FINAL: Tennessee Sputters In Second Half, Falls To Alabama

Tennessee jumped out to a scorching hot start against Alabama. The passing offense set the tone, powered by timely play from quarterback Joe Milton III and dynamic plays from wide receiver Squirrel White. The defense gave them a cushion and made the Crimson Tide play behind the sticks, and the Vols jumped out to a 20-7 lead at halftime. That didn't last.

The red and white came out of the locker room looking like the orange and white of the first half. Alabama played physical up front in both phases and made crucial special teams plays. Tennessee didn't help itself - they gave up a touchdown on a strip sack and had a costly special teams penalty that allowed Alabama to get momentum rolling in the second half.

Head coach Josh Heupel and company looked like they had all the answers in the first half, and then they had two calls that went short of the sticks on fourth down. All in all, the two halves were vastly different for both sides. Alabama hung around and fought in the first half, allowing them to jump when the Vols sputtered.

There are positive takeaways from the afternoon's action, but the ending leaves a sour taste when Tennessee was one half away from changing the course of their season. They now sit at 5-2 (2-2 SEC) with two ranked games left on their schedule and a road trip to Kentucky next week.