Instant Analysis: Takeaways from Alabama's rout of Tennessee

The Alabama-Tennessee rivalry has devolved into a one-sided affair.

The 100th meeting between these two arch-enemies followed a script that has become all too familiar to the aggravated folks in Knoxville.

With an iron fist, Alabama crushed the Volunteers, 45-7 at Bryant-Denny Stadium -- playing a brutal brand of defense and power football on offense.

The Tide ran for 272 yards -- 164 more than the entire total it allowed Tennessee to gain Saturday.

But halftime, Alabama led by three touchdowns and was on its way to beating the Volunteers for the 11th straight time.

Defense suppresses Vols' beleaguered offense

Perhaps the most stinging indictment of Butch Jones' run as Tennessee's coach has been revealed in the last few games.

Before Saturday's kickoff, the Volunteers had failed to score a touchdown in their previous ten quarters of action.

Jones, of course, worked his way up the ranks as an assistant who developed units whose main goal was to score points -- overseeing tight ends, running backs and wide receivers at different stops.

At the very least, he should be shepherding a competent offense, capable of cracking the end zone every now and then. But during the first half Saturday, the Volunteers never made it past Alabama's 45-yard line and couldn't even cross the goal line when it took possession at the Tide's five-yard line in the fourth quarter.

Jarrett Guarantano, starting his second game at quarterback, was a cipher. He never posed a threat to the Tide, throwing a series of "look" passes to the edge that were neutralized by the speedy Alabama defenders.

The game plan was a safe one. But it was not a winning strategy. In Tennessee's first seven drives, Alabama forced four three-and-outs.

By the end of the game, the Volunteers managed to accumulate only 108 yards and seven first downs.

It was another exhibition of futility by an offense that is in dire straits and hasn't produced a touchdown in 27 days.

Hurts finishes with a bang

For a good portion of the first half, Alabama struggled to crack Tennessee's defense. There was no shame in that though.

The Volunteers entered Saturday having surrendered only 129.2 passing yards per game -- the second-lowest average in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

They would provide a worthy test for quarterback Jalen Hurts.

And for a good while they did.

In the first 20 minutes of the game, the Tide produced only one touchdown as Hurts performed inconsistently.

He failed to complete a couple of short passes to Calvin Ridley and made an inaccurate throw that was hauled in by freshman Jerry Jeudy during a 19-yard play that extended Alabama's second touchdown drive.

Yet Hurts kept firing.

He threw the ball 17 times in the first half, an unusually-high number for the sophomore. Before Saturday, he averaged 13.2 attempts in the opening two quarters.

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll's strategy defied expectations, considering the Volunteers' strength is their secondary.

But the plan would eventually produce results.

The Tide scored on three consecutive possessions spanning the second and third quarters, turning a close game into a rout.

Hurts had a big hand in that. During the final drive he oversaw, Hurts showed marked improvement. He completed his only four passes of the second half, throwing a 14-yard touchdown strike to tight end Irv Smith Jr. before exiting stage left with the Tide leading 28-0.

His stat line -- 13 of 21 for 198 yards -- didn't jump off the page. But it was seen in a better light after his backup, Tua Tagovailoa, committed a cardinal sin when he threw an errant pass that was intercepted and returned 97 yards for a touchdown by Tennessee linebacker Daniel Bituli.

Hurts has yet to make a mistake as grave as that one in any of his 22 starts.

And that is why he is remains entrenched as the starter.

Eyes on No. 3

It would be hard to imagine what Alabama's passing offense would look like without Calvin Ridley.

Ridley has dominated the stat sheet and is a fixture in the lineup, staying on the field as other wideouts rotate in and out of the game.

Before Saturday, he accounted for 35 percent of the Tide's receiving yards and 33 percent of its catches.

Against Tennessee, Ridley again grabbed the spotlight.

Hurts and Tagovailoa threw his way 12 times. No other receiver had more than five targets.

The decision to channel the offense, in part, through Ridley appeared a wise one.

He paid dividends, leading the team with eight receptions for 82 yards.

Punt returner woes continue

Not everything went according to plan for Alabama.

The Crimson Tide can't seem to find a reliable punt returner.

This week, the Tide turned to Xavian Marks after both Henry Ruggs III and Trevon Diggs had trouble securing the ball in the previous game against Arkansas.

But Marks failed in his 2017 debut.

He muffed one punt and lost a fumble while returning another.

With the bye week approaching, expect Alabama to focus on finding a solution to a problem that has vexed Nick Saban.

Rainer Sabin is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.