Alabama
Alabama Football vs Tennessee Preview: Q&A With Rocky Top Talk
In what has been an annual tradition for years now, Terry Lambert from Rocky Top Talk joins us (mostly in peace) once again to talk a little about the Tennessee Volunteers from a fan’s perspective. Hopefully, this is the only time you’ll have to interact with a Vols fan this year – he is one of the best.
While you’re at it, go check out my responses over on their site.
1) Josh Heupel is now in year 4 (my how time flies!), what are your feelings about him now? I know after 2022, he was the best coach ever, but sometimes a taste of achievement makes anything less than that underwhelming. 2023 was a bit of a meh year for the Vols, and after a hot start this season, the last three games have been a struggle (in fact, it’s kind of mirrored Alabama’s season, absent a big win over an overrated* UGA squad). Starting to feel a little bit of discontent?
*yeah, I said it. UGA ain’t it this year.
Admittedly I was not a huge fan of the hire back in 2021, simply based off the regression we saw at UCF. But it’s worked, in large part to his hyper-speed spread offense. People forget just how far down Tennessee was here after Heupel was installed only weeks after the Jeremy Pruitt-McDonald’s-Bag-Of-Money fiasco. It’s important to keep that context in mind when evaluating Heupel.
Going forward, it remains to be seen if he can win big. We have big questions about his ability on the road, which we saw pop up once again against Arkansas. His clock management can be maddening at times, too. Overall though, looking at the big picture, it’s hard to not say Tennessee is on the right track. They’ve got their NIL collective rolling, which is going to net another top ten class. He’s landed five-star quarterbacks in three of the last four cycles.
Heupel has Tennessee back to a perennial nine-win per year program, which was the first step. Getting to that next level is expected now though, and the Tennessee fanbase isn’t exactly a patient bunch. It kinda feels like he needs to beat Alabama or Georgia now to make this season a success. If he does that, Tennessee will be right back in the thick of the CFP picture.
2) Nico Iamaleava. Some, not me, have said he’s the next Trevor Lawrence. Others, which may actually be me, have said that Trevor Lawrence and Iamaleava both run like a giraffe, but that’s the extent of the similarities. What do you think about him? Can he get the Tennessee offense back to Hendon Hooker level eventually, or are there some limitations?
It’s an interesting case. He came out guns blazing, even if it was against inferior opponents. Now you’re seeing some freshman moments pop up. Personally, I don’t really feel like he’s been as bad as the narrative suggests. We’re still talking about a 19-year-old kid making his first starts in the SEC. Did we really expect him to come in and have a full grasp of the offense like Hendon Hooker did back in 2022? That was always unrealistic, but after his hot start, I get the frustration.
One big part of this equation has been the offensive line. Particularly the tackles — they’ve been flat out bad. Almost every time Nico scrambles, they get hit with a holding call. Five-star LSU transfer Lance Heard has been atrocious in pass protection, which has created several blindside hits. He’s dealing with constant pressure and probably seeing some ghosts at this point.
Long story short, he’s a guy with all the tools and still trying to master the offense. But his protection has to get fixed before we get a true snapshot of his upside.
3) Is Dylan Sampson the best running back in the SEC? I’m not sure who I’d even put against him.
Yes, like you said it’s not even close. He’s been really impressive in his development, turning himself into a do-it-all back. He was initially thought of as a homerun hitter, but his vision and toughness in between the tackles is what has set him apart now. Tennessee really leans on him without much depth behind him.
Like Nico, he’s been dealing with some offensive line issues. Tennessee’s rushing attack is the key to everything, and far too often the offensive line has failed to get a push. Sampson has bailed them out several times, but there’s only so much he can do.
4) How’s Miles Kitselman doing? He was an interesting JUCO guy that never would have gotten any real playing time with us, but I liked the way he ran routes back in the JUCO days.
This guy seemingly came out of nowhere, but he’s essentially TE1 for Tennessee now. They’ll use three guys there, but he’s been out-snapping everyone the last few weeks. He was kind of a late take out of the portal, following the higher profile pickup of Holden Staes from Notre Dame. But really since the second game of the season he’s been the main tight end threat in the passing game.
Tennessee doesn’t throw to tight ends a ton, but if they do, Kitselman has turned into the guy.
5) Statistically, Tennessee has arguably the best defense in the country. Where did that come from?? Any chance there’s a weak spot or two that you see that aren’t showing up in the stats yet?
Continuity on the coaching staff, honestly. Tennessee is in year four with this staff and all they’ve had to replace is a linebackers coach. The core of this group has been there since the start, and the staff has been able to build them from the ground up.
