A walk-on from Birmingham sent Alabama walking off the field in defeat Saturday night.
Safety Will Brooks, a fifth-year senior, picked off a Jalen Milroe pass with 1:30 left to secure No. 11 Tennessee’s 24-14 victory over No. 7 Alabama before a sellout crowd at Neyland Stadium that stormed the field for the second time in the last two home games against the Crimson Tide.
The Vols (6-1, 3-1 SEC) kept alive their College Football Playoff hopes while the Crimson Tide (5-2, 2-2) is left with no margin for error.
“Unbelievable feeling,” said Brooks, who had a pick-six against NC State last month. “It meant a lot, beating Alabama.”
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, whose 2-2 record against the Tide is better than Georgia’s Kirby Smart (1-6), was thrilled for Brooks to be the Vol to put the game away.
“You talk about a journey, man,” said Heupel of his first-year starter. “He’s a guy that continues to invest every day and reap the rewards. He’ll tell this story to his kids and his grandkids one day. He’s a special player and a special guy.”
Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter lavished Brooks with praise.
“This guy is one of the most unselfish people I’ve ever met,” said Carter, who had six tackles. “He does his job and he holds guys accountable. … It’s great to know you’ve got a guy that’ll in the right position at the right time.”
Brooks wasn’t the only hero for Tennessee.
Running back Dylan Sampson churned for 140 hard-earned yards (104 in the second half) on 26 carries and scored two more touchdowns, giving him 17 rushing this year. He’s one off the UT single-season record for rushing scores.
After a mistake-filled first half, quarterback Nico Iamaleava made several sterling plays in the second half, including a 55-yard pass to Dont’e Thornton, a 27-yard run and an only-place-you-could-throw-it scoring pass to Brazzell.
“Nico’s got to settle into the game earlier,” Heupel said. “He’s a young quarterback who will continue to get better.”
Tennessee’s defense settled into the game early, holding Alabama to one touchdown in the first half. Cornerback Jermod McCoy made an end-zone interception that he returned 54 yards. The defense forced a punt after a Bama pick gave the Tide the ball at the UT 36. And a 12-play drive ended in a missed field goal.
“What a performance by the defense,” Heupel said. “Absolutely elite.”
The Vols held Alabama to 75 rushing yards on 24 carries. Milroe, who entered the game with 11 rushing touchdowns, was stymied to 11 net yards on 14 carries, even though Vols starting middle linebacker Keenan Pili didn’t play due to injury.
Tennessee had a running back who outrushed Bama’s best running back for the first time 2006.
Milroe completed 25 of 42 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown. He threw two picks and was sacked three times, with James Pearce getting 1.5, Dominic Bailey one and Jeremiah Telander a half.
“He’s a great quarterback,” Carter said of Milroe. “We knew we had to disrupt the pass to win and get off the field on third down.”
Milroe targeted freshman Ryan Williams 19 times. Williams managed eight catches for 73 yards. He was guarded mostly by McCoy.
“Jermod is an unbelievable player,” Brooks said. “It’s awesome to have a guy like that on the edge.”
The Vols were down by a touchdown after the first half, going scoreless in the first two quarters for the third game in a row. The last time that happened was 1963.
But the offense woke up in the second half, scoring 14 points in the third quarter on drives of 91 and 75 yards.
Bama took a 17-14 lead on Justice Haynes 7-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
Tennessee countered with Iamaleava’s TD throw to Brazzel with 5:52 left in the game.
Two possessions later, Alabama faced a fourth-and-22 on its own 18 with 2 minutes left after receiver Kendrick Law was slapped with a personal foul for shoving Vol Boo Carter.
When the Tide failed to convert, UT ran three conservative plays to set up a Max Gilbert field goal for a seven-point lead.
On the next play, Brooks made his game-clinching interception.
I’m thankful the coaches believed in me and gave me an opportunity,” Brooks said.
An opportunity that led to an opportune turnover that Brooks will one day remind his kids –and grandkids.
