Bama-UT wrapup: Tide dominates stat sheet, but mistakes kept Vols in it -- to a point

[JessN]

Tennessee wrap-up: Tide dominates stat sheet, but mistakes kept Vols in it — to a point
By Jess Nicholas, TideFans.com Editor-In-Chief

The biggest question surrounding Alabama heading into its game was whether the Volunteers would face the Crimson Tide team that faced Texas A&M, or the Crimson Tide team that faced Mississippi State.

Alabama decided to bring both.

This was a “boom/bust” game from the outset. Alabama’s offense boomed; its defense went bust on three separate occasions, giving up two long touchdowns and another long gain that set up a short score. Those mistakes kept Tennessee in it, but for some reason, Tennessee never felt to be on the verge of taking the game over.



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[dabamafan]

Thank you Jess. Grew up on Percy Priest lake btw . RTR

 

[Toddrn]

Great write up Jess. When I think things are a total mess you help me realize that things went really well overall. One thing though, in point number 5 you stated that we had no turnovers. Williams did fumble once.

 

[Professor]

Thanks Jess, great analysis as always. However, why was it that although the stats were totally Alabama, I never could relax? Not even at the end when we were blowing them away.
One more thing. Yes, Bryce is definitely Heisman-like in his handling of the game, but all too often he runs the clock down to 0 before getting the play started. If I remember correctly I believe he did get a couple of delay penalties. He is almost TOO cool.
Why can't I just be happy with the score and forget the torment of play-by-play?
Forgive the rhetorical questions. It' just me and my expectations of perfection. Man are we spoiled?????

 

[AlexanderFan]

Thanks Jess, great analysis as always. However, why was it that although the stats were totally Alabama, I never could relax? Not even at the end when we were blowing them away.
One more thing. Yes, Bryce is definitely Heisman-like in his handling of the game, but all too often he runs the clock down to 0 before getting the play started. If I remember correctly I believe he did get a couple of delay penalties. He is almost TOO cool.
Why can't I just be happy with the score and forget the torment of play-by-play?
Forgive the rhetorical questions. It' just me and my expectations of perfection. Man are we spoiled?????

This team lacks that killer instinct. This team always seems to let teams off the hook. On the verge of a break their will score or defensive stop this team doesn’t finish.

That’s why.

 

[78Alum]

Thanks for a great write-up, Jess! However, the offense did have a turnover when Jamison fumbled inside the 10, right? Great performance by the defense except for the busts which have become all too common and happen it seems in every game. We can't seem to clean that up.

 

[BigPoppa52]

Yes, Bryce is definitely Heisman-like in his handling of the game, but all too often he runs the clock down to 0 before getting the play started. If I remember correctly I believe he did get a couple of delay penalties.

I wonder if BOB is getting the plays in? On both those delays, BY was looking at the sidelines for extended periods like he was waiting to see what inspired run up the middle the OC was going to call. In fact, at one point when Saban was in Young's face on the sidelines, I told my son that I hoped he was telling Young to ignore BOB and just move on.

 

[CraigD]

We had two delay penalties, or maybe it was one delay penalty and then a timeout that prevented a penalty, on the initial play of drives, coming out of timeouts or post-change of possession commercial breaks. I just don’t see how that can happen. I guess to some extent our play call May depend on what personnel or general formation the defense trots out there, so we may not know what play we’re going to run until the players get on the field… But maybe we should have it narrowed down to a couple of choices or something…

 

[Saban4Ever]

I wonder if BOB is getting the plays in? On both those delays, BY was looking at the sidelines for extended periods like he was waiting to see what inspired run up the middle the OC was going to call. In fact, at one point when Saban was in Young's face on the sidelines, I told my son that I hoped he was telling Young to ignore BOB and just move on.

I saw that BOB was yelling into his headphones angry. Was he yelling at Saban, Bryce, or just out of frustration? I saw Bryce upset too, and Saban trying to calm him.

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

This team lacks that killer instinct. This team always seems to let teams off the hook. On the verge of a break their will score or defensive stop this team doesn’t finish.

That’s why.

