KNOXVILLE - Tennessee's injury list kept growing and growing, but Alabama simply didn't care.
The top-ranked Crimson Tide's football machine showed little mercy in recording one of the Third Saturday in October rivalry's most lopsided wins.
Behind a 132-yard, three-score rushing performance by freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts and interception- and punt-return touchdowns, Alabama flexed its muscle and flattened the ninth-ranked Volunteers 49-10 at a sold-out Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
"We have a 24-hour rule," Vols defensive end Derek Barnett said, "but we have a bye week so we'll probably spend a little extra time on this film and see what we need to do, because we could see them again possibly."
Barnett was referencing the potential rematch in the SEC championship game in Atlanta in December, but after how Alabama rolled on Saturday, does Tennessee even want to face the Tide again?
The Tide's 39-point win was their second-largest in the series behind a 51-0 rout in 1906. Alabama's 594 yards of offense set a program record for games against Tennessee. Alabama's all-world defense held Tennessee to 163 total yards and 32 rushing yards and scored on its own with a Ronnie Harrison interception return.
The domination turned the first ranked matchup between the two rivals in 11 years into Tennessee's most lopsided loss since Oregon and Marcus Mariota trucked the Vols 59-14 in Butch Jones' third game as head coach in 2013.
"This team will bounce back," Jones said. "We have a lot of football left to be played. We put ourselves in position to be playing meaningful games after the bye week, and that's the approach we're going to take. We're going to get better and we're going to be in every game. Every game from here on out, it's going to be a battle.
"Teams have a hard time recovering from, when you look at the productivity that wasn't on the field tonight. That's no excuse. The standards and expectations don't change, no matter who's in the game. That does not change, but these kids will come back. I believe in them."
The first half of Tennessee's season was filled with wild endings and resilient rallies, but it ended Saturday with a humbling defeat in which the players looked out of gas and the coaching was underwhelming.
"Giving up that many yards and losing in that fashion in our home turf, that stings a lot," Tennessee defensive back Rashaan Gaulden said, "but from a confidence standpoint, we're not going to hold our heads down on that.
"We're just going to come in Monday, evaluate the film and see how we can improve."
The biggest improvement the Vols hope to make over their open date is in the training room.
Already without linebackers Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Darrin Kirkland Jr. and cornerback Cameron Sutton, Tennessee's injury list grew before the game with cornerback Malik Foreman, linebacker Cortez McDowell, center Dylan Wiesman and guard Jashon Robertson all missing out.
During the game Tennessee lost both starting offensive tackles in Brett Kendrick and Chance Hall and defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie.
"Obviously the grind has affected us injury-wise with different guys having to step up and play, but intensity-wise the grind hasn't affected us," quarterback Josh Dobbs said. "Each one of these four games we played are reasons you come to Tennessee. There's no reason for it to deter you.
"Intensity-wise it was there, but fundamentals-, execution- and details-wise and guys stepping up, it wasn't there."
Elliott Berry started in McDowell's place, freshman Baylen Buchanan started for Foreman and for most of the game the Vols rolled with an offensive line with three freshmen against the nation's best defensive line.
"I'm very, very concerned, but that's football," Jones said. "Usually when you have a run on injuries, it usually affects maybe one position group or two position groups. It's affected every position group, and that's why this bye week is very, very important.
"We have to get our health back, and we have to have some youngsters that there has to be a sense of urgency on their part to get better to help for this stretch run after the bye week."
The stretch run, despite back-to-back losses and Saturday's humiliation, will feature Tennessee trying to reach its first SEC championship game since 2007.
"Season one is over and season two starts after this bye week," Barnett said. "We've got to keep it rolling. We can't let one game define our whole season."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com