Nico Iamaleava threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Chris Brazzell II on 3rd and 5 with just under six minutes left in the fourth quarter, and Will Brooks intercepted a pass from Jalen Milroe for the third straight defensive stop by the Vols. In the process, Tennessee Football beat the Alabama Crimson Tide 24-17.
It was the second straight win for the Vols over Bama at Neyland Stadium. UT, which came into the game ranked No. 11 in the AP Poll and No. 10 in the Coaches Poll, improves to 6-1 and 3-1 in the SEC. Alabama, No. 7 in both polls, falls to 5-2 and 2-2 in the SEC.
Thanks to two missed field goals and three turnovers by the Vols in the first half, Alabama went into the locker room up 7-0. UT tied it up with a touchdown run by Dylan Sampson on its second drive of the second half, and after Alabama went up 10-7 with a field goal, the Vols took their first lead of the game with another Sampson run.
Sampson finished the game with 26 carries for 139 yards and those two scores. His second touchdown was set up by a 55-yard pass from Nico Iamaleava to Dont’e Thornton. Iamaleava finished 14-of-27 for 194 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
For the third straight week, Tennessee Football went into halftime scoreless, and for the second straight week, the Vols’ opening offensive drive of the game ended with a fumble in their opponents’ territory. However, 21 points is their best offensive performance in regulation since their win over the Oklahoma Sooners four weeks ago.
Rocky Top’s first drive ended in a Sampson fumble. Then Iamalaeva got hurt in the second quarter, and Gaston Moore came in and threw an interception on his only pass. Iamaleava came back in and threw an interception in the red zone on the next drive.
UT now has its second and final bye week of the regular season next Saturday before returning to host the Kentucky Wildcats the first Saturday in November. Alabama returns to Tuscaloosa next week to host a Missouri Tigers team that beat the Auburn Tigers on Saturday.
