Tennessee football center Cooper Mays doesn’t buy into the narrative that it can be harder to bounce back from a loss to Alabama. The physicality that the Crimson Tide play with has led some teams to struggle even the week after the game.
The physical game is something Nick Saban and Alabama have seemed to focus on even more this season. That physical game on Saturday is something that Mays doesn’t see effecting Tennessee in its next game.
I mean, look, they’re good,” Mays said on The Vol Report. “They’re a great football team, hats off to them. They are, like, Bama’s good. But I mean it’s not like they just whipped us down the field, you know what I’m saying? I think we had a lot to do with the mishaps.”
Several “mishaps” and self-induced faults caused the Vols to falter in the second half against the Crimson Tide. The drive started with a two-play, 75-yard touchdown drive by Alabama. Then, a stray fair catch call set up Tennessee at its own 4-yard line.
To compile the issues, Joe Milton III was strip-sacked and the Crimson Tide carried it in for a touchdown.
Lots of blame for the loss can be put on Tennessee.
“I don’t, I don’t think they’re better than last year’s team,” Mays said.
The Alabama loss is behind Tennessee now. Kentucky awaits the Vols in Lexington on Saturday.
While the Wildcats are a lesser-talented team when compared to Alabama, the Vols have struggled on the road going anywhere.
“I think their coach does a really good job with them,” Mays said. “And I think they are a really good game for us every single year.”
Mays is familiar with the Wildcats from the yearly matchups. He credited their offensive line as well as their sustained improvement every year.
That familiarity doesn’t matter, he is ready for whoever is next on the schedule after the tough loss in Tuscaloosa.
“It doesn’t really matter to me whoever it is,” Mays said. “But they’re a good team. And we’re going to be excited for the challenge whenever it comes.”
