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Alabama scored a season-high 15 times, continuing a trend of sloppy play in the loss to Tennessee

Alabama scored a season-high 15 times, continuing a trend of sloppy play in the loss to Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn – Fourth quarter, 115 seconds left and Kendrick Law goes back to the Alabama huddle. The third-down pass intended for him in advance fell incomplete and gave the Crimson Tide the decisive 4th-and-7.

As Law walked back, Tennessee defensive back Boo Carter decided to say something. He came so close that his helmet touched Law’s shoulder pads. Whatever Carter said, Law turned around and shoved him in response.

A whistle. A flag.

A personal foul on Law that turned a 4th-and-7 into a 4th-and-22 — effectively dooming Alabama.

“It’s an unfortunate situation with the distance and the distance and where we were on the field,” Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe said afterward. “It’s about taking advantage of every opportunity we have when we’re on the field as an offense.”

The seventh-ranked Crimson Tide lost 24-17 to No. 11 Tennessee here at Neyland Stadium on Saturday night. Alabama falls to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play – and will play in the postseason bubble the rest of the season .

Of all the things that led to another loss that night, penalties were once again a constant. The Tide scored a season-high 15 times Saturday night – the most since they scored 17 times against Tennessee two years ago – continuing a trend of undisciplined play.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said afterward. “They are false starts. The start is difficult. There are a few more in there. There are mental mistakes.”

“The two games at the start of the year and then this one, we just can’t get over the hurdle.”

Alabama entered Saturday’s crucial conference game as one of the most penalized teams in the country. The Tide averaged 7.8 penalties per game. Only 17 schools across the country are more involved.

The Tide has now called double-digit penalties in three of seven games this season – 13 against South Florida, where the Tide led just 14-13 in the fourth quarter before pulling away for a 42-16 win; 10 against Georgia, where they built a 30-7 lead but prevailed 41-34; then 15 on Saturday against Tennessee.

Since the start of SEC play, the Tide have been sloppier than normal, averaging 9.5 penalties per game. They have also proven costly, negating big offensive plays and extending opposing teams’ offense. The six against Vanderbilt led to a 40-35 victory for the Commodores. The seven against South Carolina resulted in a 27-25 contest.

That average will increase after Saturday’s performance. The Tide were stopped before their second play from scrimmage – a rushing offense against center Parker Brailsford – and set a poor pace for the rest of the night.

Both sides of the ball were at fault. The offense was penalized seven times while the defense was penalized eight times. Three of the offense’s penalties were false starts and a fourth was a delay of game.

Punishments eliminated the possibility of crime. The defense recorded three takeaways in the first half, but the Tide failed to take advantage.

After a shaky recovery in the first quarter, a false start by Jaeden Roberts forced a 2nd-and-16. Two incomplete passes later, Alabama stumbled.

In the second, Malachi Moore returned an interception 41 yards to the Tennessee 36-yard line. A holding penalty on Kadyn Proctor, a delay of game and an intentional grounding penalty resulted in a 4th-and-33. Alabama stumbled again.

“Man, this environment here is a crazy environment,” said receiver Germie Bernard, who finished with five catches for 72 yards. “Mistakes will happen. These are things we can clean up. I think we can do better as the week goes on.”

“Just keep doing the things we need to keep building and moving forward.”

A few defensive penalties extended Tennessee’s offense and led to scoring opportunities. In the first quarter, a third-down pass went incomplete, but pass interference by Jaylen Mbakwe gave the Vols a new set of downs. The drive ended with a 53-yard field goal attempt, but fortunately for Alabama, Max Gilbert pushed the kick wide right.

Jihaad Campbell was called off twice – an offsides penalty in the second quarter that gave Tennessee another first down and led to another field goal attempt (Gilbert missed after 50 points), and a pass interference in the third quarter that gave the Vols first-and-1 second round. Goal from the 2-yard line. Dylan Sampson scored on the next play, tying the game at 7-7.

In the fourth quarter, King Mack, the Penn State transfer, was flagged for holding. There was a third down pass that fell incomplete, giving the Vols another set of downs. Five plays later, they scored and took a 21-17 lead. They didn’t follow again.

“It will put you in situations where your back is against the wall,” DeBoer said. “We can’t kill ourselves like this. There are times when you can see that we are locked in, but we have to get better. We have to get better, no question about it.”

“You can’t win a football game if you make mistakes like we did out there and all the penalties.”

Law’s personal foul penalty on Saturday didn’t completely end the game for Alabama, but it did eliminate the margin for error. After failing to move the chains on 4th-and-22, the Tide defense forced a Tennessee field goal that made it 24-17.

With 88 seconds left, Alabama got the ball back and had a chance to dominate the field and tie the game. It had to be almost perfect. That wasn’t it. Will Brooks intercepted Milroe on the first play of the game and the sellout Neyland crowd cheered triumphantly.

Cody Goodwin covers the Alabama Crimson Tide for 247Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.