Alabama left Neyland Stadium with more than a loss to Tennessee. It also had to sort through fresh injury concerns for two players who exited Saturday’s game, with coach Kalen DeBoer labeling both as lower-extremity issues.
“Both of them, both Zabien and EJ, have lower-extremity injuries,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. “We’ll just work through it here this week. I don’t have much more than that.”
Alabama captain and cornerback Zabien Brown and running back EJ Crowell both went to the locker room in the first half of the No. 6 Crimson Tide’s 26-10 loss to No.
14 Tennessee on Saturday. Brown later came back out to the sideline in the second half wearing his jersey over his clothes.
Crowell returned in his pads, but he did not play again after halftime.
Crowell was seen leaving the stadium with a brace on his left knee.
Brown has held down one starting cornerback spot all season, doing so in his third year with the program and third year as a starter. Once he was out, Dijon Lee and Carmelo O’Neal handled the cornerback spots for Alabama.
Crowell, a freshman, had been getting a few carries per game this season. Against Tennessee, he finished with one carry for one yard.
Alabama was already operating short-handed before the game even kicked off. The Crimson Tide went in without star receiver and captain Ryan Coleman-Williams, defensive lineman Terrance Green and starting center Racin Delgatty.
Mal Waldrep stepped in for Delgatty, while Derek Meadows started in place of Coleman-Williams. Meadows caught two passes for eight yards.
In Coleman-Williams’ absence, tight end Marshall Pritchett led Alabama’s pass catchers with six receptions for 39 yards. Rico Scott added four catches for 54 yards, and Lotzeir Brooks finished with three receptions for 26 yards.
In Other News...
DeBoer Called Out What Fueled Alabamas Offensive Meltdown At Tennessee
Tennessees defense spent Saturday night making Alabama look unsteady in all the ways that matter, forcing four turnovers and holding the Crimson Tide to just 201 total yards in a 26-10 loss in Knoxville. DeSean Bishop led the way for the Vols with 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Alabama was stuck all night trying to find any rhythm against a defense that kept the pressure on and the Tide off schedule.
Kalen DeBoer was left to sort through the offensive breakdown afterward, and his halftime message pointed straight at the emotional side of the meltdown. Alabama needed more composure and better decisions, but those fixes were easier to identify than to find once Tennessee had taken control of the game and turned every mistake into a bigger problem for the Tide. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Backed Alabama But His GameDay Warning Stood Out
As ESPNs College GameDay rolled through its weekly pick segment, the usual mix of confidence and caution came out around Alabamas trip to Tennessee. Pat McAfee and Steve Young leaned into some eye-catching calls elsewhere on the board, but the conversation around the Crimson Tide centered on a familiar theme: talent is one thing, handling the road in that atmosphere is another. Nick Saban was part of the broadcast lineup, adding his perspective as the analysts weighed the strengths and challenges facing both teams.
The picks themselves mostly tilted Alabamas way, with the panel generally backing the Crimson Tide against Tennessee while Young was the outlier. Still, Sabans presence gave the segment extra weight, especially as the discussion turned from simple prediction to warning signs and execution. Even in a show built around official picks, the broader takeaway was less about who everyone chose and more about how thin the margin can be when Alabama steps into a game like this. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Sees One Real Threat In Alabama's Trip To Neyland
The buildup to Alabamas Week 7 trip to Neyland Stadium is centered on more than just the rankings, because Tennessees defense has given the Crimson Tide a real reason to pause. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban singled out the Volunteers on College GameDay, pointing to a group that can limit scoring, defend the pass and pressure the quarterback, all traits that tend to make life difficult for even the most polished offenses.
For Alabama, that means every possession could matter in a matchup that already carries plenty of weight. The Tide are headed into one of the SECs louder environments with a defense on the other side that looks built to make the game uncomfortable, and how Alabama handles that pressure may go a long way toward deciding whether the afternoon in Knoxville turns into a statement or a struggle. [Read more 🡒]