Vols Football: Crowd Report and Game Ball for Week 9 vs. Alabama
The Tennessee Volunteers looked lost to begin Saturday’s game against Alabama, falling behind 27-0 early in the 2nd quarter after allowing Crimson Tide receiver Amari Cooper to catch two touchdowns and haul in 185 receiving yards in just the 1st quarter.
The Vols never gave up, and thanks to a gutty performance by the defense from that point on and an offense that looked rejuvenated after QB Joshua Dobbs got going, the Vols cut the lead to 27-17 in the 3rd quarter and ultimately only lost 34-20. The 14-point loss to the Crimson Tide was the smallest margin of defeat against Alabama since the Vols lost 12-10 in 2009.
Lane Kiffin’s return to Knoxville drew the ire of Vol fans, but for the most part the crowd was relatively civil to the former one year head coach of the Vols. Instead of chanting profanities at Alabama’s offensive coordinator, one group of fans decided to take a more unique approach.
A group of 8 students painted their bodies all white with the words “We ‘heart’ Layla” painted on their chests. Layla Kiffin is Lane Kiffin’s wife, and a Twitter account in her name (that proved to be a fake) caused a bit of a stir earlier in the week with some antagonistic tweets.
The crowd was silenced early, but the fans and students deserve some kudos for sticking around, and Neyland Stadium was especially loud in the 3rd quarter on Alabama’s ensuing possession once the Vols made it a 10-point game.
The Vols were in it in the 4th quarter, which meant Alabama fans couldn’t take over Neyland Stadium as has been their habit for the last few seasons, and a loud chant of “It’s great to be a Tennessee Vol” sounded throughout the stadium after the Vols turned the ball over on downs in the closing seconds of the 4th. It was also the third sell-out in five home games this season.
Game Ball
One of the reasons the Vols were able to rally and make the game competitive again was in large part due to a revival on offense. The Vols came into Saturday’s game against Alabama having scored only 12 points in their last 2 SEC games, failing to score a TD in an SEC game since the Georgia game in late September.
The Vols scored two touchdowns against Alabama and ran for 181 yards, nearly three times the amount of rushing yards Alabama gives up on the season. The offensive line played its best game of the season, and the increased rushing total was due to them and the recipient of this week’s All For Tennessee Game Ball.
Sophomore quarterback Joshua Dobbs entered the game on the Vols’ third possession of the game, and after a slow beginning, he sparked the offense and helped a struggling unit look its best in quite some time.
Dobbs finished the game completing 19-of-32 passes for 192 yards, tossing 2 TD’s and an interception. He also carried the ball 19 times and rushed for a team-high 75 yards on the night.
Dobbs’ running ability added a whole new element to the Vols’ offense, something that has been missing all season from the spread attack Butch Jones and offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian like to run. Even if Justin Worley recovers from his shoulder injury this week, one has to think Dobbs has earned the right to start next Saturday’s game against South Carolina.
Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs came in against a stellar defense and looked solid, reviving a struggling offense and making the Vols competitive in what could have been a lopsided game. PHOTO: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports