Alabama fell on the road at Tennessee on Saturday night.
The Alabama Crimson Tide and Tennessee Volunteers renewed their head-to-head rivalry once again Saturday afternoon in Knoxville, as the two programs met for the latest edition of “The Third Saturday in October.”
Taking place inside Neyland Stadium, the Crimson Tide would however fall to the Volunteers for the second time in the last three years, falling by a final score of 24-17.
Alabama’s first game against Tennessee of the Kalen DeBoer era, here are some of the top photos from the showdown between the Crimson Tide and Volunteers in Week 8:
Photos from Alabama Crimson Tide’s 24-17 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers
Alabama is no longer the Gold Standard, which marks just another change in a transitional era of college football.
For nearly two decades, the Alabama Crimson Tide was the gold standard in college football. With Nick Saban at the helm, it was safe to say that any team that wanted to win a national championship had to either be Alabama or beat Alabama.
Now, the tides are shifting and the future appears uncertain in Tuscaloosa.
Head coach Kalen DeBoer is in his first year with the Crimson Tide, being hired after a brief, yet successful, two-year stint with the Washington Huskies. While comparing him to Saban feels unfair, it’s reality.
DeBoer joined the program and had to deal with numerous players entering the transfer portal and a few commits entertaining offers from other top programs. However, he largely inherited a talented roster that had just won an SEC championship and took the eventual national champions, the Michigan Wolverines, to overtime in the Rose Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal.
Some growing pains were expected entering the season. No matter who the new Alabama coach was, he’d have to deal with the nearly impossible task of trying to fill the massive shoes left behind by the greatest college football head coach of all time.
A loss here and there was expected, but what we have seen from Alabama so far as the second half of the 2024 season gets started is surprising.
The Concerns in Tuscaloosa
Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel
On the surface, the performance of some key players and positional groups gives minor cause for concern. Quarterback Jalen Milroe has seemingly regressed since an impressive first half against the Georgia Bulldogs. The secondary hasn’t been too impressive. The defensive line is not meeting expectations.
That being said, the team has managed to overcome those woes in a few key situations and games.
Losing to Vanderbilt was one of the most shocking in-conference losses in recent history, but it seemed like something the team would be able to move past. Losing to the Tennessee Volunteers stung on another level, considering the tension between these two teams in the historic rivalry. It also exposed issues that run deeper within the program that need to be addressed before the hole they’ve dug themselves into gets even deeper.
Through a full four quarters against the Vols, Alabama had 15 penalties for a total of 115 yards. No one was expecting DeBoer to mimic Saban, but there was still hope that he’d be able to maintain some level of discipline.
While there are a plethora of examples that could be honed in on, the one that stands out the most in the team’s most recent loss was wide receiver Kendrick Law’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Tide’s penultimate offensive drive.
Though it was believed there should have been offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties, Law’s emotions got the best of him and pushed Alabama back 15 yards as the team was preparing to go for it on fourth down deep in their own territory. The team did go for it and completed a questionable screen pass that came nowhere near to reaching the first down.
It feels cliché to pose this question, likely because it is, but would something like this happen under Saban? Perhaps. Having him on the sidelines wasn’t like having some sort of spell on the team that prevented them from committing penalties.
However, I will say that Law likely would not have been on the field to possibly return the next kickoff under Saban.
It’s not just about preventing the penalties. DeBoer can’t hold his players hands out on the field. What it is about, though, is responding to a situation like that.
No, I don’t think DeBoer will be fired this season or after this season, nor should he be. This is uncharted territory for many Crimson Tide fans. A coach can have flaws and can be criticized without being immediately placed on the hot seat.
There’s a list of issues that need to be addressed with this team, but these issues can be overcome and will not render the program doomed. In fact, at the time this is being written, the Tide’s College Football Playoff hopes are still alive.
Only time will tell how the team improves or adapts. Conversely, fans could also grow impatient and frustrated if the team remains stagnant and doesn’t show a willingness to correct the course it’s currently on.
Alabama lost to Tennessee on Saturday night by a final score of 24-17.
On Saturday, the Alabama Crimson Tide made their first trip to Knoxville for the latest edition of “The Third Saturday in October,” facing off against their SEC rivals, the Tennessee Volunteers.
