Tennessee Football: Vols Lose Ugly Again, Alabama Crimson Tide Roll in 41-10 Win

Saturday night in Knoxville the storied rivalry known as the "Third Saturday in October" was renewed for the 93rd time as the defending national champion, Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1, 4-1 SEC), led by head coach Nick Saban paid a rude visit to Derek Dooley and the Tennessee Volunteers (2-5, 0-4 SEC). 

It would be Dooley's first SEC clash with his coaching-mentor of sorts, Nick Saban.

For the record, this year's edition of Tennessee-Alabama was being played on the fourth Saturday in October.  For the Vols it may have been better if the game could have been played on the sixth Saturday in October.

The Vols got a glimpse of things to come on their first possession when receiver Denarius Moore suffered a TKO on a wicked, NFL-suspension style hit by Alabama's DeMarcus Milliner. A clean hit that appeared worse as Moore was slipping down while Milliner and his helmet connected.  And as the saying goes, the hits just kept on coming.

Tennessee did draw first blood to take an early 7-0 lead on a brilliant 59-yard touchdown scamper by Tauren Poole midway through the first quarter.

Alabama cut the lead to 7-3 on a 36-yard field goal by Jeremy Shelley that capped a 10-play, 41-yard drive that closed out the first quarter scoring.

The Tide wasted little time taking control of the game in the early stages of the second quarter.

Greg McElroy scored on a one-yard touchdown run that finished off a 59-yard, nine-play drive just 18 seconds into the quarter. 

True to his word, Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley inserted freshman quarterback Tyler Bray into the game on the Vols first offensive possession of the second quarter, trailing 10-7. 

Four plays and four penalties later, Chad Cunningham was punting from his own end zone on fourth-and-25.  The two teams traded punts with Bray running another offensive series for the Vols before Simms reappeared with 5:38 remaining in the half. 

Simms fared no better going three-and-out on three straight incomplete pass attempts.

Alabama took over with 4:34 to go in the the half and put together a nine-play, 68-yard drive culminating in another Shelley field goal.  The drive was highlighted by a 42-yard run by Mark Ingram and Alabama had stretched the lead to 13-7.

Tennessee and Simms took over with only 52 seconds remaining in the half and put together a 67-yard drive culminating in a 33-yard field goal by Michael Palardy to trim the Tide's lead to 13-10 at the half.

The three-point halftime deficit would be as close as the Vols would get as it would be all Alabama in the second half.

Alabama took the second half kickoff 70 yards on just 4 plays, scoring on a one-yard run by Ingram.  The drive was put together in large-part due to two huge receptions by Julio Jones for 57 yards.  Jones would finish up the night with 12 catches for an Alabama single-game record, 212 yards.

And just like that, Alabama had extended their lead to 20-10.

Tennessee's next drive stalled out after the Vols had a first-and-10 at the Alabama 35-yard line.  In instant-reply style play-calling, Gerald Jones ran an end-around on consecutive plays for minus-two yards. 

Facing third-and-12, the Vols ran Poole right up the middle for a two-yard gain, setting up a long 52-yard field goal attempt by Pallardy.  The kick wasn't even close. 

Tennessee fans had to be wondering if some kid in Alabama had hacked into the Volunteer offense and was sending in plays from his Playstation 3.  The series was just one of many forgettable moments for the Volnation.

Alabama's offense wasn't close to being finished.

Ingram would add yet another one-yard touchdown run and Trent Richardson would find the checker-boards twice before the contest was officially over.

Final Score:  Alabama 41 - Tennessee 10

The game was typical for the 2010 Vols, battle hard and stay close only to come unglued in the second half.  Youthfulness, injuries and lack of depth have certainly played a part in the second-half collapses.  More than anything though, the Vols simply lack the talent to compete in the SEC.

If you throw out the debacle in Baton Rouge, Tennessee's other four losses have been by nearly a 27-point per game average.  They are not just losing, but losing ugly. 

The game in Columbia next week against Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks will close out the month of October for the Vols.  If the Vols are unable to pull off a miracle in Columbia they will begin November at 2-6.  Many fans thought 2-6 was realistically where we would be heading into the last month of the season.  But, those same fans also thought that the Vols would have a realistic chance to finish strong with a type of November that we have come to expect and finish 6-6.

I expect the Vols to beat Memphis, but after that, all bets are off.  Ole Miss comes to Knoxville then Tennessee travels to Nashville to take on Vandy before returning home for the season finale against Kentucky. 

This Tennessee team faces the real possibility of becoming the first Vol football team to ever lose nine games in a single season.  Who would've believed that the Vols could end up 3-9 in Dooley's inaugural season as head coach.  It very well may happen.

Stay tuned Volnation, an already ugly season is about to get uglier.

Vol Notes

Matt Simms finished up 12-of-22 for 117 yards and an interception.  Tyler Bray completed 5-of-14 attempts for 39 yards and an interception.  Tauren Poole carried 14 times for 117 yards and a touchdown against the stingy Tide defense.  Gerald Jones caught seven passes for 52 yards.  The Vols were out-gained on offense by Alabama 536-315. 

Tide Notes

Greg McElroy threw for 264 yards, completing 21-of-32 attempts.  Trent Richardson ran for a touchdown and 119 yards on 12 carries and caught a pass for another score.  Alabama has a week off to prepare for their next SEC opponent, LSU.