College Football HQ

Alabama vs. Tennessee score, game reactions: Vols take down the Tide in a matchup for the ages

Your look at the highlights from a Third Saturday in October for the ages between Tennessee and Alabama

James Parks

Alabama vs. Tennessee score, game reactions: Vols take down the Tide in a matchup for the ages
Alabama vs. Tennessee score, game reactions: Vols take down the Tide in a matchup for the ages /

Coming in, this year's edition of the Third Saturday in October between Alabama and Tennessee already projected to be the best in the series in the last 16 years.

From opening kickoff to the final whistle, it lived up to every bit of the hype.

In the end, after a marathon of touchdowns, it all came down to a pair of field goals: one missed, and one made as No. 6 Tennessee finally knocked off No. 3 Alabama in a breakneck 52-49 thriller on Rocky Top.

The win puts Tennessee directly into the College Football Playoff conversation and sets up another titanic SEC matchup later this season against defending national champion Georgia.

But for right now, Big Orange is a perfect 6-0 after arguably its most impactful win of the century.

Alabama vs. Tennessee reactions

Here are your highlights from the action between the Vols and Crimson Tide

Vols draw first blood

It didn't take long for Big Orange to get on the scoreboard behind college football's No. 1 total offense, punching it in from close range to build the early advantage at home.

The score marked the first time that Alabama trailed in the first quarter of a game since last season's SEC Championship appearance against Georgia.

Score: Tennessee 7, Alabama 0

The empire strikes back

The defending SEC champions responded with a 71 yard drive over 8 plays, including strong passes from Bryce Young to Isaiah Bond for 33 yards and Ja'Corey Brooks for 27 to get into scoring distance.

From there, running back Jahmyr Gibbs ran for the 8-yard touchdown to even the score in the first quarter.

Score: Tennessee 7, Alabama 7

Big Orange doesn't back down

Hendon Hooker needed just five snaps on Tennessee's subsequent drive to cover 75 yards, hitting Jalin Hyatt for 36 yards and a one-score lead.

Coming into the game, Alabama had allowed just six points in the first quarter of games all season. Tennessee more than doubled that mark easily.

Score: Tennessee 14, Alabama 7

And another one

After the Tide got swamped down by its own goal line - driving minus-12 yards in 3 plays, the Vols regained possession in scoring position and cashed in on the touchdown just 4 plays later.

Once again, it was the Hooker-Hyatt connection that came through, as the receiver brought in the 11-yard score.

That marked the first time Alabama allowed 21-plus points in a quarter since the LSU game back in 2019.

Score: Tennessee 21, Alabama 7

Tide muffs the punt

Quandarrius Robinson thought that the ball had been touched and went to recover it, but the ball slipped out of his hands and into the Vols'.

That put Tennessee on the Alabama 40 with a short field to work with. 

And work with it, they did.

Give him six

Princeton Fant took the handoff from Hooker and barreled through the Tide defenses for the 2-yard touchdown and the 18-point advantage off the special teams turnover.

With the score, the Vols' chance of victory over Alabama moved to a commanding 83.4 percent, according to the Football Power Index.

Big Orange worked the Tide for 17 yards per completion, averaged 9 yards per play, and piled up just under 200 yards on five possessions.

Score: Tennessee 28, Alabama 10

Alabama settles in

Nick Saban coached teams don't roll over like many others would in this situation, and Alabama took a deep breath and went on a long drive.

84 yards to be exact, over 10 plays in just under 5 minutes, with Jase McClellan catching an 18 yard pass from Young and running for 11. Brooks and Cameron Latu teamed up on a pair of 12 yard catches to set the Tide up in scoring position.

Brooks brought down the 7 yard touchdown pass to keep Bama in the game.

Score: Tennessee 28, Alabama 17

Tide responds off Vols turnover on downs

Tennessee went for the kill shot on a 4th down late in the second quarter, but Hooker's would-be touchdown pass went long and out of bounds.

That allowed the Crimson Tide to take over and mount a counter-offensive and kicking a 42 yard field goal to bring the game within eight.

