Tennessee’s LaDarrell McNeil (33) trips up Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon (4) during the first half at Neyland Stadium Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn.
KNOXVILLE – Long faces arrived at Neyland Stadium in the hours leading up to kickoff as Tennessee fans carried less hope of beating rival Alabama than perhaps in any previous meeting.
By the second half, all that remained ahead for everyone wearing orange was a long ride home and another long wait for being competitive again against the Crimson Tide.
In fact, after Saturday’s 44-13 clobbering by the top-ranked Tide, hope of competing with the upper echelon of the Southeastern Conference seems even more distant than before the latest renewal of the Third Saturday in October rivalry.
That Alabama’s offense would have success was a given considering both the Crimson Tide’s precision and the ineptitude of the Volunteers’ defense. Sure enough, the Tide rolled up 539 yards (the third of four SEC foes to gain more than 500 against UT), led by quarterback AJ McCarron’s career-high 306 yards and four touchdowns, while Amari Cooper set a freshman record for Alabama with seven catches for 162 yards and two TDs.
So the Vols’ chances of threatening Alabama, or even possibly giving embattled coach Derek Dooley a badly needed signature win, rested in the hands of Tennessee’s offense. Facing an Alabama defense that came in giving up just 1.8 yards per rush and 55.3 rushing yards a game and a total of five touchdowns and one field goal, falling behind early meant certain defeat.