Tennessee Football: Five Takeaways from Vols’ 49-10 Loss to Alabama
Tennessee football suffered a terrible 49-10 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide Saturday. Here are five takeaways from the Volunteers’ play in the game.
It wasn’t pretty from the start. After a magical 5-0 beginning to the year, Tennessee football got hit with a dose of reality in a 49-10 loss to Alabama.
The Vols were coming off of a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to the Texas A&M Aggies. A win or even a close loss here would keep them in the College Football Playoff race.
But with this blowout loss, they are likely out. As we break down the things we learned from this game, we don’t need to tell you that most of the things we learned were bad.
And it’s also true that the bye week could not come at a more perfect time. Butch Jones’s team still has a lot to play for, even if it now needs a bit of help, so there’s nothing to be too upset about just yet.
They just have to work on a few things. Here are five takeaways from Tennessee football’s 49-10 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
1. Depth is a major problem on the offensive line
Butch Jones said at the start of the year he wanted an eight-man rotation. But with three guys hurt today, the line collapsed. So the eight-man rotation was really a five-man rotation all along. Coleman Thomas has at least returned to form. But Drew Richmond and Marcus Tatum still have work to do in the system.
2. Elliott Berry is a decent linebacker
He can’t do it on his own, but Elliott Berry had some nice development at linebacker against the Tide. This was one positive takeaway. Berry showed nice speed in running down horizontal plays, and although he could get more physical, he did show he was tough. However…
3. Tennessee desperately needs Darrin Kirkland Jr. or Jalen Reeves-Maybin back
Yeah, although we respect Berry and Colton Jumper, they can’t be on the field together. The Vols desperately need Kirkland or Reeves-Maybin to return. That’s another reason that this bye week comes at a perfect time. Kirkland should be able to return to the lineup in two weeks, and he could take even longer considering South Carolina and Tennessee Tech are up next.
4. Special teams has clearly had a drop-off from last year
At this point, it’s time to call out Larry Scott. Maybe it has something to do with depth, but the Vols have not met the special teams standard that Butch Jones has set for Tennessee football. They still have yet to get a kick return touchdown this year, and in this game, their only good return was nullified due to a penalty. Meanwhile, they gave up a return for a touchdown. So this was an issue, and it’s not supposed to be in Knoxville.
5. Defensive tackles need more development
Danny O’Brien’s dismissal was a killer, but Shy Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie have to reach their hype. Tuttle has shown flashes, and McKenzie has shown nothing. Kendal Vickers is decent, but he is limited. Tuttle and McKenzie have to be able to hold their own in these games, and they got dominated. They left the edge-rushers out to dry.