Skip to main content
tennessee logo

Rocky Top Roundtable: Alabama

On3 imageby:Austin Price•10/18/23•

AustinPriceless

IMG_8024

Tennessee is back on the road the next two weeks and it starts Saturday with their tilt with the Crimson Tide of Alabama. It’s a matchup that Alabama will definitely be up for.

“You can bet this one isn’t going to be 52-49 either,” Brent Hubbs said. “This will be a hostile environment and the first thing you have to ask is where is Tennessee’s ability to communicate and handle the road environment. Cooper Mays is back and that should help them. They didn’t handle it well in Athens, Georgia last year. How do they handle this road environment on Saturday night?”

So what kind of Joe Milton will we see Saturday? It’s been a hotly debated topic all week as Tennessee looks for answers in their passing game.

“He has to play better is the bottom line,” Hubbs said. “The whole passing game has to be better. First and foremost you have to protect the football. Particularly in the red zone you can’t walk out of there without points particularly a game you think will be low scoring.”

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has completed 85 of 132 passes (64.4%) for 1,397 yards, with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. He’s rushed 68 times for 139 yards and has five touchdowns on the ground. Containing him and eliminating the deep ball will be one of the keys to the game.

“We talk about it all day the time, it’s all tied in,” Eric Cain said. “This defensive front is really good this year and that secondary has been playing so much better.”

Tennessee’s 52-49 win over Alabama at Neyland Stadium last season snapped a 15-game winning streak for the Crimson Tide in the Third Saturday in October rivalry. Alabama has a 58-39-7 edge in the series, dating back to 1901.

Tennessee at Alabama: How To Watch

Kickoff Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium (101,821)

TV: CBS

Streaming: Paramount+

The Line: Alabama -10.0

Radio: WIVK-FM 107.7 and WNML-FM 99.1 in Knoxville. The Vol Network radio broadcast (Bob Kesling – play-by-play – PatRyan, analyst – Brent Hubbs, analyst – JaysonSwain sideline) can be heard on local affiliates across the state of Tennessee.

You may also like