KNOXVILLE - Alabama has not shown any leniency this season to teams that formerly were coached by Lane Kiffin.
The Crimson Tide opened with a 52-6 demolishing of Southern California, and they improved to 7-0 Saturday with a 49-10 drubbing of Tennessee. Kiffin, who is in his third season as Alabama's offensive coordinator, saw his unit rack up 594 total yards against the Volunteers, a record for the Crimson Tide in this colorful series.
Alabama rushed for 438 yards, with freshmen and sophomores accounting for 411 of that. Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts led the way with 132 rushing yards to go along with 143 yards through the air.
"Lane has done a really good job of bringing our guys along and sort of doing what they can do," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said. "He has adapted to the players that we have extremely well, which he's done each year he's been here with a different type of guy playing the quarterback position. Systematically now, we're a lot further along than where we were before.
"We've just got to keep on improving in the passing game and getting Jalen comfortable, because when we play really good teams, some of these runs aren't going to be quite so easy."
Kiffin coached Tennessee to a 7-6 record in 2009 before leaving for Southern Cal, where he posted a 28-15 mark from 2010 until getting fired five games into the 2013 season.
As Kiffin left the field Saturday, cheering Alabama fans and jeering Tennessee fans leaned over a tunnel to shout a wide array of messages. He stopped, took his visor and slung it into the crowd before continuing into a locker room filled with victory cigars.
"I think this means a lot to him to show in tough circumstances and against a good team that we can put on the show that we did," sophomore guard Ross Pierschbacher said. "I think it means a lot to him. Our offense was clicking tonight, and it was fun."
Said senior tight end O.J. Howard: "Any game is exciting, but with him being a former coach here, it probably means a little more to him. I'm just happy we got the chance to make him feel good about this win."
Hurts so good
Hurts not only averaged 11 yards a carry but rushed for three touchdowns in improving to 3-0 in Southeastern Conference road games.
There is a growing comfort level for the 6-foot-2, 209-pounder from Channelview, Texas, but there is also a growing comfort level for Saban in addressing his blossoming star.
"I got on Jalen a couple of times today, and the good thing about Jalen is that he always takes it right," Saban said. "I will always ask him in the locker room, 'Should I have gotten on you?' and he will say, 'Yeah.' So he agrees. He made some good throws, but he missed some throws and he missed some reads.
"He turned the ball over twice in the first half, and one gave them a score and one took a score off the board for us right before the half. He's getting better every week, and obviously his ability to run gives defenses a lot of problems."
Tide tidbits
Jonathan Allen's first-quarter sack of Josh Dobbs moved the senior defensive end into a tie with Jarrett Johnson (1999-2002) for third on Alabama's all-time sack list with 23. Derrick Thomas (1985-88) is comfortably in first with 52, with Kindal Moorehead (1998-2002) second with 25. Alabama improved to 21-20-1 lifetime versus Tennessee on the road. The Crimson Tide recorded 10 tackles for loss that resulted in 56 yards. Sophomore punter JK Scott averaged 50.0 yards on four punts with a long of 62.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6524.