It’s the third Saturday in October, meaning Alabama’s rivals to the northeast, the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers, are coming to Tuscaloosa for a top 20 showdown with the No. 11 Crimson Tide. Here is a preview of some key Volunteer players the Crimson Tide will face.
Joe Milton, QB
One of the more interesting storylines in college football this year has been the inconsistency of Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton.
The fifth-year senior ended the 2022 season on a tear after Tennessee starting QB Hendon Hooker tore his ACL against South Carolina.
Hooker, who started the final two games against LSU and Clemson, totaled 1,048 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. After this astounding stretch of two games, Milton warranted a lot of hype in the offseason, being considered in Heisman talks as he sat in the top 15 on the preseason Heisman odds list.
Michigan transfer Milton has struggled to find consistency thus far in 2023. According to Pro Football Focus, Milton is in the bottom five in passing yards and completion percentage and is the lowest-graded QB out of all current starters in the SEC.
Despite this season’s struggles, Alabama must keep the strong-armed quarterback from finding a rhythm. As shown down the stretch in 2023, Milton is a dangerous player when playing at his peak.
On3 college football analyst JD Pickell said Milton will be the critical factor if the Volunteers want to win.
“If Tennessee is going to win this football game, I think it would be us seeing Joe Milton do something that he has yet to do,” Pickell said. “That is consistently throw the ball downfield and … even in the intermediate game.”
Jaylen Wright, RB
Tennessee’s potent run game, led by running back Jaylen Wright, has been the engine behind its previous two victories.
Against South Carolina and Texas A&M, respectively, Wright has totaled 259 yards with one touchdown, averaging 7.5 yards per carry. The junior from North Carolina has fantastic breakaway speed.
Wright is fourth in the SEC for total rushing yards. According to PFF, Wright has the most 10-plus-yard runs in the country this season with 26.
Tennessee running back coach Jerry Mack said Wright’s mentality is crucial to the player’s success.
“The mindset more than anything else,” said Mack. “Jaylen always ran the ball with a chip on his shoulder. He’s very, very intense, and he prepares very intensely. You can see the reflection of it on the field.”
The entirety of Tennessee’s offensive line
It’s not fair to point out just one player, because Tennessee’s offensive line will have to work as a cohesive unit to shut down Alabama’s dangerous pass rush.
Alabama is in the top 15 in team defense, mainly because of the Crimson Tide’s elite pass rush. According to PFF, Dallas Turner, Chris Braswell and Justin Eboigbe all have charted over 60 pressures.
Tennessee has done a pretty solid job of keeping Milton clean this season, but if Alabama can start to force pressure, it should be pretty simple to fluster the fifth-year senior quarterback.
James Pearce Jr., edge, and Tyler Baron, edge
If Alabama’s pass rush has been great in 2023, Tennessee’s is arguably more impressive.
James Pearce Jr., a sophomore edge hailing from North Carolina, is winning his pass rush reps at a ridiculous rate. According to PFF, Pearce has totaled a 29.5% pass-rush win rate. Pearce ranks second in the SEC for this statistic and 9.4 percentage points ahead of the next-closest player. Pearce has converted 32 of his pressures into seven sacks total. He has also recorded nine tackles for a loss.
Tyler Baron has also enjoyed a productive season. The senior has added 23 more pressures and five sacks to the pass-rushing duo.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said the pass rushers must apply pressure to Alabama’s dynamic quarterback Jalen Milroe.
“You do have to apply pressure to him; you can’t just sit there at the line of scrimmage,” Heupel said. “We’ve got to push the pocket, but we can’t let him escape it either.”