The first-of-two ranked SEC matchups Saturday, Alabama would however fall in Knoxville for the second time in the last three years, falling by a final score of 24-17. This was a game in which Alabama struggled once again, and now moves the Crimson Tide’s record to 5-2 overall.
Here is what some on social media are saving about Alabama’s road loss to the Volunteers:
A horrible mistake by Nico, and Alabama makes Tennessee pay once again, with the interception.
Tennessee outrushed Alabama 214 to 75. That’s the explanation. All else is window dressing, irrelevant or a rabbit hole. They won the line of scrimmage. Ball game.
Tennessee upsets Alabama after several mind-boggling Crimson Tide mistakes.
There will be no cigars in Tuscaloosa this year as the Alabama Crimson Tide fell to the No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers 24-17 in Knoxville on Saturday. With the loss, Kalen DeBoer falls to 0-2 on the road in the SEC after being swept by the state of Tennessee. It was about as frustrating of a game as you will ever see from an Alabama team between penalties, poor third-down defense and sloppy turnovers.
The Crimson Tide defense forced three turnovers from the Volunteers’ offense in the first half but could not capitalize with any points. Alabama entered the day as one of the most penalized teams in the country, T-112th, and did not help their case with a staggering 15 flags for 115 yards. It was all capped off with an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Kendrick Law that took Alabama from 4th and manageable to 4th and 22 from their own 18 with 1:55 to go.
It was just been a wonky day as Alabama and Tennessee also combined to miss three field goals.
Ultimately, this loss falls on the offense. Haynes and Miller combined to carry the ball 19 times for just 53 yards as the Tide offense found no success on the ground. To make matters worse, it was Jalen Milroe’s poorest game of the year by far as he was 25/45 for 239 yards one touchdowns and two picks and carried the ball 14 times for 11 yards (including sacks).
With Alabama’s Playoff hopes hanging on by a thread it’s time to find out what Kalen DeBoer is made of.
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Tennessee deals Alabama its second loss of the season
Kalen DeBoer’s first season as Alabama head coach is not going the way the Crimson Tide played under Nick Saban.
Tennessee scored the game’s last 10 points on Saturday and captured a 24-17 victory over Alabama in SEC play.
The victory upped the Vols to 6-1 and 3-1 in conference.
Alabama is 5-2 and 2-2 in conference. The Tide lost to Tennessee and Vanderbilt in the same season for the first time since 1984.\
Trailing 17-14 with less than six minutes left, Nico Iamaleava threw a pass to Chris Brazell II, who made a diving catch for the 16-yard touchdown to give the Vols the lead.
Max Gilbert kicked a field goal with 1:30 left for the final points.
Jalen Milroe’s last chance pass for Alabama was intercepted.
Will Brooks played high school football 65 miles from the University of Alabama campus.
However, the school didn’t offer him a scholarship, so he walked on at Tennessee.
Now, he intercepts Jalen Milroe to hand Alabama its second loss this season.
Tennessee DB Will Brooks locked the win up with this final play.
Tennessee had already pulled ahead to a seven-point lead at home against Alabama with less than two minutes left on the clock. But the Crimson Tide had the ball and a chance to pull off an incredible drive to at least tie the game.
Enter Volunteers defensive back Will Brooks, whose heroics sealed the 24-17 victory for Tennessee, delivering Alabama’s second loss of the season and marking the first time the Crimson Tide have two losses before November since 2007.
After Tennessee’s Max Gilbert kicked a 41-yard field goal to give his team a 24-17 lead, Alabama got the ball back for its final drive with 1:30 left on the clock. On Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe’s first pass from Tennessee’s 25-yard line, Brooks picked off the pass and secured the victory.
Aside from the rivalry, this was one of the most anticipated Week 8 games because of the major College Football Playoff implications. It certainly wasn’t a playoff game, but Alabama now has an uphill climb to stay in the playoff conversation.
On Saturday, it was Tennessee’s turn to enjoy the sweet taste of smokey victory as the No. 11 Volunteers defeated the No. 7 Crimson Tide, 24-17, handing Alabama its second loss in three weeks.
This one puts Alabama’s playoff campaign on the absolute brink if not outright ending it. It also puts Tennessee right back in the hunt with another signature win.
But those are all problems for later. For now, it was simply time to spark up in Neyland Stadium and seemingly everyone in orange couldn’t wait to partake.
