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Alabama loses to Tennessee due to a terrible performance from Milroe and the offense

Alabama loses to Tennessee due to a terrible performance from Milroe and the offense

The Alabama Crimson Tide lost a second game before November for the first time since 2007, with a 24-17 loss in Knoxville to the Tennessee Volunteers, their second straight loss at Neyland Stadium.

The offensive explosion of a football game that featured the 2022 duel between Bryce Young and Hendon Hooker couldn’t have been further from the 2024 edition. Poor quarterback play and poor offense characterized much of Saturday afternoon’s game.

A scoreless first quarter that included two punts and a terrible interception by Jalen Milroe in the end zone resulted in a 7-0 score at halftime after Alabama found the end zone on a pass from Milroe to Ryan Williams:

The Volunteers missed two field goals in the first half as well as a couple of missed throws by Nico Iamaleava that didn’t punish leaks in the Alabama secondary and an interception in the red zone. Graham Nicholson also missed a long field goal for Alabama late in the half.

The second half started with more parity between both teams with punts on both first drives. A carry from Dylan Sampson got the Volunteers into the end zone for the first time late in the third. Alabama took a 10-7 lead on the ensuing drive before Tennessee fell behind again and Sampson gave the Vols their first lead of the night with his second score.

The Tide responded with one of their most impressive drives of the season, moving the ball effectively both on the ground and through the air, with Justice Haynes finally finding his way into the end zone early in the fourth quarter:

It was the final points of the night for Alabama as the teams exchanged punts after the offensive kick. After Tennessee got the ball back, Iamaleava made his best throw of the night to Chris Brazzell II with a 16-yard score to put the Vols on top with just under six minutes to play:

Milroe got worse from there, having issues with accuracy and not even being able to hit wide-open receivers. After a controversial non-offside call on 3rd down, he took a sack and Alabama had to punt. After getting the ball back, the offense went nowhere and he failed to convert a 4th-and-22.

Alabama earned a final stop and held Tennessee to a field goal, giving Milroe the ball back with less than two minutes remaining and a seven-minute deficit. The Tide didn’t last long, however, as Milroe’s second terrible pick of the night on the first play of the drive put the game on ice:

Overall, Milroe seemed incredibly shaken by the environment, finishing 25 of 45 for 239 yards, 1 touchdown and two interceptions. With 15 penalties as a team, it was just an incredibly sloppy performance from the Tide, who continue to search for answers.

With Missouri coming to town next week with a bye and an impending trip to LSU, Kalen DeBoer needs to get things under control quickly before the season spirals out of control.

Michael Brauner is a senior sports analyst and contributing writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6-9am “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.

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