But not without some controversy: it appeared that Vols defender Omari Thomas was guilty of a targeting penalty by using his helmet to initiate contact with Young's face mask, but officials declined to enforce the penalty after concluding Thomas led with his shoulder.

Score: Tennessee 28, Alabama 20

Missed chances

Tennessee came out of the half with the ball and some critical momentum, but a pair of missed opportunities kept it from taking advantage.

First, Hooker's pass attempt for Ramel Keyton fell incomplete when the ball went long as Keyton slowed down on his pattern.

And secondly, when Hooker's pass for Jacob Warren on 4th and 2 failed to make the line to gain and gave possession back to the Crimson Tide.

Tide cashes in

Off the turnover on downs, Alabama struck quickly as Young hit Jermaine Burton on a 36 yard pass play to get into scoring position.

Gibbs finished it off by running for a 26 yard touchdown and Brooks tied the game with a clutch 2-point conversion catch in the back of the end zone.

Score: Alabama 28, Tennessee 28

Vols clap back

By doing what they do best: letting Hooker throw a bomb, this time to Jalin Hyatt for a 60 yard touchdown to re-gain the lead, the receiver's third scoring catch of the game.

But the point after kick was no good, giving UT the 6 point lead.

Score: Tennessee 34, Alabama 28

A gift for Bama?

After moving the wrong direction down near the goal line, Bryce Young extended this play a long, long time before throwing it out of bounds.

But the officials intervened, calling pass interference against Tennessee, putting the Tide on the 2-yard line with a 1st and Goal.

The call wasn't without its critics, who believed that it was instead Alabama that should have been penalized, not the Volunteers.

Alabama used the occasion to take the lead when Jahmyr Gibbs ran for the touchdown.

Score: Alabama 35, Tennessee 34

The streak ends

Following the Tide's scoring drive, Tennessee turned back on offense, but not for long when Hendon Hooker did something he hadn't done all season: throwing an interception.

The pick was Hooker's first of the year and his first in his last 262 pass attempts.

Too easy

Tennessee responded as well as it could from the turnover, as Hooker launched another one for Hyatt.

The receiver brought in the 78-yard catch and run past the Alabama secondary for his fourth touchdown of the game.

Score: Tennessee 42, Alabama 35

Tied!

Bryce Young's mobility was on display on Alabama's following possession, as the quarterback squirmed out of trouble constantly, evading the Vols' punishing pass rush.

Young hit Gibbs on a 30 yard pass play and connected with JoJo Earle on a 42-yard gainer while on the run that put Bama on the Vols 5-yard line.

It took all four downs, but Young found Cameron Latu in the end zone to tie the game again.

Score: Alabama 42, Tennessee 42

Rocky Drop

Congrats to Dallas Turner, who may have scored the easiest touchdown in college football history midway through the fourth quarter.

Turner was in the right place at the right time as Tennessee fumbled the exchange, and he scored untouched to hand Alabama the lead back.

Score: Alabama 49, Tennessee 42

Another huge flag and the Vols storm back

Facing a fourth down, Tennessee was desperate to stay on offense. Hooker threw a long pass towards the end zone that was originally called an interception.

That was, until officials stepped in and said Alabama was guilty of pass interference, pushing the Vols ahead 15 yards and within striking distance.

That allowed Jalin Hyatt to score his fifth touchdown of the game, drawing even with the Crimson Tide once again.

Score: Tennessee 49, Alabama 49

He missed it!

Going in for the kill, Alabama had the chance to all but win the game, if Will Reichard could kick the 49 yard field goal.

He couldn't. Wide right with 15 seconds left.

Big Orange gets it done

Off the missed Alabama kick, Tennessee got into field goal range in a hurry. Hooker got the ball at the Vols 32-yard line with just those 15 seconds left and needed two snaps to get in scoring range.

Two plays were all he needed.

And then sent in a kick for the ages on Rocky Top, ending a long, long, long losing streak to the Tide.

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Facebook

Published
James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.

Home/News