Josh Heupel explains Tennessee play call, Alabama Pick 6 to end first half in 37-20 loss

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Josh Heupel said he had two choices as the first half was coming to an end Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium. No. 11 Tennessee could have one shot at the end zone from the 1-yard line or the Vols could have two.

“End of the first half, nine seconds, no timeouts,” Heupel said afterward. “You’re left with a decision. Do you want two opportunities or one?”

Running the football would’ve left Tennessee with one play. Throwing it gave the Vols two, or so Heupel thought. The second opportunity never arrived. Instead, it went the other way.

Tennessee lined up in its jumbo set, trailing 16-7. Joey Aguilar dropped back on a play-action pass and threw an out aimed for tight end Miles Kitselman. Alabama’s Zabien Brown stepped in front of the poorly placed pass and raced 99 yards the other way, stepping out of the outstretched arms of Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop just before finishing the devastating Pick 6 to end the first half. 

“We got a little play action,” Heupel said. “(Aguilar) leaves the ball inside a bit and it goes back for six. Big play in the football game for sure.”

Instead of potentially going into the break down 16-14, the Vols trailed 23-7 at halftime with No. 6 Alabama on its way to a 37-20 win.

Heupel had decisions to make with two timeouts remaining earlier in the drive.

Tennessee had 33 seconds left on the clock when Bishop ran for four yards on fourth-and-1 at the Alabama 18-yard line. After Heupel took a timeout, Aguilar threw incomplete on first down and Bishop ran for nine yards on second down, down to the Alabama 5.

Heupel didn’t take a timeout after the play, with Bishop again running for three yards and a first down, down to the two, with 12 seconds coming off the clock. Heupel took a timeout with 13 seconds left, leaving the Vols with one timeout remaining. 

Bishop then ran for a gain of one, down to the Alabama 1-yard line, with Heupel taking a timeout with nine seconds left to set up what was the final play of the half.

Alabama used a timeout after Tennessee initially lined up for the play. Heupel said the Vols called the play-action pass after the Crimson Tide timeout.

“I mean, they (Alabama) understand the situation as well,” Heupel said. “Got a one-two read and ultimately you have to be on the right side of it. It’s there or it’s not. We have to be accurate with the ball or if not throw it away, you got one more play.

“We made that choice after the timeout.”

Tennessee got a stop to start the second half, scored on a 44-yard Bishop touchdown run and then recovered a Ty Simpson fumble. But after a Jackson Ross punt, the Crimson Tide had another 99-yard backbreaker with a nine-play, 99-yard touchdown drive to take a 30-13 lead at the end of the third quarter.

“Defense, good stop,” Heupel said of the start of the second half, “offense goes and scores, turnover — we don’t take advantage of it.”

Aguilar finished 28 of 44 for 268 yards, with a touchdown to Braylon Staley to start the second quarter, then the interception returned for a touchdown to end it. Bishop ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. 

Alabama, which went 5-for-11 on third down, scored on a 91-yard touchdown drive to start the game. Tennessee committed 10 penalties for 66 yards.

“Disappointing result,” Heupel said to start his postgame press conference. “Offensively, ultimately just self-inflicted wounds in the first half killed a bunch of our drives.”

“The details are going to matter,” Heupel added. “We lost in the details tonight. Ultimately, that’s my responsibility, our responsibility, players and coaches together.”