Alabama football WR Ryan Williams talks Tennessee rivalry
Ryan Williams, the Alabama football freshman wide receiver, talks about his performance vs. South Carolina and the upcoming meeting with Tennessee.
(This story has been updated to add new information).
Alabama football came up short on the road against rival Tennessee for the second straight time.
Will Brooks intercepted Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe to clinch No. 10 Tennessee’s 24-17 victory (6-1, 3-1 SEC) over No. 7 Alabama at Neyland Stadium. The Vols also beat Alabama in 2022, giving them two consecutive home wins. The Vols came up with a 52-49 win in the previous trip to Knoxville, which snapped a 15-game losing streak to Alabama.
While Alabama is not limited from contention in the 12-team College Football Playoff, the road for the Crimson Tide becomes harder with a second conference loss, making reaching the SEC championship game a long shot.
REQUIRED READING: How has Alabama football fared in top-10 SEC matchups before facing No. 10 Tennessee?
In a low-scoring first half, Alabama held a 7-0 halftime lead despite forcing three turnovers from Tennessee. Still, it could not capitalize on their own scoring chances, including a missed field goal and a Milroe interception from inside the Vols’ 5-yard line.
Tennessee outscored Alabama 24-10 in the second half after being shut out for the third consecutive first half for the first time since 1963. The Vols outgained Alabama 265-158 in the second half, including 170-61 on the ground. The Crimson Tide finished with 34 rushes for 75 yards, while Tennessee ran for 214 yards.
The Tennessee defense sacked Milroe three times, and the Vols finished with nine tackles for loss, causing Alabama to face several third-and-longs. Despite the loss, true freshman receiver Ryan Williams finished with a career-high eight catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. His 18 targets were also a career-high, but his longest reception was just 16 yards.
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Follow along for live scores, updates and highlights of the SEC rivalry matchup between Alabama and Tennessee from Knoxville on Saturday:
Alabama vs Tennessee score updates
This section will be updated when the game begins.
| TEAM | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | T |
| Alabama | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Tennessee | 0 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 24 |
Here’s a look at the quarterback comparison:
- Jalen Milroe: 25 of 45 passing, 239 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions
- Nico Iamaleava: 14 of 27 passing, 194 yards, one touchdown, one interception
Some stats of note:
- Total yards: UA 314, UT 411
- Rushing yards: UA 75, UT 217
- Passing yards: UA 239, UT 194
- First downs: UA 23, UT 21
- Time of possession: UA 33:15, UT 25:08
- Penalties: UA 15-115, UT 11-95
- Turnovers (points off turnovers): UA 2 (0), UT 3 (0)
6:40 p.m.: Will Brooks picks off Jalen Milroe on the first play of Alabama’s final drive and Tennessee will beat the Crimson Tide for the second time in three years.
6:37 p.m.: Malachi Moore makes a big tackle on Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson to force a fourth-and-2. After Alabama calls a timeout, the Vols kick the 41-yard field goal and go up 24-17 with 1:30 remaining in the game.
6:34 p.m.: After Kendrick Law is called for unsportsmanlike conduct on third-and-7, Alabama goes for it on fourth-and-22 from its 18-yard line. The Crimson Tide picks up 13 yards on the fourth-down try and turns it over on downs. Tennessee has the ball at the Alabama 27 and will try to run out the clock.
6:22 p.m.: Alabama’s defense forces a three-and-out and will get the ball back for another chance to take the lead with under three minutes left. The Crimson Tide punted on its prior possession, which ended on a third-down sack after a potentially missed offsides call.
Alabama starts at its own 25-yard line with 2:25 left in the game. It has three timeouts, including a two-minute timeout.
6:12 p.m.: Nico Iamaleava hits Chris Brazzell for a 16-yard touchdown on a third-and-5. Tennessee retakes a 21-17 lead with 5:52 remaining. Iamaleava dropped a dime, which Brazzell located well to make the grab and give Tennessee the lead. The play was under review to see if Brazzell maintained control of the ball all the way down, and it stood.
Tennessee’s scoring drive goes seven plays for 54 yards and takes 2:43 off the clock.
6:03 p.m.: James Pearce Jr. and the Tennessee defense force Jalen Milroe to throw it away after scrambling on fourth down and Alabama goes three-and-out. Tennessee starts at its own 46 with 8:35 remaining.
