DeSean Bishop gave Tennessee the kind of second-half burst that can turn a rivalry game sideways, and the No. 14 Volunteers used a relentless defense to put away No. 6 Alabama 26-10 on Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn., in the “Third Saturday in October” showdown.
Bishop finished with 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and 97 of those yards - along with both scores - came after halftime. Tennessee’s defense did the rest, squeezing Alabama into a miserable afternoon that produced just 201 total yards and four turnovers.
Quarterback George MacIntyre went 21 of 31 for 197 yards and an interception for Tennessee (6-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference), while Cooper Ranvier was perfect on four field-goal tries. The Volunteers have now won three straight home games against Alabama after dropping seven in a row at home and 15 straight overall in the series from 2007-21.
Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell completed 19 of 29 passes for 147 yards and two interceptions, the same number of picks he had through the first six games of the season. The Crimson Tide (5-2, 3-2) have now lost back-to-back regular-season games for the first time since the end of the 2007 regular season.
Tennessee spent much of the first half winning the field-position battle without fully cashing in. The Volunteers forced three turnovers, held Alabama to 93 yards before the break and still went to halftime with only a 12-10 lead.
Ranvier opened the scoring with a field goal after Tennessee’s first strong drive, then added another 41-yarder just past the 10-minute mark after an Alabama punt. A Dejuan Lane interception put the Volunteers back in Alabama territory, but they came away without more points. Another chance came after a strip sack of Russell, yet Tennessee settled for a third field goal.
Alabama finally answered when Russell ran in a 19-yard touchdown on the play after Ivan Taylor’s tip-drill interception of a MacIntyre pass. Tennessee’s fourth field goal made it 12-7, and Alabama trimmed the margin again with a late field goal before the half.
The game turned for good on Tennessee’s first possession of the third quarter. The Volunteers marched 60 yards in nine plays, and Bishop finished it with a 5-yard touchdown run.
From there, Alabama never found a rhythm. Its first drive of the second half ended on a turnover on downs, and the next two possessions produced three-and-outs.
Tennessee then put the game out of reach with a 15-play march that drained 9:32 off the clock. Bishop capped it with another 5-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 26-10 with 3:17 remaining.
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Nick Saban Sees One Real Threat In Alabama's Trip To Neyland
With Alabama headed to Neyland Stadium for a Week 7 meeting with Tennessee, the buildup has already turned to how the Volunteers can make life difficult for the No. 6 Crimson Tide. Nick Saban, weighing in on College GameDay, pointed to Tennessees defense as the part of this matchup that can matter most, along with the Vols willingness to run the ball and try to keep Alabamas offense on the sideline.
For Tennessee, that kind of approach brings the game into the kind of fight it wants. Limiting possessions against an opponent like Alabama is one thing, but doing it while also letting the defense hold up for four quarters is another, and that is where this matchup feels most interesting. The Volunteers defensive play this season could end up being the difference between keeping things tight in Knoxville and letting the Tide dictate the pace. [Read more 🡒]
George MacIntyre Revealed What Meant Most In Tennessees Alabama Win
George MacIntyre got a fresh look at what Tennessees rivalry win over Alabama can mean inside Neyland Stadium, and the freshman quarterback came away talking less about the box score than about the people around him. In his second career start, MacIntyre guided the offense well enough for the Vols to pull off the kind of victory that tends to linger in Knoxville, finishing 21 of 31 for 197 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
After the game, MacIntyre used his time with the media to focus on the teams resilience and the way Tennessee kept answering through the night. He also made a point to single out teammates such as freshman wide receiver TK Keys, a reminder that for a young quarterback in a game like this, the biggest takeaway can be the trust built on the field more than the stat line he leaves behind. [Read more 🡒]
Kalen DeBoer Knows Whats Threatening Alabama In Knoxville
Halftime in Knoxville has been shaped less by big plays than by field goals, and Tennessee has taken advantage of that to build a 12-10 lead over No. 6 Alabama. Cooper Ranvier has supplied all of the Volunteers scoring with four field goals, while Alabama has had to lean on a rushing touchdown from quarterback Keelon Russell just to stay within striking distance.
Kalen DeBoers team has had flashes on defense, especially in forcing Tennessee to settle for kicks instead of touchdowns, but the turnovers tied to Russell have loomed over the first half. For Alabama, the challenge now is clear: clean up the mistakes, find more consistency on offense and avoid letting a tight rivalry game slip further away on the road. [Read more 🡒]