KNOXVILLE — Tennessee’s 24-17 victory over Alabama on Saturday inside Neyland Stadium featured three lead changes in the second half to provide a back-and-forth feel.
Yet there was nothing even about the running game production of the two teams.
While Tennessee was pounding out 217 yards on 43 carries for 5.0 yards per carry, the Volunteers were also holding the Crimson Tide to 75 yards on 34 rushes for a meager 2.2-yard clip.
“They’re a physical defense up front, and we knew we needed to have a mix of run and pass,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said afterward. “We tried to use (quarterback) Jalen (Milroe) in the run game as well, just trying to get a flow and trying to find times to get in a rhythm. Penalties hurt us at times to where we were behind the sticks, and we were just trying to stay patient.
“Even in the second-to-last drive, we were trying to stay with it and trying to put one play on top of the other to move the ball down the field. When you don’t have the explosives, it’s just too hard to stack plays the whole length of the field.”