5:58 p.m.: Following a holding penalty that negated a first down, Tennessee is forced to punt from its own 46-yard line on a fourth-and-11. The Vols down the ball inside the Tennessee 5-yard line. Alabama will start the possession at its own 4-yard line with 10:13 remaining in the game.
5:49 p.m.: Justice Haynes scores on a 7-yard touchdown rush to give Alabama a 17-14 lead with 13:56 remaining in the game. Alabama’s scoring drive is six plays for 75 yards and takes 2:04 off the clock.
Both teams are finding explosive plays now in the second half and we could be in for a wild finish.
5:42 p.m.: Both teams appear to find some life on offense in the second half, as Tennessee scores two touchdowns to take the lead. But Alabama is moving the ball better, too.
The Crimson Tide have the ball at the Tennessee 46 and face a second-and-8 when the final quarter starts.
5:40 p.m.: Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson scores his second touchdown of the game and Tennessee takes its first lead at 14-10 with a minute remaining in the third quarter. The drive’s biggest play was a 55-yard pass from Nico Iamaleava to Dont’e Thornton Jr. on a third-and-6.
The scoring drive goes five plays for 75 yards and takes 2:11 off the clock. The Vols have found a flow on offense in the second half.
5:31 p.m.: Alabama’s second drive of the second half stalls out in the red zone, but the Crimson Tide retake the lead on a 35-yard field goal by Graham Nicholson. Alabama leads 10-7 with 3:11 remaining in the third quarter.
The scoring drive goes 10 plays for 58 yards and takes 3:21 off the clock.
5:16 p.m.: Tennessee finally breaks through on a 2-yard touchdown run by running back Dylan Sampson on its second drive of the second half. Sampson opened the drive from the 9-yard line with a 13-yard gain. Nico Iamaleava had a 27-yard rush and a pass interference on Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell set up the scoring chance.
The scoring drive was seven plays for 91 yards and took just 1:54 off the clock for the Vols.
5:11 p.m.: Alabama runs the ball eight times in a row to open the second half but is forced to punt on a fourth-and-2 from its own 48. James Burnip punts it 43 yards to the Tennessee 9-yard line, where the Vols begin their second drive of the second half.
5 p.m.: Tennessee opens its first drive of the second half and has to punt it away following one first down. Deontae Lawson had a big sack on the drive to get the Vols off schedule. Jackson Ross punts the ball for 49 yards and Alabama will start at its own 6-yard line following a holding call.
Here’s a look at the quarterback comparison:
- Jalen Milroe: 15 of 27 passing, 142 yards, one touchdown and one interception
- Nico Iamaleava: 7 of 14 passing, 99 yards, one interception
Some stats of note:
- Total yards: UA 174, UT 143
- Rushing yards: UA 32, UT 44
- Passing yards: UA 142, UT 99
- First downs: UA 12, UT 9
- Time of possession: UA 20:09, UT 9:51
- Penalties: UA 10-73, UT 4-35
- Turnovers (points off turnovers): UA 1 (0), UT 3 (0)
4:38 p.m.: Graham Nicholson’s 54-yard field goal is no good, and it’s another missed opportunity in today’s first half. LT Overton sacks Nico Iamaleava to end the first half. Both teams missed scoring opportunities. Alabama converted a single touchdown on a Jalen Milroe pass to Ryan Williams.
In the first half, Tennessee had seven possessions: three turnovers (two interceptions, one fumble), two missed field goals, a punt, and time running out on the final drive.
Alabama had seven drives as well: four punts, a touchdown, a missed field goal, and an interception.
4:15 p.m.: Max Gilbert misses a 50-yard field goal to try and get Tennessee on the board. It’s his second miss of the first half. The Vols have out-gained Alabama 149-133 but trail 7-0 with 4:06 left in the first half.
4:10 p.m.: Alabama cannot take advantage of a third Tennessee turnover as it goes three-and-out for a second straight drive after a turnover. Tennessee starts at its own 30-yard line following a 50-yard punt.
4:04 p.m.: Quandarrius Robinson hits Nico Iamaleava as he throws the ball, which Jaylen Mbakwe picks off. The Crimson Tide survives another Tennessee scoring drive and starts its next drive from its own 12-yard line.
4 p.m.: Despite great field position following the interception, Alabama goes three-and-out due to a pair of offensive penalties and gives the ball back to Tennessee. Nico Iamaleava re-enters the game for the Vols.
3:56 p.m.: Gaston Moore enters the game for Tennessee at quarterback and throws an interception to Malachi Moore. Moore returns the ball 41 yards to the Tennessee 36-yard line. That’s the second turnover for the Vols in the first half.
