pass 6.9
75 Rushing 214
34 Rushing Attempts 43
2.2 Yards per rush 5.0
15-115 Penalties 11-95
2 Turnovers 3
0 Fumbles lost 1
2 Interceptions thrown 2
33:15 Possession 26:45

Game Information

Neyland Stadium

Location: Knoxville, TN
Attendance: 101,915 · Capacity:
Full Standings

College Football News

College football SP+ rankings after first-round CFP games

College football SP+ rankings after first-round CFP games

After the first round of the College Football Playoff, the championship odds are more bunched than ever.

How will Stockton level up for Georgia against Notre Dame?

How will Stockton level up for Georgia against Notre Dame?

The SEC Now crew talks about how Gunner Stockton has the ability to prepare for the Fighting Irish and breaks down the game plan Georgia needs to come out victorious.

Does CFP need tweaking after lopsided losses in 1st round?

Does CFP need tweaking after lopsided losses in 1st round?

Heather Dinich reacts to the lopsided losses in the first round of the new College Football Playoff system.

2024 College Football Playoff quarterfinals: Betting odds, lines

2024 College Football Playoff quarterfinals: Betting odds, lines

Here are all the betting odds, lines, spreads and totals for every game of the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff.

Finebaum isn't convinced the winner of OSU-Oregon is championship front-runner

Finebaum isn't convinced the winner of OSU-Oregon is championship front-runner

Paul Finebaum argues that the winner of Ohio State vs. Oregon won't determine the national championship.