Life without Nick Saban has already dealt Alabama fans some highs, including the Tide’s win over rival Georgia and rise to No. 1, and lows, including Saturday’s loss and the Week 6 defeat to Vanderbilt.
Under the guidance of first-year coach Kalen DeBoer, Alabama has picked up two losses on its record before November for the first time since 2007, Saban’s first season.
right. on. the money.
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 19, 2024
📺 ABC
📲 https://t.co/vC0cBXiLkwpic.twitter.com/35NXiKnjJ0
Tennessee closed as a 3.5-point underdog at BetMGM Sportsbook. Per Action Network’s Evan Abrams, the Volunteers entered Saturday 1-7 SU and 2-6 ATS as home underdogs since 2000. Those stats only underscored how severely the deck appeared to be stacked against Tennessee once the game kicked off.
Early in the second quarter, Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava suffered a hip injury while being sacked and was forced out of the game. His backup, Gaston Moore, threw a pick on the very next play. While Iamaleava returned to play on Tennessee’s next series, Alabama held the Volunteers scoreless in the first half, marking the third straight game that Josh Heupel’s squad didn’t score points in the first half. Tennessee hadn’t had three straight scoreless first halves since 1963.
But Alabama’s offense, led by quarterback Jalen Milroe, struggled throughout much of the contest. Milroe finished 25-for-45 with 239 yards, one touchdown and two picks. The Tide rushed for just 89 yards on 34 carries. Tennessee scored touchdowns on two of its first three possessions to start the second half and Iamaleava threw a go-ahead touchdown to Chris Brazzell with just under six minutes remaining.
Alabama drops to 5-2 (2-2 in SEC), while Tennessee improved to 6-1 (3-1). Entering Saturday, both schools were tied for the sixth-best odds of winning the national championship (+1600) at BetMGM Sportsbook.
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