George MacIntyre’s first start at Neyland Stadium came with plenty of pressure, and the Tennessee quarterback answered it with a win over Alabama. He completed 21 of 31 passes for 197 yards as Tennessee pulled off the upset, and the victory moved MacIntyre to 2-0 as a starter in his young career.
One of the biggest beneficiaries of that performance was true freshman TK Keys. The former five-star recruit caught two passes against Alabama in what was easily the biggest game of his college career to this point. He also posted the highest PFF grade of any Tennessee player in the win.
Keys’ season line is still modest, but it keeps trending upward. He has six catches for 54 yards and a touchdown so far, a strong start for a true freshman in a major program. His role has grown as the season has gone on, and if Saturday was any indication, it could keep expanding.
The connection between MacIntyre and Keys is already starting to show, and both freshmen are beginning to look like a real part of Tennessee’s future. After the game, MacIntyre made it clear how much he thought of his young receiver.
"I couldn't be more proud of TK (Keys). I talked to him after the game.
I told him that I am really proud of how he responded to everything. You know, he was working through injuries when he first got here, and he has earned the right to be out there in big moments, and tonight he showed that.
We hit him twice, I think in the fourth quarter, yeah, the one on third down we talked about, and he has ice in his veins. The moment wasn't too big for him, especially on the slant route; it was a contested catch against man-to-man in tight coverage against a good player, and he came down with it, so, super proud of TK."
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 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Brutal Truth After Tennessee Exposed This Weakness
Alabamas trip to Tennessee ended with a 26-10 loss that put a familiar SEC test back in sharp focus: the line of scrimmage. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy pointed to the Tides struggles up front and the offensive turnovers as major reasons the game tilted, even as Alabamas defense did enough to keep things from getting away from them early.
Tennessee, meanwhile, leaned on its running game to control the contest and keep pressure on a Tide offense that never found much rhythm. The result dropped Alabama to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play, with Texas A&M next on the schedule as the Tide try to answer a question that was exposed in a hurry in Knoxville. [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 🡒]