Legendary DL coach Rodney Garner is the secret. His defensive line has developed into the best group in the SEC, which is pretty wild to think about considering where Tennessee was just a few years ago. The defensive front rotates about 12 guys, which keeps them fresh even in the fourth quarter. They want to wear offenses down and they’ve been really successful at doing that so far. Defensive coordinator Tim Banks’ aggression is a large piece of this puzzle too — he’s going to come after you for four quarters.
Tennessee has yet to give up more than 17 points all year long. A Josh Heupel team led by defense isn’t something I had on my bingo card, but here we are.
As far as a weakness, senior linebacker Keenan Pili was lost for the season last week to a torn ACL. This shifts responsibility down to two sophomores, Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander. They’ll apparently be sharing the communication helmet this weekend, so we could see some growing pains there.
6) Are there any freshmen getting on the field that you think are going to be an All-American a year and a half from now?
Tennessee notoriously hasn’t played true freshmen under Heupel, but Chattanooga native Boo Carter has found the field. He’s quickly finding a home at the nickel spot and has made several plays so far. He was a guy that most felt was going to be hard to keep off the field following a strong spring, and he’s certainly delivered to this point.
Five-star receiver Mike Matthews has also flashed, but hasn’t really found playing time yet. He’s a guy that could make a big jump quickly, however. I’d expect him to get a couple of drives on Saturday.
7) Okay, what’s the actual injury situation right now? I’ve seen some things saying that your entire WR core is injured, and others saying most everyone is playing. Are there any major pieces not playing in this game?
It was pretty strange after the Arkansas game. Bru McCoy was in a cast and Squirrel White was in a sling. Those in the know painted a pretty grim picture, but then they were both listed as probable last week and both ended up playing. I’m expecting the receivers to be a full strength this weekend, though Squirrel does seem to be paying through pain.
We’ve already touched on the Pili injury. Tennessee also lost starting nickel Jourdan Thomas for the season back in camp. Outside of that, Tennessee is about as healthy as you can ask for at this point.
8) What is a successful season for Tennessee this year? Just make the playoffs? Win a playoff game?
Yeah, so this has probably shifted in the last couple of weeks. Tennessee looked like they were ready to set the world on fire up 19-3 on Oklahoma at halftime. They’ve been flat out bad since that point. Can they rebound? We’re going to find out Saturday.
Success for me would be making the playoff. Doing it with a redshirt freshman quarterback would certainly set up expectations for 2025. I’m not sure you can ask or expect much more at this point.
9) Who do you predict actually wins the SEC?
I mean can you go with anyone other than Texas? I do agree Georgia ain’t it this season. What exactly is Alabama? I think the Tide will probably figure it out, but are they better than Texas? Ole Miss is already dead, LSU? Maybe? Texas A&M vs. LSU in a couple of weeks will tell us a lot.
Ultimately I just don’t think anyone can hang with Texas.
10) and, of course, what’s your game prediction?
I personally can’t get the last two weeks out of my head, and I know ‘Bama has played just as bad. The difference has been that Tennessee has gotten off to painfully slow starts, not scoring a single point in back to back first halves. The defense has stood on its head, and frankly has caught some luck to stay in these games.
As good as this defense is, ‘Bama is going to get theirs. Can the Tennessee offense get going early? That’s the key for me. I don’t think they do.
Alabama 27, Tennessee 20
Two students in Dothan, Alabama were hospitalized Monday when an apparent tornado struck Dothan Preparatory Academy, causing significant damage to the roof of the school’s gymnasium.
Five students were injured when the storm struck just before 12:45 p.m. local time, Dothan fire officials confirmed to USA TODAY. The Montgomery Advisor − a part of the USA TODAY Network − reported that the damage occurred around 1 p.m. local time.
Dothan Fire Department Deputy Chief Chris Etheredge said that the rest of the school, which serves seventh and eighth graders, suffered minor damage. Dothan City Schools Superintendent Dennis Coe said in a statement that the storm also caused damage to PASS Academy and Dothan City Virtual School.
The district, located about 105 miles southeast of Montgomery, confirmed that all students and staff had been accounted for.
Crews are surveying the area east of the school for damage and power is being restored to the area, Etheridge told USA TODAY. The USA TODAY Power Outage Tracker shows that as of 3:30 local time, over 3,100 people in Houston County, where Dothan is located, are without power.
“No doubt: the quick actions taken by staff and students saved lives today and caused few injuries at DPA and the adjacent schools,” Coe said in the statement.
