Film Room: Best Moments from Alabama Football's 27-0 Second Half vs. Tennessee
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Are you over it yet?
The Alabama Crimson Tide has been waiting for a chance at its hated rival, Tennessee, since the Volunteers pulled off the upset last year. After 371 days, Alabama (7-1, 5-0 SEC) is back on top of the "Third Saturday of October" rivalry after outscoring the Volunteers (5-2, 2-2 SEC) 27-0 in the second half of its 34-20 win on Saturday afternoon.
In this week's "Film Room," we're going to skip what was an awful first half and focus solely on the Crimson Tide's second-half domination.
Roll the tape.
Punching Back Quickly
Alabama begins the second half down 20-7, and after deferring to the second half, needed some points to get back into the game.
The Crimson Tide, like it usually has this year, wants to set up the pass with the run. Jase McClellan's big run here starts up front, as most big runs do. Look at Seth McLaughlin put his defender in the dirt — that gives McClellan plenty of room to hit the hole and take off.
After the game, Nick Saban said the next play was a part of the script. It was far past time to take a shot, and that's exactly what Jalen Milroe does, dropping it in the bucket for Isaiah Bond, who seems to always be wide open these days.
Bond fakes like he's going outside and then makes a nasty cut inside, leaving his defender in the dust for an easy seven points.
Jihaad Campbell Makes a Play On Fourth Down
Later in the third quarter, Tennessee still leads 20-17, but has had enough of getting stopped. Josh Heupel goes for it on fourth down, and Jihaad Campbell isn't having any of it. He waits for the handoff, and then immediately makes a break for the ball.
Once he gets his hands on the running back, he isn't letting him go any further. Tremendous strength shown by Campbell, pulling him back for a turnover on downs.
This was a huge momentum play for Alabama, getting the ball back in a good spot.
Jermaine Burton Makes a Circus Catch
On the following drive, the Crimson Tide is facing a third-and-3:
The pass rush gets to Milroe somewhat quickly, but he stands in there and flicks his wrist, making an impressive throw in traffic to Burton, who makes an even better catch.
The throw is behind Burton a little bit, but he is somehow able to turn his body around and go get the football. Burton has been great in situations like these this season, when Alabama has needed someone to make a big catch.
Move the chains.
Finishing the Drive
Following along with the same possession, the Crimson Tide is looking to finish off this nice drive. Alabama has struggled a good bit in the red zone this season, finishing solid drives with three points instead of seven.
Not in this case:
On the first play, it's a zone read that Milroe decides to keep himself. Amari Niblack makes this play go, picking up the initial block to get Milroe through the hole.
At the end of the run, Milroe adds a little bit of flare with the vicious stiff arm.
McClellan finishes it off, bouncing the run outside to scamper into the end zone. Looks like Malik Benson may have gotten away with a little bit of a tug, but no penalty, no problem for the Crimson Tide, who now has the lead late in the third quarter.
Jalen Milroe Picks Up a Key First Down with His Legs
In games like these, all the plays are big. But a third-and-10 in the fourth quarter can play a giant factor in deciding the game. With a stop, Tennessee gets the ball back.
Instead, Milroe does what he does best, making a play with his feet:
Tyler Booker's man gets loose, and Milroe quickly has to make a decision. He decides to step up and take off for the 45-yard line. In my opinion, Milroe gets the first down here because of that slight fake to the left, which the defender responds to.
Just for fun, Milroe lowers his shoulder and welcomes the hard contact.
Will Reichard Sneaks in a Clutch 50-Yard FG
Like I mentioned earlier, Alabama has struggled in enemy territory this season. After getting stopped inside the 35-yard line, Will Reichard is faced with a deep field goal.
If he misses this, not only does he lose his perfect streak this season, but the Volunteers get the football in prime field position. Spoiler — he didn't miss:
The Defense Puts the Dagger In
We've talked about how much I love non-offensive touchdowns, right? Well, here's another one this week, courtesy of Chris Braswell and Jihaad Campbell:
Braswell fakes out the left tackle, acting like he's not pursuing a rush. Then, he turns on that speed and beats his guy on the edge, and Joe Milton III has no idea he's coming. He comes under Milton's arm and knocks the ball free, and nobody has any idea where the football is.
Other than Campbell, who sprints towards the ball, picks it up and takes it all the way for what ended up being the game-sealing touchdown.
