Many, many things would have to go right for Tennessee to beat No. 1 Alabama on Saturday as a 37-point underdog. On this sequence, many things went wrong.
Tennessee stopped Bama 3 times on this drive and still gave up a crippling TD
It’s that kind of season.
1. With Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. on the precipice of scoring a 36-yard touchdown on third-and-13, Tennessee forced a fumble out of the end zone for a touchback.
The Vols were only down 7-0, a shockingly good effort on the road against the best team in the land. And now they’d be getting the ball back, continuing their bid to keep this thing close. What a good stop for Tennessee!
Except this is 2017, and Tennessee isn’t supposed to have nice things in 2017. So, naturally, a hands-to-the-face penalty prolonged the drive for Bama. The Tide got the ball back from the spot of the foul, which was before the fumble.
The Tide kept chiseling away at the UT goal line, but they kept getting stopped. They took a penalty on first-and-goal at the 1, backing them up to the 6. Damien Harris ran for no gain, and then Jalen Hurts threw an incomplete pass.
2. Hurts then got stacked up at the 2 on third-and-goal from the 6. What a good stop for Tennessee!
Except this is 2017, so a defensive holding penalty gave Bama another third down.
3. Then Tennessee snuffed out a Hurts play-action fake on that third-and-goal.
What a good stop for Tennessee!
Except this is 2017, so Alabama went for it on fourth down.
Bo Scarbrough’s second rushing touchdown of the day made it 14-0, Tide.
Both of them came on fourth-and-goal conversions with Scarbrough flying into the end zone.
Bama’s drive went in the books as a 15-play, 85-yarder in 4:35. Tennessee’s defense played as hard as it could’ve possibly played, and it wasn’t enough.
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