University of Tennessee Athletics
Vol Defense Steps Up Against Alabama
October 24, 2015 | Football
By Brian Rice
UTSports.com
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Tennessee's defense had perhaps its most complete performance of the season against Alabama, limiting the Crimson Tide to 19 points and just 117 yards rushing.
The Volunteers sacked Alabama quarterback Jake Coker five times, by far the most sacks by an Alabama opponent this season. Wisconsin, Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas each had two sacks against the Tide. It was the most surrendered by Alabama since the 2013 season, when Oklahoma recorded seven in the Sugar Bowl.
The fives sacks was the highest total for a Tennessee team against Alabama since recording five in Tuscaloosa in 2005.
"We were able to generate a pass rush with four down linemen and that was great," Jones said. "Our front seven stepped up and did some very good things. Five sacks, 10 tackles for loss, that's a pretty good game."
Two of those sacks came from defensive lineman Corey Vereen, the first multi-sack game of his career. Vereen had five total tackles on the afternoon.
"We need to continue to get that production from Corey," Jones said. "I thought he had great get-off of the ball. You talk about `My All' and we have a lot of guys giving their all right now."
The performance took a little pressure off of Tennessee's linebackers, one of whom was proud to see the efforts of the junior pay off.
"That's what I expect from Vereen," Jalen Reeves-Maybin said. "He can get after the passer as much as anybody. To see all of his hard work and diligence pay off tonight with a couple of sacks was a great thing.
Reeves-Maybin had an impressive night as well. He led the Volunteers with 11 tackles and a sack. It was the fourth time this season he finished with double digits in tackles. The sack was his fourth of the season.
Derek Barnett recorded his third sack of the season on UA's Coker in the second quarter.
The opening drive for the Crimson Tide was quick and efficient, although not an indication of what was to come. After the Vols missed a field goal on the game's first possession, Alabama marched down the field with a nine-play, 75-yard drive to take an early 7-0 lead.
But after that drive, Tennessee's defense did not allow another point in the first half.
"We made adjustments and saw what they were trying to do to us," safety Brian Randolph said. "We had a great game plan and we have smart players that can adjust the game plan to what they were trying to do."
One of those adjustments put Randolph in position for his first interception of the season, a sliding pick of Coker in the second quarter. It was the seventh of Randolph's UT career, the first since Vanderbilt last season.
The defensive numbers, impressive as they were, still had Tennessee five points short in the attempt to break an Alabama streak in the series that began in 2007. But Randolph felt the Vols saw plenty to continue to build on headed into the final five games of the season.
"We still have a lot of things to look forward to," Randolph said. "We have five games left and we're not going to let Alabama beat us twice."