3:52 p.m.: Nico Iamaleava is down on the field with an injury following a hit on a pass attempt. After review, it was determined that Iamaleava’s knee hit the ground, and it was ruled a sack and rewarded to Justin Jefferson. Iamaleava walked off the field and went straight to the injury tent.
3:45 p.m.: Alabama strikes first on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Milroe to Ryan Williams, who makes a juggling catch in the end zone. The PAT from Graham Nicholson is good and Alabama leads 7-0 with 13:01 remaining in the first half.
The scoring drive goes eight plays for 64 yards and takes 3:50 off the clock. The Crimson Tide were aided by a pass interference call against Tennessee on a third-and-12.
3:37 p.m.: Shockingly, the first quarter of the top-10 matchup between Tennessee and Alabama was scoreless. Both teams had opportunities, but Jalen Milroe threw an interception in the red zone and the Vols missed a 53-yard field goal.
Alabama will face a third-and-12 from its 47 when the second quarter starts.
3:29 p.m.: Max Gilbert misses a 53-yard field goal attempt to try and give the Vols the lead. The kick goes wide right and was an interesting decision by Tennessee facing a fourth-and-3 from the Alabama 35.
The Crimson Tide starts its next drive from its own 35.
3:23 p.m.: On a second-and-goal from the Tennessee 3-yard line, Jalen Milroe throws an interception to Jermod McCoy, who returns the ball to the Alabama 46-yard line. Bad read and throw from Milroe.
3:18 p.m.: After review, Cole Adams stepped out of bounds at the Alabama 48-yard line, where the Crimson Tide begin its third drive.
3:15 p.m.: Nico Iamaleava overthrows his open target on third-and-10 and Alabama forces a three-and-out on Tennessee’s second drive. Cole Adams returns a punt for 13 yards to the Vols 49-yard line for Alabama’s third drive of the game.
The previous play is under review, as it seems Adams stepped out of bounds near the 41-yard line.
3:09 p.m.: Alabama gets the ball to Tennessee territory in its second drive, but a false start due to the crowd noise helps put the Crimson Tide behind the sticks and stalls out the drive.
James Burnip with a 36-yard punt and Tennessee will begin its second drive from its own 14-yard line.
2:58 p.m.: Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell recovers a fumble from Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson at the Alabama 18-yard line. The Crimson Tide has the ball back as promising Vols drive stalls due to a fumble.
2:55 p.m.: Alabama’s first drive goes three-and-out following a pair of negative runs, a penalty, and an incomplete pass. The Crimson Tide punt it away from its 15-yard line. Tennessee begins its first drive on its own 39 following a 46-yard punt from James Burnip.
2:49 p.m.: Alabama wins the opening coin toss and will receive first. Tennessee will defend the south end zone.
2:29 p.m.: Alabama safety Keon Sabb was listed as a game-time decision for today’s game vs. Tennessee but was warming up with the defense pregame, according to Colin Gay of The Tuscaloosa News. According to the ABC broadcast, the kickoff for Alabama-Tennessee has been pushed back to 3:50 p.m.
1:50 p.m.: Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is stretching and warming up ahead of the Crimson Tide’s game against Tennessee.
1:10 p.m.: The final SEC availability report for the Alabama-Tennessee football game was released. Defensive back Keon Sabb and linebacker Yhonzae Pierre remain game-time decisions.
Read the rest of the report here.
12:45 p.m.: Alabama football has arrived at Neyland Stadium for the 2:30 p.m. CT kick against rival Tennessee.
Noon: Here’s a look at Alabama’s depth chart vs. Tennessee today:
11:45 a.m.: According to The Tuscaloosa News’ Chase Goodbread, nine NFL scouts are at today’s Alabama-Tennessee game. The Baltimore Ravens have two scouts, while the Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, New York Jets and New York Giants each have reps there.
11:30 a.m.: While Nick Saban picked Alabama to beat Tennessee, the rest of the crew was split on the winner of the matchup between the rivals. Here’s a look at the picks from the ‘College GameDay’ crew:
- Desmond Howard: Tennessee
- Nick Saban: Alabama
- Pat McAfee: Tennessee
- Scottie Scheffler: Alabama
- Lee Corso: Alabama
- Kirk Herbstreit: Tennessee
Alabama vs Tennessee time today
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 19
- Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
- Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
The Crimson Tide and Volunteers will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 19, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.
