How It Happened: No. 6 Alabama beats No. 11 Tennessee 37-20

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 6 Alabama scored on a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown on the last play of the first half and had touchdown drives of 91 and 99 yards in a 37-20 win over No. 11 Tennessee Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Here’s how it happened, as it happened:

First Quarter

Alabama 7, Tennessee 0 (6:51): Tennessee punter Jackson Ross pinned Alabama at the 9-yard line after the Vols started the game with a three-and-out, but it didn’t matter. The Crimson Tide went on an 11-play, 91-yard touchdown drive to open the scoring on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Ty Simpson Isaiah Horton on third-and-goal. Tennessee’s defense started the possession with a loss of three, but Alabama converted a third-and-13 with an 18-yard pass in the middle of the field. 

Second Quarter

Tennessee 7, Alabama 7 (9:46): Tennessee’s defense got off the field, forcing an Alabama punt, and the offense didn’t waste the opportunity. The Vols went 78 yards on 10 plays and tied the game on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Joey Aguilar to Braylon Staley on third-and-goal. A 30-yard pass from Aguilar to Staley three plays earlier set put Tennessee on the Alabama 2-yard line. 

Alabama 9, Tennessee 7 (7:27): Tennessee’s defense got another stop, but more penalties backed the Vols up and Alabama kept getting pressure. After an offensive pass interference call against Braylon Staley backed Tennessee up, Joey Aguilar was pressured in the end zone and was called for intentional grounding, resulting in a safety.

Alabama 16, Tennessee 7 (4:05): Alabama got the two points from the safety, got the ball back after the kickoff and went marching back to the end zone to take a two-possession lead. The Tide went 69 yards in seven plays and scored on a 1-yard Jam Miller touchdown drive.

Alabama 23, Tennessee 7 (0:00): Tennessee had the football on the 1-yard line with nine seconds on the clock and no timeouts left, looking to cut the Alabama lead down to two. Instead, the Crimson Tide went to the half up 17. Joey Aguilar threw an out route intended for tight end Miles Kitselman and Alabama’s Zabien Brown picked it off and took it back 100 yards for a touchdown, out-running Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop down the Alabama sideline.

Third Quarter

Alabama 23, Tennessee 13 (11:18): Tennessee needed some momentum in the worst possible way to start the second half and got just that. First it was a three-and-out forced by the defense, then it was a 44-yard touchdown run from DeSean Bishop to get the Vols back in the end zone. A two-point attempt was intercepted in the end zone, leaving the Vols down 10.

Alabama 30, Tennessee 13 (0:25): Tennessee recovered a Ty Simpson fumble on the next possession, but the Vols couldn’t do anything with, aside from downing a punt at the Alabama 1-yard line. The Crimson Tide then went on a nine-play, 99-yard scoring drive to take a 30-13 lead with 25 seconds left in the third quarter. 

Fourth Quarter

Alabama 30, Tennessee 20 (10:51): The Vols stayed in it with a 13-play, 74-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 1-yard run from DeSean Bishop. The drive included a fourth-and-four conversion at the UT 31.

Alabama 37, Tennessee 20 (5:49): Alabama’s Daniel Hill completed a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. Two pass interference penalties extended the drive and Alabama converted on fourth-and-2 one play before the touchdown run.