Vols fall to Alabama, 45-10, but Dobbs impresses in debut.
TUSCALOOSA—No. 1 Alabama certainly looked like the best team in the country as they rolled to a 45-10 win over the Vols. Justin Worley’s thumb (which he injured last week) clearly bothered him during an ineffective first half, especially after he appeared to re-injure it while tackling an Alabama defensive back who picked off one of his errant throws in the second quarter.
Vol freshman QB Josh Dobbs started the second half and provided a spark offensively. He led the Vols to 10 points and Tennessee’s second half touchdown (on a Rajion Neal carry) was the first TD scored on the Tide defense at home all season. Here are a few notes and observations from today’s game.
*Vol signal caller Justin Worley was largely ineffective. He was 8-15 in the first half and served up two interceptions—one was returned 89 yards for a TD. Worley simply didn’t have much zip on the football. Alabama had 117 interception return yards to his 120 yards passing.
*Joshua Dobbs was impressive in the second half even if his numbers (5-12 for 79 yards, three carries for 19 yards). He was consistently accurate with the football, showed that his arm is SEC-ready, ran the offense effectively, and added a new dimension to the Tennessee attack with his legs. Perhaps more impressive, he was thrust into a hostile environment and remained composed. Will he start against Missouri? That’ll be THE question swirling around the team all week. Jones was noncommittal after the game about the QB situation, but did say Dobbs played well enough to be in the mix as the starter moving forward and that they expect Worley to be able to practice this week.
*Riley Ferguson has been the clear No. 2 for much of the season but did not play today. Jones said it was a “coach’s decision” to play Dobbs over Ferguson. He has been wearing a sleeve on his lower leg this week and was moving gingerly in pre game warmups.
*Marquez North continues to play well. He caught four passes for 87 yards and was the only Vol receiver to have more than two catches.
*Tennessee gained 322 yards against an Alabama defense which had been holding opponents to 275 ypg this season. The Vols gained a majority of their yards under Josh Dobbs’ guidance in the second half (172).
*Rajion Neal carried the bulk of the load on the ground. He had 13 carries for 70 yards with the majority of his production coming on a 43 yard run early in the third quarter.
*It wasn’t a great day for the Vols at the line of scrimmage. Tennessee’s defensive line simply couldn’t put pressure on A.J. McCarron. The Tide rushed for 204 yards on 37 carries (5.5 ypc) and held Tennessee to 127 yards on the ground on 28 carries (4.5 ypc). Neither team recorded a sack.
*McCarron tore up the Vol secondary. He was 19-27 (70%) for 275 yards and 2 TDs. Tennessee’s defensive backs missed multiple tackles and struggled to cover Bama’s speedy receivers downfield.
*Injuries—Vol safety Brian Randolph injured his shoulder in the first half but returned for at least once series. Byron Moore suffered an ankle injury. Jones said they’d know more about the status of each as the week progresses. Moore left the field on crutches with a walking boot on his foot.
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