Tennessee had just scored its first landing on a 47-yard pass from Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano to freshman catcher Jalin Hyatt beaten in the first half.
With consecutive scores, UT followed Alabama No. 2 in points.
What happened next was a fair reminder of the quality of the Alabama offensive.
Quarterback Mac Jones threw deep for open receiver John Metchie, who was given between two defenders and controlled to grab a 45-yard line. The pass and the catch were better.
Alabama on its way to 4 touchdowns in the first half in the direction of a 48-17 win Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium. The victory extended Alabama’s winning streak against UT to 14 games.
The victory also lifted coach Nick Saban’s record to 23-0 against his former assistants. UT third-year coach Jeremy Pruitt, a defensive coordinator in Alabama before taking on the task in Tennessee.
His UT defense seemed powerless opposite the Tide.
Never think That Alabama lost open receiver Jaylen Waddle during the season when he suffered a leg injury on kick-off. Alabama’s offensive dynamics continued to roll, as it has all season with a 5-0 start.
Waddle’s loss may prove significant later, but it did not matter against the 2-3 flights.
Offensive part Najee Harris passed the hard yards and Jones scored UT High School, completing 17 of 22 passes for 297 yards in the first half alone. He finished with 25 full passes in 31 attempts for 387 yards. Unlike his connection to Metchie, maximum of his passes were intended for open receivers.
As productive as the Alabama offensive at the start of the game, it didn’t make a strong enough impression on Pruitt.
Already losing 14-0, the Flights faced a quarter and second of 16 in Alabama when Pruitt decided to throw a basket. Brent Cimaglia’s kick was good, but the flights lost ground.
Then it became clear that you needed touchdowns to stay on the Tide. In addition, Tennessee twice changed the third drive attempt in races through Ty Chandler and Eric Gray.
Despite UT’s tentative approach, its offensive functionality was an improvement over Kentucky. Guarantano made no ball losses and Tennessee ran the ball effectively.
But Tennessee’s defense is so bad that Pruitt probably regretted firing defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh after the Kentucky game. You may have used a defensive guy opposed to Alabama.
In fact, Pruitt coached UT’s defensive front, who fought to advance in opposition to Tide’s talented and experienced offensive line. There is no shame in fighting this group, which is full of long-term NFL players.
Fortunately for Tennessee, Alabama has become more conservative offensively in the middle of the moment. Still, looking to take on the 230-pound Harris is not a smart deal. He entered the finish zone on two of his three landing passes, adding an expired one in the 3rd quarter that extended Alabama’s lead to 42-10.
While Alabama’s attack proves unstoppable, his defense has paintings to do, which was evident when Tennessee ran for 85 yards in just 4 moves to land in the third quarter, topped by a pass from Guarantano to Josh Palmer.
The Alabama offensive has led the way since he began dominating the series with Saban, which has not replaced since Pruitt, a defensive mind, took over.
He now has 0-8 against Alabama, Georgia and Florida, the top 3 vital systems on the UT calendar. Tennessee’s 22 closest tracks opposed to Alabama last season.
If flights advance as opposed to Big 3, this is detectable on the board or through the human eye.
John Adams is a senior columnist. You can be contacted at 865-342-6284 or john. adams@knoxnews. com. Follow him on: twitter. com/johnadamskns.