Tennessee Stuns No. 7 Alabama with Fourth-Quarter Comeback

On Saturday, October 19, 2024, Alabama faced a tough matchup against Tennessee, suffering a disappointing loss in Knoxville. The game concluded with a score of 24-17, marking Alabama's second defeat this season and bringing their record to 5-2. Quarterback Jalen Milroe had a challenging performance, completing only 55.6% of his passes, which represented his lowest completion rate of the season. He managed to throw for 239 yards, accumulating one touchdown but also throwing two interceptions. His primary target, freshman Ryan Williams, was also not fully effective, finishing with eight catches for 73 yards and a touchdown after being targeted an impressive 20 times. The Alabama offense struggled significantly against a formidable Tennessee defense, unable to establish a successful running game with just 89 yards gained on 34 attempts. This performance was exacerbated by poor third-down conversions, where they managed to convert only three out of 14 attempts, showing a lack of offensive execution throughout the game. Fans and former players were quick to criticize head coach Kalen DeBoer following the defeat, expressing disappointment in the team’s performance and strategy. With this loss, Alabama's record reflects a troubling outlook for a program accustomed to success, as they find themselves with two losses at this stage of the season for the first time since 2007 under Nick Saban. The mounting criticism could add pressure to DeBoer and his coaching staff as they aim to turn their season around moving forward.