Jalen Milroe passed for two touchdowns, Jihaad Campbell returned a fumble for a score and No. 11 Alabama overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to record a 34-20 victory over No. 17 Tennessee in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Jase McClellan rushed for 115 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries to help the Crimson Tide (7-1, 5-0 SEC) win their sixth consecutive game. Isaiah Bond and Jermaine Burton caught scoring passes and Chris Braswell had two sacks for Alabama, which scored 27 unanswered points in the second half.
Joe Milton III was 28-of-41 passing for 271 yards and two touchdowns and added 59 rushing yards for Tennessee (5-2, 2-2), which had a three-game winning streak halted. Squirrel White had 10 receptions for 111 yards and one touchdown and McCallan Castles also had a scoring catch for the Volunteers.
Alabama has won 16 of the past 17 meetings with Tennessee.
Milroe completed 14 of 21 passes for 220 yards and an interception. The Crimson Tide defense stopped Tennessee on three fourth-down opportunities.
The Volunteers have lost 10 straight games at Tuscaloosa.
McClellan began the third quarter with a 29-yard run and Milroe followed with a 46-yard touchdown pass to Bond to bring the Crimson Tide within 20-14.
Will Reichard kicked a 42-yard field goal with 8:33 left in the third to make it a three-point game. McClellan later scored on a 5-yard run to give Alabama its first lead — 24-20 with 3:42 left in the period.
Reichard tacked on a 50-yard field goal to make it a seven-point margin with 8:17 left in the game. That stretched his streak of consecutive makes to 28.
On Tennessee’s next possession, Braswell rushed in to sack Milton and force a fumble. Campbell picked up the ball and raced 24 yards for a touchdown to give the Crimson Tide a 34-20 lead with 7:26 remaining.
Tennessee outgained Alabama 187-36 in the opening quarter while taking a 13-0 lead.
The Volunteers opened the game with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by White’s spectacular 39-yard TD grab.
Charles Campbell kicked field goals of 24 and 26 yards later in the period for the Volunteers. The second was set up by a strip-sack from James Pearce Jr., with Omarr Lott recovering Milroe’s fumble at the Alabama 23.
The Crimson Tide got on the board when Milroe threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Burton with 7:05 left in the second quarter. Tennessee restored the lead to 13 when Milton tossed a 6-yard scoring pass to Castles with 12 seconds remaining in the first half.
–Field Level Media