I remember a defensive player from the 92 team (may have been George Teague) say years later that there wasn’t much difference between the 92 vs 91 defenses in terms of personnel. He said the biggest difference was the 91 defense lacked the anger and killer instinct that the 92 defense had. Sometimes the makeup of the team can just have something off about it or is just not ready yet.

 

[Rush]

Thanks Jess, great analysis as always. However, why was it that although the stats were totally Alabama, I never could relax? Not even at the end when we were blowing them away.
One more thing. Yes, Bryce is definitely Heisman-like in his handling of the game, but all too often he runs the clock down to 0 before getting the play started. If I remember correctly I believe he did get a couple of delay penalties. He is almost TOO cool.
Why can't I just be happy with the score and forget the torment of play-by-play?
Forgive the rhetorical questions. It' just me and my expectations of perfection. Man are we spoiled?????

I'm in touch with that emotion, brother...

 

[Tideflyer]

I remember a defensive player from the 92 team (may have been George Teague) say years later that there wasn’t much difference between the 92 vs 91 defenses in terms of personnel. He said the biggest difference was the 91 defense lacked the anger and killer instinct that the 92 defense had. Sometimes the makeup of the team can just have something off about it or is just not ready yet.

This team lacks that killer instinct. This team always seems to let teams off the hook. On the verge of a break their will score or defensive stop this team doesn’t finish.

That’s why.

I can`t remember exactly when or who said it, it could have been Coach Bryant, about an Alabama defense that , " They play like it`s a sin to give up a yard ". I know time, offenses, and attitudes have changed since whenever that was, but I`d sure like to see that mindset return.

 

[TideEngineer08]

I can`t remember exactly when or who said it, it could have been Coach Bryant, about an Alabama defense that , " They play like it`s a sin to give up a yard ". I know time, offenses, and attitudes have changed since whenever that was, but I`d sure like to see that mindset return.

That was the 1961 team. They gave up 25 points all year, for an average of 2.27 per game. Never allowed more than 7 in any one game, and pitched 6 shutouts.

 

[BhamToTexas]

Thank you Jess. Grew up on Percy Priest lake btw . RTR

Did it ever break open wide and the river run through?

 

[BayouBama75]

Thanks for your write-up. I got a little frustrated living in Knoxville and wanting a blowout early, but I never really thought they could beat us. I worried more about Ole Miss when we played them than the Vols. I totally agree that if you remove the 3 bad defensive plays, the game is a blowout. I think the Vols have improved in their confidence and are trying to be competitive. Thinking they will probably go 6-6 or 7-5 if they can beat KY.

 

[Padreruf]

Thanks for your write-up. I got a little frustrated living in Knoxville and wanting a blowout early, but I never really thought they could beat us. I worried more about Ole Miss when we played them than the Vols. I totally agree that if you remove the 3 bad defensive plays, the game is a blowout. I think the Vols have improved in their confidence and are trying to be competitive. Thinking they will probably go 6-6 or 7-5 if they can beat KY.

I do not see them beating UK...and I consider a 28 point win a blowout...even if we did give up 24.
Do you fly a Bama flag in K'ville?

 

[BayouBama75]

I wear my Bama shirts on game day. Most of my UT friends don't say much other than they know we are going to beat them every year.

On the blowout, I was talking about early in the game. the final was definitely a blowout. without the 3 bad plays it would not have been a 7 point game in the 4th qtr,. With the number of plays the UT D played, i knew the dam would break and the Red Tide would blow them away.

 

[dabamafan]

Did it ever break open wide and the river run through?

Not yet ! Its almost gone over the top a time or two. I think it's the dam up in Ky around Somerset that brings talk of catastrophic damage should it fail.

 

[BhamToTexas]

Not yet ! Its almost gone over the top a time or two. I think it's the dam up in Ky around Somerset that brings talk of catastrophic damage should it fail.

I think my song lyric quote attempt failed! Check out Cover Me Up, it is a great song.

 

[TexasBama]

Putting this here. I guess they figure they can beat USA and Vandy

Vols won't impose bowl ban, await NCAA ruling

Tennessee has concluded its year-long internal investigation into rules violations within the football program and will not self-impose a bowl ban, the university announced Thursday.

www.espn.com