Alabama didn’t just lose to Tennessee on Saturday night. By Greg McElroy’s read, the Crimson Tide got shoved around at the point of attack and never found a way to answer.
The ESPN analyst, who was on the ABC call from Neyland Stadium, summed up the 26-10 finish on his Always College Football podcast with a line that left little room for interpretation: “Alabama gets bullied in Neyland. Bullied.”
That physical edge showed up everywhere. Alabama finished with only 201 total yards, went 2-for-13 on third down and coughed it up four times.
The first half was especially rough, with the Tide mustering just 93 yards before the break. Even after Keelon Russell’s 19-yard touchdown run trimmed the gap to 9-7 and Alabama went into halftime down only 12-10, McElroy said the game still felt firmly in Tennessee’s hands.
“Bama’s defense battled. I mean, they held Tennessee to multiple field goals there in the first quarter when the offense couldn’t really get out of their way.
And you’ve got to give tremendous credit to Tennessee for forcing those turnovers. They’re up 9-0 in the blink of an eye.”
Alabama’s defense did enough early to keep the score from getting away, but the offense never settled in. Russell finished with 147 passing yards, threw two interceptions and Alabama lost two fumbles. McElroy pointed to the quarterback and the line when breaking down where things went sideways.
“His legs were a factor, but he made too many mistakes. He held the ball a little too long.
Jeremiah Telander strip-sacked him there in the first quarter. The offensive line got pushed around.”
Russell later took responsibility, saying it was “a lack of a plan” on his part.
Tennessee, meanwhile, leaned into the run and kept leaning. DeSean Bishop carried 32 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns, with 95 of those yards coming after halftime. The Volunteers finished with a 150-54 edge on the ground, and McElroy was quick to single out Bishop’s style.
“DeSean Bishop does what DeSean Bishop does. The guy is a physical freight train.
That’s what he is. He just runs through contact as well as anybody in the entire country.”
The biggest sequence came in the third quarter, when Tennessee stuffed Alabama on fourth-and-1 at the Vols’ 40-yard line and turned that stop into a touchdown drive. Bishop later finished off a fourth-quarter march that ate 9 minutes, 32 seconds off the clock and ended with his 5-yard touchdown run.
“It was so impressive to watch Tennessee run the football, control the line of scrimmage and be the more physical football team,” McElroy said.
The loss gave Alabama consecutive regular-season defeats for the first time since 2007, coming a week after a setback against then-No. 1 Georgia.
The Tide are now 5-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play. They also played without receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams, a team captain who was sidelined by several injuries, including a concussion.
Kalen DeBoer pointed to the same issue McElroy highlighted, saying “the key was they were able to run the football.”
Tennessee fans rushed the field after the win, setting up a $500,000 SEC fine payable to Alabama. Alabama’s next chance to stop the skid comes Saturday, Oct. 24, when it hosts Texas A&M.
McElroy put the challenge in plain terms: “So, very rare situation for Alabama with their back against the wall. Got to punch their way out of it.”
In Other News...
Tennessee's Celebration Just Added Another Twist To This Alabama Rivalry
The postgame celebration in Knoxville came with a costly catch. After Tennessees win over Alabama, the Southeastern Conference fined the university $500,000 for violating its access to competition area policy, punishing the fan rush onto the field that followed one of the programs biggest victories in recent memory. The leagues policy is designed to keep spectators out of competition areas for safety, and it only allows exceptions when procedures are approved in advance and clearly communicated.
The money will go to Alabama, adding another layer to a rivalry that already had plenty of juice. Tennessee still has a path to have the fine reduced if it can show it tried to prevent the field storming or that there was only minimal interaction during the scene, but for now the SEC has made clear that the celebration crossed a line it wasnt willing to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Alabama Celebration Just Reignited A Debate Vols Fans Know Well
The celebration in Knoxville is already carrying a pricey reminder. Tennessee was fined $500,000 by the Southeastern Conference after fans stormed the field following the football game against Alabama, a scene that quickly turned a big win into a league issue. Under SEC policy, spectators are not supposed to enter the field except in specific circumstances, and the penalty is being passed along to Alabama.
There is still a possible path to a smaller bill if Tennessee can show it made efforts to keep fans off the field, but the visuals from Saturday make that a tough case to sell. Video showed a large number of fans spilling onto the turf, which is exactly the kind of moment the conference has tried to discourage as it keeps revisiting how to handle field-storming celebrations. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Still Has One Big QB Decision Before South Carolina
George MacIntyres rise has become one of the more interesting developments in Tennessees recent push, with the sophomore quarterback starting the last two games and helping the Vols to consecutive victories, including the upset of No. 6 Alabama. In a stretch when Tennessee needed stability, MacIntyre provided enough of it to keep the offense moving and keep the seasons momentum pointed in the right direction.
Still, Josh Heupel has not made the call official for South Carolina, leaving one of the weeks biggest questions hanging over the offense. Freshman Faizon Brandon began the year as the starter over the first five games, but his shoulder injury has kept him out lately, and the quarterback room remains in a holding pattern as Tennessee prepares for its next SEC test. [Read more 🡒]