Zabien Brown returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the first half and No. 6 Alabama rolled to a 37-20 victory over No. 11 Tennessee in the rivalry known as the “Third Saturday in October.”
Brown’s pick gave the Tide a 23-7 lead and was all Alabama’s defense needed while turning in its best performance of the season. The Tide (6-1, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) held the nation’s highest-scoring offense to just 410 yards, well below its 529-yard average.
Ty Simpson completed 19 of 29 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He led two TD drives of 90-plus yards as the Crimson Tide won their sixth consecutive game, including four in a row against ranked opponents.
For Tennessee (5-2, 2-2), Joey Aguilar completed 28 of 44 passes for 268 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. DeSean Bishop ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
Alabama’s final touchdown, a 4-yard run by Daniel Hill with 5:49 remaining, ignited cigar smoke from every direction inside Byrant-Denny Stadium — a tradition for the victors in this rivalry.
Alabama prevented back Tennessee from winning consecutive games in the series for the first time since 2003-04. Alabama has won 17 of 19 in the rivalry.
Poll implications
Alabama’s win, coupled with losses by No. 5 Ole Miss to No. 9 Georgia, should propel the Tide into the top five in the next AP Poll. Tennessee will surely fall, along with No. 7 Texas Tech and No. 10 LSU.
The takeaway
Tennessee: The Volunteers’ loss featured a number of uncharacteristic statistics. They failed to score 30 points for the first time this season, and a defense that led the SEC in sacks didn’t record one.
Alabama: The Crimson Tide have arguably the best collection of wins in college football with four wins over ranked teams. Led by Simpson, Alabama has established itself as a legitimate championship contender midway through the season.
Up next
Tennessee: At Kentucky next Saturday.
Alabama: At South Carolina next Saturday.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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