Holy shit – this wasn’t exactly a smooth ride, but the Vols pulled out a 24-17 win over Alabama. A win over Alabama is always sweet, but Tennessee’s offensive performance in first halves don’t seem to be getting better. At halftime, we were looking at another “0” on the scoreboard and only 143 yards of total offense. Nico Iamaleava looked lost, throwing two interceptions, and drives were sputtering out thanks to missed field goals and turnovers. Honestly, it was ugly. Nico should gift Coach Banks and the defense an all-inclusive stay at the Four Seasons Maui for keeping Bama to only 7 points in the first half.
Lets just keep getting the ugly out of the way to start The first half offensive futility has become a trend. For the third straight game, Tennessee couldn’t get out of its own way early. Drives died out with mistakes—whether it was a fumble or Nico looking like a RS Freshman with some questionable INTs. Our boy (Nico) was off his game, but the offensive line did look improved from weeks prior. Regardless, it was the first time since 1963 the Vols went three games in a row with 0 points in the first half. At halftime, I was questioning whether Nico would be able to calm himself down and let his natural ability loose in the second half.
Then came that second half, and Tennessee’s offense suddenly remembered how to play football. Dylan Sampson is a grown man and should be toward the top of the Heisman voting. He is an absolute force, finishing with 139 yards on 26 carries and two critical touchdowns. He put this offense on his back when we needed it most. Just about every time he touched the ball, it felt like he was one broken tackle away from a game-changing play. His two TDs in the second half were exactly what the doctor ordered to wake up this offense and take some pressure off Nico .
Speaking of Nico, he bounced back. After a shaky first half, he looked much more composed in the second. He connected on a beautiful 16-yard touchdown pass to Chris Brazzell that gave the Vols the lead for good at 21-17 in the fourth quarter. He finished with 194 yards, which isn’t exactly setting the world on fire, but in the second half, he made the plays that mattered. There’s something to be said for a quarterback who can shake off a bad start and deliver when it counts. Especially, when this is your first season starting in a super tough SEC conference.
Now to state the obvious. This Volunteer defense is for real. They held Alabama to just 75 rushing yards—a big reason why Jalen Milroe never got into rhythm. In fact, Milroe was limited to just 11 rushing yards for the game, and Tennessee’s front seven was relentless. Tim Banks’ defense recorded 3 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, and 12 QB hurries, making life miserable for Alabama’s offensive line. The first half interception by Jermod McCoy was also critical in keeping the game within reach when the offense couldn’t get out of its own way. Alabama’s 17 points is their lowest point total for the season.
At the end of the day, a win is a win, especially over the Crimson Tide. Did Tennessee finally find their offense in the second half? Lets hope. The slow starts need to be addressed, especially with Georgia coming up on the schedule. We can’t keep waiting until the second half to find our groove. If we want to make a serious run in the SEC, we need to figure out how to play a full 60 minutes of solid football.
For now, though, let’s enjoy this win. Sampson looks like a legitimate star, and the defense continues to be a force. If the offense can catch up, this Vols team has the potential to do something special this season. But we’ve got to clean things up fast—because Georgia’s not going to give us the luxury of stumbling through another slow start.
Oh and by the way – whatever you need to pay Tim Banks to stay….pay it. As I’ve written before, he received tons of criticism is first three seasons on Rocky Top. Some of it deserved, but a good bit of it not. He can only scheme with the talent he has, and the Vols have been able to stockpile some fun toys on defense for him to work with. (Oh and don’t let Rodney Gardner retire anywhere else other than Knoxville).
PS: This image still remains accurate. Shout out @AstroSmokey.
