Tommy Deas
Assistant Editor
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. | There's still no place like home for Blake Sims, but Neyland Stadium seemed a lot more comfortable for the University of Alabama's senior quarterback Saturday night than his previous road stops.
Sims torched Tennessee early to give Alabama a 27-point lead, went through a rough patch that lasted into the third period and then put together one of UA's most impressive drives of the season after the Volunteers had cut the Crimson Tide's advantage to just 10 points.
Sims completed 14 of 24 pass attempts for 286 yards and two touchdowns, adding 42 rushing yards on six carries, including a touchdown run.
All in all, this Sims looked far more like the quarterback who had been impressive in one-sided home victories in conference play than the one who had struggled on the road.
In two previous SEC road games, Sims had gone a combined 30 for 52 passing for 496 yards with three total touchdowns and one interception at Ole Miss and Arkansas, gaining 13 yards on 14 carries on the ground. The Crimson Tide lost at Ole Miss and escaped Arkansas with a one-point victory.
By contrast, Sims had been sterling in his two SEC home starts, going completing 39 of 60 attempts for 713 yards with eight total touchdowns and one interception, adding 93 rushing yards on 12 carries.
In the first quarter against Tennessee, Sims was all but unstoppable. His first pass, a play-action throw to Amari Cooper, went for an 80-yard touchdown on UA's first snap from scrimmage.
The Sims-to-Cooper connection continued on Alabama's next drive, with the duo hooking up for a pump-and-go pattern resulted in a 41-yard touchdown pass.
Alabama did most of its damage on the ground on its next possession, but Sims scrambled and juked a defender to give himself time to hit Cooper for a 30-yard gain to highlight another scoring drive. Sims used his legs again on a zone-read option play for a 28-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter to put Alabama up 27-0.
UA's last drive of the first half and first drive of the third quarter stalled, with Alabama reshuffling its offensive line after left tackle Cam Robinson left on crutches early in the third period.
Sims took the field with just under six minutes left in the third quarter with Alabama nursing a lead that had dwindled to 27-17 and all the momentum in Tennessee's favor. He engineered a 13-play, 76-yard touchdown drive that put the game away, with Alabama converting four third downs.
Sims scrambled for nine yards on third-and-nine to take UA into Tennessee territory, diving over a defender to stretch for the first down. Three plays later, on third-and-four, he found Cooper for a 9-yard gain to keep the drive alive and set up Derrick Henry's 28-yard touchdown run.
Sims' best road performance was marred by a handoff-exchange fumble that allowed Tennessee to kick a field goal that cut the final margin to 14 points, but presided over a long, ground-oriented drive to ice the victory.
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1696885
Assistant Editor
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. | There's still no place like home for Blake Sims, but Neyland Stadium seemed a lot more comfortable for the University of Alabama's senior quarterback Saturday night than his previous road stops.
Sims torched Tennessee early to give Alabama a 27-point lead, went through a rough patch that lasted into the third period and then put together one of UA's most impressive drives of the season after the Volunteers had cut the Crimson Tide's advantage to just 10 points.
Sims completed 14 of 24 pass attempts for 286 yards and two touchdowns, adding 42 rushing yards on six carries, including a touchdown run.
All in all, this Sims looked far more like the quarterback who had been impressive in one-sided home victories in conference play than the one who had struggled on the road.
In two previous SEC road games, Sims had gone a combined 30 for 52 passing for 496 yards with three total touchdowns and one interception at Ole Miss and Arkansas, gaining 13 yards on 14 carries on the ground. The Crimson Tide lost at Ole Miss and escaped Arkansas with a one-point victory.
By contrast, Sims had been sterling in his two SEC home starts, going completing 39 of 60 attempts for 713 yards with eight total touchdowns and one interception, adding 93 rushing yards on 12 carries.
In the first quarter against Tennessee, Sims was all but unstoppable. His first pass, a play-action throw to Amari Cooper, went for an 80-yard touchdown on UA's first snap from scrimmage.
The Sims-to-Cooper connection continued on Alabama's next drive, with the duo hooking up for a pump-and-go pattern resulted in a 41-yard touchdown pass.
Alabama did most of its damage on the ground on its next possession, but Sims scrambled and juked a defender to give himself time to hit Cooper for a 30-yard gain to highlight another scoring drive. Sims used his legs again on a zone-read option play for a 28-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter to put Alabama up 27-0.
UA's last drive of the first half and first drive of the third quarter stalled, with Alabama reshuffling its offensive line after left tackle Cam Robinson left on crutches early in the third period.
Sims took the field with just under six minutes left in the third quarter with Alabama nursing a lead that had dwindled to 27-17 and all the momentum in Tennessee's favor. He engineered a 13-play, 76-yard touchdown drive that put the game away, with Alabama converting four third downs.
Sims scrambled for nine yards on third-and-nine to take UA into Tennessee territory, diving over a defender to stretch for the first down. Three plays later, on third-and-four, he found Cooper for a 9-yard gain to keep the drive alive and set up Derrick Henry's 28-yard touchdown run.
Sims' best road performance was marred by a handoff-exchange fumble that allowed Tennessee to kick a field goal that cut the final margin to 14 points, but presided over a long, ground-oriented drive to ice the victory.
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1696885
