Josh Heupel explains his decision to go for it on fourth downs in loss at Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Josh Heupel liked the personnel he saw across the line of scrimmage. So on fourth-and-1 at the 47-yard line, his Tennessee team clinging to a 20-17 lead on the road against Alabama, the head coach decided to go for it.

The momentum had already flipped drastically toward the home team after 10 quick points had cut the deficit to three. And the momentum stayed there after the Crimson Tide stuffed sophomore running back Dylan Sampson on a run up the middle. 

“Fourth and less than one,” Heupel said during his postgame press conference, “(had) given up a score on the previous one and felt like we had an opportunity to pick it up. Obviously didn’t (get it). Gave them short field. They took advantage of (it).”

Alabama took advantage of it by going 47 yards the other way, with Jase McClellan running for the go-ahead touchdown from five yards out. The Tide never slowed down in the second half, erasing the 17-point halftime deficit with 27 unanswered points after halftime, winning 34-20 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Vols finished 0-3 on fourth-down attempts in loss at Alabama

Tennessee (5-2, 2-2 SEC) finished 0-for-3 on fourth down after going 0-for-2 in the 20-13 win over Texas A&M last week at Neyland Stadium. The Vols, who entered the game ranked 120th nationally in fourth-down conversion rate, are now 3-for-13 on fourth down this season.

There was a desperation attempt on fourth-and-10 at the Alabama 14 with two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Tennessee trailing by two touchdowns. Joe Milton threw incomplete on a pass intended for Squirrel White.

In the second quarter, the Vols leading 13-7 with the ball at the Tennessee 34-yard line, Heupel opted to go for it on fourth-and-1, with Milton stopped for no gain. The defense bailed the Vols out with Jaylen McCollough’s interception in the end zone.

“I just felt like the scheme, based on the personnel that they had out there,” Heupel said of the fourth-down decisions, “that we had a good play. Obviously didn’t pick that one up either.” 

“It’s a read off the edge,” Heupel said, when asked went wrong on the fourth-down attempts, “felt like it was condensed, didn’t get it going around the edge.”

Tennessee’s 20-7 lead at halftime was the biggest for the Vols on the road in the Third Saturday in October rivalry since the 21-7 win at Alabama in 1999. 

After scoring on four of seven drives in the first half — two Milton touchdown passes and two Charles Campbell field goals — Tennessee was shutout on seven drives during the third and fourth quarters: Punt, turnover on downs, punt, fumble, punt, turnover on downs, end of game.

Alabama returned the fumble — a strip sack of Milton — for a touchdown, extending the lead to two touchdowns with 7:26 left in the fourth. 

Up Next: No. 17 Tennessee at Kentucky, Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

The Tide started the second half with a two-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to get back within one possession. Tennessee’s following possession started on its own 4-yard line after the Vols were penalized for signaling for a fair catch on the ensuing kickoff, then attempting to return the kick.

“They came out, hit one split zone on us, end up getting seven,” Heupel said of Alabama’s 46-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the second half. “We get called for signaling fair catch from a front line on the sky kick, ball gets placed at the four. You’re in a tough situation coming out, don’t pick it up. They get an opportunity and go get some more points. 

“At the end of the day, our guys didn’t stop competing. We weren’t smart enough. We weren’t good enough, starting with me and in the second half.”

Milton finished the game 28-for-41 for 271 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 16 of 22 attempts for 175 yards with touchdowns in the first half, while running for 43 yards on eight carries. He finished the game with 59 yards on 15 carries. 

Tennessee had 133 yards on 38 rush attempts as a team, nearly 100 yards below the Vols’ season average. White in the first half had eight catches for 105 yards, including the toe-tapping 39-yard touchdown catch to open the scoring, but in the second half had just two catches for six yards.

“We didn’t reset,” Heupel said of the failures in the second half, “refocus and make enough plays in the second half. End result.”