Tennessee football is heading into enemy territory for the 108th meeting in the Tennessee-Alabama rivalry. The Vols are hoping to upset the Crimson Tide and get a signature road win.
If Tennessee is going to get the job done, there are some key issues the Vols will need to fix to pull off the upset. Most notably, the defense has struggled in conference play this year, exposing big gaps in their play heading into the Third Saturday in October.
It's going to take a full team effort and great game plan for Tennessee to defy the odds and upset the Tide, so here are three key issues they need to fix to take down Alabama on the road.
Win the Ground Game
Tennessee prides itself on its run game. Josh Heupel's offense is primarily known for its explosive passing game, but that wouldn't happen without Tennessee's effective run game.
The Vols are rushing for 210 yards per game this season, which would be plenty enough to win virtually any game they play this season.
That success is going to have to continue while the defense also settles in and stops the run. That has been a big struggle this season, especially against conference opponents.
In SEC play, opponents have rushed for an average of 213.7 yards per game. Tennessee's worst defensive performance came last week, allowing Arkansas 240 yards on the ground.
If Tennessee can't stop the run against Alabama's rushing attack, which is averaging 126.5 yards per game, then it could be another shootout, which might not be the type of game Tennessee wants to play after going through a tough high-scoring loss against Georgia.
3rd Down
The biggest thing Tennessee needs to do to beat Alabama on the road is win on third down. The Vols have struggled, specifically on defense, when it comes to third down, but that needs to change on Saturday.
Tennessee needs to get off the field when it forces Alabama into third-down situations and prevents the Crimson Tide offense from extending drives and getting extra opportunities to put points on the board.
The Vols' third-down defense has been pretty poor in SEC matchups so far this season. The Vols' third-down defense has allowed a 47% conversion rate through three SEC games, including a 54% conversion rate last week against Arkansas.
That is far from where the Vols are going to need to be defensively if they want to have a chance to pull off the road upset this weekend. If Tennessee allows Alabama to convert half of its third downs, it could be a long night for the Vols.
Explosive Plays
Between limiting explosive plays on defense and creating explosive plays on offense, Tennessee is almost completely opposite from this time last year.
In 2024, the Vols struggled to create explosive plays offensively, but did a great job limiting explosive plays. That was largely because of Jermod McCoy shutting down one half of the field in the secondary and James Pearce Jr. applying consistent pressure on the quarterback.
The Vols won't have those defensive weapons in this game, but the offense's ability to create explosive plays is far better than last season.
Joey Aguilar runs the offense efficiently and effectively, resulting in big plays on the ground and through the air. The Vols' offense did it against Georgia, and they are going to have to do it again against Alabama.
The Vols and Tide are set to kick off at 7:30 PM ET on ABC in what could be another epic battle in this rivalry's history. Tennessee has won two out of the last three but has yet to beat Alabama on the road in the Heupel era. That could change if Tennessee fixes and excels in these three areas.