Alabama fans are disappointed with the performance of the defensive coaching staff versus Tennessee, especially Pete Golding as the coordinator.
Nick Saban witnessed his team lose to the Volunteers for the first time in his tenure. Before the cigars were lit, fans stormed the field for Tennessee, and the goalposts got taken down, the Crimson Tide had no answers for Hendon Hooker and the Volunteers’ offense. Alabama’s ‘cheetah package’ and its defensive line did not affect Hooker. The pass rush was nonexistent in the biggest game of the season to this point. Hooker had a clean pocket all game, despite Tennessee not having an elite offensive line.
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He torched the Tide for 385 passing yards and five touchdowns in a 52-49 victory.
Jalin Hyatt is not the Vols’ No. 1 receiver, but he broke a school record against Alabama’s secondary. Hyatt totaled six catches for 207 yards and five scores. He averaged 34.5 yards per reception, and no one for the Crimson Tide could stop him. DJ Dale, a senior, was the lone defensive lineman for Alabama that sacked Hooker. Will Anderson, an outside linebacker, did not register a marquee play in the matchup. Dallas Turner had the only huge play for the cheetah package: a fumble return for a touchdown.
DeMarcco Hellams, a senior safety, had an interception for Alabama but got burned a lot in coverage.
Alabama’s defense had one sack, two tackles for loss, and no quarterback hurries.
After stepping up against Texas A&M, the Crimson Tide pass rush did not make the trip to Neyland Stadium. Several improvements have to be made moving forward, especially with Mississippi State, LSU, Ole Miss, and Auburn left on Alabama’s regular-season schedule. Other teams will take what Tennessee did and use it to attack the Tide. Hooker is now at the top of the Heisman race, and it’s because Alabama did not show up on defense. Saban and the Tide must regroup for next week.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith
