I think the expression was born at a Vandy game actually.
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The final opportunity for Tennessee fell apart when Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen caused a sack and the ensuing play resulted in another sack, strip, and Crimson Tide recovery to seal the victory. Then he turned it over to Henry.
So long as Freeze and Co. put it together for this stretch run, Ole Miss has its path to Atlanta. The final scoreline wasn’t as pretty as a few Tide fans might have wanted, but given the benefits of a win vs. the staggering fallout from a loss – and that the opponent was Tennessee – there won’t be many complaints.
The Vols (3-4, 1-3) have four losses this season by a combined 17 points.
So what mattered most to Saban was that the Crimson Tide dug deep when it mattered the most and found a way to win 19-14. “Then, when the time comes, that’s when we focus on them”. I thought the strength and conditioning program showed tonight what we’re building and what we’re becoming. This was a tuckered team in need of the upcoming bye week before an even larger game with LSU.
The three missed field-goal attempts by the Vols would have come in mighty handy in this one, but this was no time to place too much weight on a kicker on scholarship, not on the payroll. State broke open the game with 21 points in the second quarter on two Prescott TD passes and a scoring run.
“I expect a matchup between two power football teams”, LSU linebacker Kendell Beckwith said.
“Look, I don’t like losing”, Saban said, “so I’m not real particular how we win”. Henry scored on a 14-yard run with 2:24 left and the eighth-ranked Crimson Tide held on for a 19-14 victory over Tennessee on Saturday with an overpowering finish in a game that was surprisingly close most of the way.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that he is this good this fast-after all, Ridley was the top-rated receiver in the recruiting class of 2015, according to Rivals.com-but his role in Alabama’s offense should only continue to rise.
Medley, who made 20 of 26 field-goal tries as a freshman in 2014, is now 9-of-17 this season, but he’s made just one kick of 40 or more yards on seven tries this season.
Despite those valiant stops, the game-changing drive wasn’t the effort that gave Tennessee the lead, it was the Alabama offense making the plays that determined the outcome.
“Same old Henry”, Jake Coker said about the running back who finished with 143 rushing yards on 27 carries and two touchdowns. The Vols’ dual-threat quarterback has been very effective this season, completing 58 percent of his passes and only throwing two interceptions while also rushing for over 100 yards against both Georgia and Florida.
“It means a lot”, Coker said. “When you make big plays on drives, they usually lead to points”. Anderson jarred the ball loose and A’Shawn Robinson recovered on the second one.
But Alabama responded with an impressive drive of its own, going 71 yards in eight plays, capped by Henry’s touchdown with 2:24 left. “He got a little frustrated with it, but we’re happy to see he’s doing well”. “I might get in trouble for that”.
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Despite another loss that drops the Vols to 3-4, maybe it’s time to start showing renewed faith in coach Butch Jones and Co. “I can’t say enough about BA”, Bielema said. We overcame a lot of adversity today and will keep moving forward. “We just have to pick up the pieces and go back to work”. For his part, Jones said he believes Alabama, riding a four-game winning streak, has been playing “the best football of any team in the country”.
