Cecil Hurt
TideSports.com Columnist
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. | Lane Kiffin came back to Knoxville - but he didn't come alone.
He brought Amari Cooper with him. And it was a good thing for Alabama that he did.
Cooper, the Crimson Tide's junior All-America receiver, sparked a lightning start for No. 4 Alabama as the Crimson Tide roared in, then ebbed, then rose again to take a 34-20 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers, UA's eighth consecutive win in the series. Along the way, Cooper set a new Alabama single-game record with 224 yards on nine catches.
The game ended with the Alabama band and remaining fans chanting "Kiffin, Kiffin."
The start of the contest could not have been better for Alabama and Kiffin, the former UT head coach who returned to Knoxville as Alabama's offensive coordinator. On the first play from scrimmage, Alabama quarterback Blake Sims hit Cooper on a short pass that Cooper turned into an 80-yard game-opening touchdown.
The dynamic Sims-to-Cooper connection teamed up again for a 41-yard score on Alabama's second touchdown of the first quarter. UA then tacked on touchdown runs by T. J. Yeldon and Sims to push the lead to 27-0, making a blowout seem imminent.
Instead, the Crimson Tide stalled and UT went on two long scoring marches, one on a touchdown pass by Joshua Dobbs, seeing his first playing time of the season, and a field goal as the half expired, cutting the Alabama lead to 27-10.
The Volunteers made it even closer as Dobbs directed another long touchdown drive that reduced the Alabama lead to 27-17 with six minutes remaining in the third quarter. This time, Alabama answered with a 76-yard drive of its own, converting four third-down situations along the way. Derrick Henry capped the drive with a 28-yard touchdown run and Alabama took a 34-17 lead into the third quarter.
A Sims fumble set up a short Tennessee field goal that brought the Vols back to within two touchdowns with 9:42 to play. Alabama consumed most of that time with a lengthy drive, but fumbled again as Jalston Fowler lost the ball going into the end zone with 2:29 remaining.
Tennessee managed to drive the ball off the goal line but lost possession on downs at the 30, allowing Alabama to run out the clock.
Dobbs, who had been slated for a redshirt year, brought a spark to the UT offense in the absence of injured starter Justin Worley, rushing for 88 yards before fading in the final minutes.
Alabama made it through the second half without offensive tackle Cam Robinson, who sprained an ankle, and running back Yeldon, nursing a sore foot.
The win lifted Alabama to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the SEC headed into an open week. Tennessee remained winless in SEC play at 0-4 and fell to 0-4 in SEC play.
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1696843
TideSports.com Columnist
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. | Lane Kiffin came back to Knoxville - but he didn't come alone.
He brought Amari Cooper with him. And it was a good thing for Alabama that he did.
Cooper, the Crimson Tide's junior All-America receiver, sparked a lightning start for No. 4 Alabama as the Crimson Tide roared in, then ebbed, then rose again to take a 34-20 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers, UA's eighth consecutive win in the series. Along the way, Cooper set a new Alabama single-game record with 224 yards on nine catches.
The game ended with the Alabama band and remaining fans chanting "Kiffin, Kiffin."
The start of the contest could not have been better for Alabama and Kiffin, the former UT head coach who returned to Knoxville as Alabama's offensive coordinator. On the first play from scrimmage, Alabama quarterback Blake Sims hit Cooper on a short pass that Cooper turned into an 80-yard game-opening touchdown.
The dynamic Sims-to-Cooper connection teamed up again for a 41-yard score on Alabama's second touchdown of the first quarter. UA then tacked on touchdown runs by T. J. Yeldon and Sims to push the lead to 27-0, making a blowout seem imminent.
Instead, the Crimson Tide stalled and UT went on two long scoring marches, one on a touchdown pass by Joshua Dobbs, seeing his first playing time of the season, and a field goal as the half expired, cutting the Alabama lead to 27-10.
The Volunteers made it even closer as Dobbs directed another long touchdown drive that reduced the Alabama lead to 27-17 with six minutes remaining in the third quarter. This time, Alabama answered with a 76-yard drive of its own, converting four third-down situations along the way. Derrick Henry capped the drive with a 28-yard touchdown run and Alabama took a 34-17 lead into the third quarter.
A Sims fumble set up a short Tennessee field goal that brought the Vols back to within two touchdowns with 9:42 to play. Alabama consumed most of that time with a lengthy drive, but fumbled again as Jalston Fowler lost the ball going into the end zone with 2:29 remaining.
Tennessee managed to drive the ball off the goal line but lost possession on downs at the 30, allowing Alabama to run out the clock.
Dobbs, who had been slated for a redshirt year, brought a spark to the UT offense in the absence of injured starter Justin Worley, rushing for 88 yards before fading in the final minutes.
Alabama made it through the second half without offensive tackle Cam Robinson, who sprained an ankle, and running back Yeldon, nursing a sore foot.
The win lifted Alabama to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the SEC headed into an open week. Tennessee remained winless in SEC play at 0-4 and fell to 0-4 in SEC play.
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1696843