Cigar smoke already filling the air in Neyland Stadium. Vols haven’t had many chances to smoke cigars in this series over the past two decades. This is two times in a row in Knoxville. pic.twitter.com/mVTSGKSNfe
Saturday afternoon brought about the latest edition of “The Third Saturday in October,” as one of the SEC’s top rivalry games was renewed in Knoxville between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Tennessee Volunteers.
A game that pitted No. 7 vs. No. 11, Tennessee came away victorious on Saturday, winning by a final score of 24-17. With the win/loss, Alabama now sits at 5-2 overall for the season, as well as 2-2 in SEC play.
Let’s take a look at a few instant reactions to Alabama’s Week 8 trip to Knoxville to face the rival Volunteers:
Jalen Milroe costly INT early
One of the biggest missed opportunities early for Alabama on Saturday came late in the first quarter when Jalen Milroe was intercepted in the end zone on second-and-goal from the three, and was returned for 54 yards. This did not come back to bite Alabama however, as the Volunteers later missed a field goal, but it was still a missed chance to claim an early 7-0 lead, one of multiple by the Crimson Tide early-on.
Alabama defense creates early turnovers
A big reason Alabama had so many missed opportunities in the first half Saturday was because the Crimson Tide’s defense forced multiple turnovers, but could never really capitalize off them with points. In all, Alabama had two interceptions, as well as a fumble recovery.
Alabama penalties a problem
One of the biggest talking points from Alabama’s 2022 loss in Knoxville was penalties, committing 17 altogether. Alabama struggled once again Saturday with 15 penalties for 115 yards, 10 of which were in the first half alone.
Alabama’s performance on third down
Something that Alabama has struggled with this season, the Crimson Tide’s defense limited Tennessee to 6-of-14 on third downs. Offensively, Alabama struggled on third downs as well, converting only 3-of-14 attempts.
No margin for error going forward
Alabama now has two losses on the season, meaning that there is no margin for error going forward. The Crimson Tide’s chances for the 12-team College Football Playoff are slim, and they will certainly have to win out to do it.
Of course, it’s a big game no matter what — cigars and all — and the college football fans who were lucky enough to attend the game in person at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville got to see WNBA star Candace Parker hype up the Tennessee crowd.
“It feels like home,” Parker said about going back to Knoxville. “Every time I come back, it’s just like another feeling of just being at home and seeing everybody and being proud to wear orange. It’s surreal, honestly.”
It’s one of college football’s classic rivalries that has featured big moments, upsets and stars. The most recent edition of the game played in Knoxville was especially memorable, as the Vols snapped a 15-game losing streak to Alabama with a 52-49 win thanks to a Chase McGrath field goal as time expired.
Unlike some other historic rivalry games in college football, the winner of this game doesn’t get to take home a clunky trophy that resembles an axe, a hammer or a barrel of nails.
Instead, the winner of this game gets victory cigars and proudly smokes up on the field and in the locker room, whether they’re winning at home or on the road. Fans typically join in on the fun from the bleachers. It’s a celebration that violates NCAA rules, but neither the Vols nor the Tide care all that much.
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – OCTOBER 15: Head coach Josh Heupel of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates a win over the Alabama Crimson Tide with a cigar at Neyland Stadium on October 15, 2022 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 52-49. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
The victory cigar is something that has existed in the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry since 1961, when Alabama athletic trainer Jim Goostree lit up a stogie in the locker room and danced around naked after the Crimson Tide’s first win over the Vols since 1954. Players joined in and lit up too. Not only did the tradition stick in Tuscaloosa, but it spread over to Tennessee’s locker room.
Alabama was victorious for so long in this series that it had a standing arrangement with a local shop to provide cigars for after the Tennessee game each year.
After Tennessee coach Josh Heupel won his first game in the series in 2022 – the one that broke Alabama’s win streak – he received a congratulatory box of cigars from CBS sideline reporter Jenny Dell. Vols’ legend Peyton Manning and wideout Jalin Hyatt lit up too.
Victory cigars are present seemingly everywhere in sports. The Celtics lit up after winning the NBA Finals, Oregon coach Dan Lanning smoked while declaring he wasn’t taking the Alabama job after Nick Saban retired, Alexis Morris put fire to a stogie after LSU won the title in women’s basketball, and an App State fan smoked at Kyle Field as the Mountaineers upset Texas A&M.
But few cigars in sports are as special as the ones the winners of the third Saturday in October light up.
