No. 11 Tennessee overcomes scoreless first half to beat No. 7 Alabama
Nico Iamaleava threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Chris Brazzell II with 5:52 remaining to help No. 11 Tennessee record a 24-17 victory over No. 7 Alabama on Saturday in a Southeastern Conference showdown in Knoxville, Tenn.
Dylan Sampson rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries as the Volunteers (6-1, 3-1 SEC) defeated the Crimson Tide for the second time in their past three meetings after dropping the previous 15 matchups.
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Iamaleava completed 14 of 27 passes for 194 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Tennessee. Bru McCoy caught six passes for 80 yards and Will Brooks and Jermod McCoy had interceptions for the Volunteers.
Jalen Milroe completed 25 of 45 passes for 239 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for Alabama (5-2, 2-2).
Milroe was intercepted by Brooks with 1:24 left to end the Crimson Tide’s final chance to score.
Ryan Williams caught eight passes for 73 yards and a touchdown and Justice Haynes rushed for a score for the Crimson Tide. Malachi Moore and Jaylen Mbakwe had interceptions for Alabama.
Alabama took a 17-14 lead with 13:56 remaining on a 7-yard scoring run by Haynes, but Tennessee responded just more than eight minutes later when Brazzell made a diving 16-yard catch in the end zone to give Tennessee a four-point edge.
Max Gilbert booted a 41-yard field goal to give the Volunteers a 24-17 lead with 1:30 left. On the first play of Alabama’s ensuing drive, Brooks made the interception at the Crimson Tide 36-yard line and Tennessee ran out the clock.
A lethargic Tennessee offense finally got moving in the third quarter when it was sparked by Sampson’s 36-yard run while traveling 91 yards on seven plays. Sampson finished off the drive from the 2 to knot the score at 7 with 6:32 left in the third quarter.
Alabama regained the lead on Graham Nicholson’s 35-yard field goal with 3:11 remaining in the period.
Just more than two minutes later, Sampson scored on a 3-yard run to cap a five-play, 75-yard drive that gave the Volunteers a 14-10 lead.
Sampson has rushed for 17 touchdowns this season to tie for second in school history with Reggie Cobb (1987). The school mark of 18 is held by Gene McEver (1929).
Moore and Mbakwe had first-half interceptions as Alabama shut down the Tennessee offense. Alabama’s first-half touchdown came early in the second quarter when Milroe hit Williams on a 5-yard throw.
