SEC Network analysts break down what went wrong for Alabama defense vs. Tennessee

Alabama beat Tennessee, 52-24, this past Saturday night. But it wasn’t a perfect game for the Crimson Tide. In fact, there were plenty of issues that contributed to the Vols trailing by only 7 points heading into the fourth quarter.

Among Alabama’s woes were a few defensive breakdowns. Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker had 3 touchdown passes, and 2 of them were for 57 and 70 yards. The Crimson Tide dominated the time of possession, but they couldn’t put away the Vols until late because of those big plays.

On SEC Network’s “Thinking Out Loud” this week, Spencer Hall brought up the fact that Alabama’s defense made plenty of mistakes against Tennessee. His co-host, Richard Johnson, then delved further into those issues.

“What this sets up is, I think, a theme we’re seeing with this Alabama team this year — they are not a finished product. And that’s OK — to a point,” Johnson said on the show. “It’s OK because they’re still good enough to finish the drill. Again, 52-24, 28 points in the fourth quarter, they got the job done. But as far as being a complete product right now, they’re not there.”

Here’s the full segment in which Hall and Johnson break down the Crimson Tide’s defensive efforts:

Technique lapses, poor alignment, not being ready for the snap? Mistakes from Alabama are a theme right now. pic.twitter.com/pihQI6pVnZ

— Richard??Johnson (human) (@RJ_cfb) October 26, 2021

After a bye week, Alabama’s defense will look for a better showing when it takes on LSU on Nov. 6.

Jake Rill

Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.