What channel is Alabama vs Tennessee game on today?
The annual rivalry game between Alabama and Tennessee will be broadcast nationally on ABC. Sean McDonough (play-by-play) and Greg McElroy (analyst) will call the game from the booth, while Molly McGrath will serve as the sideline reporter. Streaming options for the game include ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service, and Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.
- Series record: Alabama leads 60-38-8
- Alabama’s last win: 2023 (34-20)
- Tennessee’s last win: 2022 (52-49)
Oregon vs Purdue predictions
Colin Gay, The Tuscaloosa News: Tennessee 35, Alabama 28
“The combination of a raucous Neyland Stadium atmosphere, Dylan Sampson and the Tennessee run game, and the Volunteers’ defense that has become one of the best in the SEC will be too much for the Crimson Tide on Saturday afternoon. While Vanderbilt left Alabama shocked, Tennessee will bring Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide a first true ‘Welcome to the SEC” moment.'”
Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel: Alabama 28, Tennessee 24
“It’s a battle of two teams that haven’t yet put it together this season. Will Tennessee’s offense get right or will Alabama’s defense rise up? I’m betting on the latter as UT’s offense has been a mess in SEC play.
ESPN Analytics: ESPN analytics predict Alabama has a 53.9% chance of beating Tennessee. That gives the Volunteers a 46.1% chance of pulling off the home upset and setting up another field-storming at Neyland Stadium.
Alabama vs Tennessee betting odds
Games lines and odds from BetMGM as of Thursday, Oct. 17:
- Spread: Alabama -3
- Over/under: 56.5
- Moneyline: Alabama (-155) | Tennessee (+130)
Alabama vs Tennessee injury updates
Injury report from Wednesday’s SEC availability release
Alabama
- Out: LB Caden Jones
- Questionable: LB Yhonzae Pierre
- Probable: DB Domani Jackson; WR Kendrick Law; WR Kobe Prentice
Tennessee
- Out: DB Jourdan Thomas; LB Keenan Pili; LB Edwin Spillman
- Questionable: RB Cameron Seldon
- Probable: OL Lance Heard
Alabama football schedule 2024
Here’s a look at Alabama’s schedule in 2024, including available start time and TV channel information:
All times Central
- Saturday, Aug. 31: vs. Western Kentucky (W, 63-0)
- Saturday, Sept. 7: vs. USF (W, 42-16)
- Saturday, Sept. 14: at Wisconsin (W, 42-10)
- Saturday, Sept. 21: BYE
- Saturday, Sept. 28: vs. No. 1 Georgia* (W, 41-34)
- Saturday, Oct. 5: at Vanderbilt* (L, 40-35)
- Saturday, Oct. 12: vs. South Carolina* (W, 27-25)
- Saturday, Oct. 19: at No. 10 Tennessee* | 2:30 p.m. | ABC (Fubo and ESPN+)
- Saturday, Oct. 26: vs. No. 16 Missouri*
- Saturday, Nov. 2: BYE
- Saturday, Nov. 9: at No. 8 LSU*
- Saturday, Nov. 16: vs. Mercer | 1 p.m. | SEC Network+
- Saturday, Nov. 23: at Oklahoma*
- Saturday, Nov. 30: vs. Auburn*
- Record: 5-1, 2-1 SEC
*Denotes SEC game
Tennessee football schedule 2024
Here’s a look at Alabama’s schedule in 2024, including available start time and TV channel information:
All times Central
- Saturday, Aug. 31: vs. Chattanooga (W, 69-3)
- Saturday, Sept. 7: vs. No. 24 NC State (W, 51-10)
- Saturday, Sept. 14: vs. Kent State (W, 71-0)
- Saturday, Sept. 21: at No. 15 Oklahoma* (W, 25-15)
- Saturday, Sept. 28: BYE
- Saturday, Oct. 5: at Arkansas* (L, 19-14)
- Saturday, Oct. 12: vs. Florida* (W, 23-17, OT)
- Saturday, Oct. 19: vs. No. 7 Alabama* | 2:30 p.m. | ABC (Fubo and ESPN+)
- Saturday, Oct. 26: BYE
- Saturday, Nov. 2: vs. Kentucky*
- Saturday, Nov. 9: vs. Mississippi State*
- Saturday, Nov. 16: at No. 4 Georgia*
- Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. UTEP
- Saturday, Nov. 30: at Vanderbilt*
- Record: 5-1, 2-1 SEC
* Denotes SEC game
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