COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Tennessee's football team may have proven more in Saturday's double-overtime loss at Texas A&M than it did during a 5-0 start that had many pundits trumpeting the Volunteers' fortune.
In a gutsy performance amid self-inflicted mistakes and a growing list of injuries, the Volunteers showed they have the depth and talent to compete with a top-10 opponent on the road.
Tennessee's reward for the narrative-changing effort? Top-ranked Alabama.
"This team has been really flatlined, very level-headed, never too high and never too low," Vols coach Butch Jones said after his team's first defeat of the season. "Just like our talk in the locker room - they're very, very disappointed, but we'll get back to work. You can't be (down) because now you have Alabama coming in.
"That's life in the Southeastern Conference. It's not for everyone (because of) the toughness that is involved day to day and week to week, the grind. We have to get better in a hurry, because we have the No. 1-ranked team in the country coming in. We have to improve on our deficiencies from this week."
The disappointment was evident in the tone of the postgame comments from Jones and multiple players. The ninth-ranked Vols (5-1, 2-1) - new polls won't be released until today because Georgia played at South Carolina on Sunday - knew they'd lost a game they likely would have won if not for seven turnovers, 10 penalties and other mistakes.
Though five or six players left because of injuries for various stretches, Tennessee's defense allowed 318 yards and 5.6 yards per play through three quarters. Half of No. 8 Texas A&M's 28 points came on drives of 26 and 22 yards following turnovers. The Aggies had 124 rushing yards.
By the end of the game, though, the Aggies (6-0, 4-0) were up to 592 total yards and 353 on the ground.
"We didn't get the job done because we lost," linebacker Colton Jumper said. "Some guys came in and did play well. I've mentioned the next-man-up mentality. It doesn't matter who goes down. It doesn't matter if it's a fourth-string or third-string guy, you've got to get the job done."
Turnover-plagued Tennessee now heads into a game against Alabama's annually stingy defense, which has scored six touchdowns this season. The Vols have 16 giveaways through six games, matching Kentucky for fourth-most in the country and trailing only Kansas, Duke and Bowling Green. Tennessee lost only 12 turnovers in 2015.
"We have to get it corrected," Jones said. "I'm dumbfounded because we spend so much time on ball security. Fumbles are going to occur because of the physicality of the game. It's a focus. It's a concentration. It's the ability of doing two things at once. We may take 25 minutes a day each week and work on ball security, because we have to get it corrected."
Regardless of where Tennessee is mentally, the real concern is the physical toll the season's first six games and three weeks of grueling SEC contests has taken on the Vols, whose injury list grew by at least four starters against Texas A&M.
Center Dylan Wiesman left the game dazed in the first half, left guard Jashon Robertson left the stadium on crutches and linebacker Cortez McDowell didn't return after being taken to the locker room in the fourth quarter. Coleman Thomas and Venzell Boulware stepped in on the offensive line, and Elliott Berry finished the game at linebacker.
Asked for updates after the game, Jones said he'll no longer comment on injuries.
"From here on out there will be no more talk of injuries. Done deal," he said bluntly.
There was positive news Sunday regarding defensive tackle Danny O'Brien. The fifth-year senior was carted off the field on a backboard and taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons. He flew back to Knoxville with the team and on Sunday posted he would be "all good" despite his injury scare.
Tennessee's training staff will be busy this week to get the beat-up Vols ready for the Crimson Tide (6-0, 3-0).
"We'll get over (this loss) for sure," quarterback Josh Dobbs said. "We'll go back tomorrow, come in, watch the film and see what we could have done better in spots and see what we did well and get ready for next week. Alabama will be our next opponent. They're not going to care what just happened today, so we can't.
"We just have to take it, run with it and continue to improve moving forward."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.