The Dothan Police Department posted on Facebook that the reunification point for parents to pick up their children is Doug Tew Recreation Center.
This is a developing story.
2-seed Alabama men’s basketball fell to 1-seed Duke 85-65 in the Elite Eight on Saturday night. This loss ended the Crimson Tide’s season.
In other words, head coach Nate Oats and Alabama are now turning the page to the offseason as it begins preparations for the 2025-26 season.
BamaCentral is keeping track of the Crimson Tide’s outgoing and incoming players and coaches right here ahead of next season.
This article will constantly be updated when changes to the roster and staff occur.
Mark Sears
Sears became the Crimson Tide’s first-ever consensus First Team All-American after yet another stellar season averaging team-highs of 18.6 points and 5.1 assists. Sears was also named a Preseason All-American by the Associated Press a few months ago, and now he’s exceeded those extremely high expectations. Division I’s active leading scorer is also a Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year finalist and Naismith Trophy semifinalist as he eyes an NBA future.
Chris Youngblood
The guard transferred out of South Florida after being named the American Athletic Conference’s Player of the Year. However, he suffered a foot injury over the summer, which forced him to make his Alabama debut against Creighton in the 10th game of the season. But the sharpshooter had several big-time performances with the Crimson Tide while averaging 10.3 points per game.
Grant Nelson
The forward played in all 37 games but dealt with injuries throughout the season. Like Sears, Nelson played a pivotal role throughout the Crimson Tide’s Final Four run and he stood out among Alabama once again. Nelson averaged 11.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks and Oats believes “he’s a skilled big that NBA teams want” but might have to sign a two-way contract for a shot.
Clifford Omoruyi
In an effort to increase its defensive presence in the paint––one of its main weaknesses last season––Alabama added Rutgers 6-foot-11 big man Clifford Omoruyi out of the transfer portal this past offseason. Omoruyi averaged 7.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks with the Crimson Tide with NBA Draft hopes.
Labaron Philon
Philon has become a household name over the course of the season and his three SEC Freshman of the Week honors reflect that. He has been given expectations by analysts to be a one-and-done player and enter the 2025 NBA Draft, but Philon said after the Duke loss that he didn’t know if he’ll enter the draft or return and he’ll “talk to the coaches and program first.” He finished his freshman season averaging 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a Crimson Tide-best 1.3 steals per game.
Naas Cunningham
The freshman was one of Alabama’s two players to redshirt during the 2024-25 season. His height helps him shoot over defenders, but weight was a question mark as Oats believed there was a lack of aggressiveness before the season. That said, Oats pointed out before the season that “There’s days that he looks like he should be in the NBA but he just has to be a little more consistent.”
Mouhamed Dioubate
No one on Alabama won the Hard Hat more times this season than forward Mouhamed Dioubate. According to Oats, earlier in the season, the Crimson Tide’s top bench frontcourt member was the only player in Division I who had 110 rebounds in less than 310 minutes. In just 16 minutes per game, Dioubate averaged 7.2 points, 5.9 rebounds (1.9 offensive), 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks.
Aden Holloway
The sophomore guard transferred from Iron Bowl rival Auburn this past offseason knowing the risks of leaving a premier program as a starter. He gained the Crimson Tide’s sixth-man role and was the main offensive contributor off the bench due to his three-point shooting. In 21 minutes per game, Holloway averaged 11.4 points on 41.2 percent from deep.
Houston Mallette
The graduate guard initially joined Cunningham as the other Alabama redshirt, but that changed once guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. ruptured his Achilles on Nov. 30. Mallette filled Wrightsell’s spot on the roster, but was back on the redshirt after six games due to lingering knee injuries.
Derrion Reid
The McDonald’s All-American dealt with a hamstring injury for a good chunk of the season as the freshman missed 13 total games. Reid aims for to utilize his renowned athleticism and defense a bit more ahead of his sophomore year as he averaged 6.0 points in 14 minutes per game this season.
Jarin Stevenson
Stevenson was the most brought-up name when Oats and the Crimson Tide were asked before the season started who was the most improved player. While he had seven games of 10-plus points this season, he only averaged 5.4. Nevertheless, the sophomore was the age of a freshman this season as he re-classed prior to 2023-24, meaning he has plenty more time to develop.
Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
As previously stated, Wrightsell ruptured his Achilles early in the season and unofficially received a medical redshirt. The graduate guard started several games during the 2023-24 Final Four season and his elite shooting from deep played a pivotal role in the Crimson Tide’s historic success.
N/A
Ryan Pannone
On March 29, Alabama basketball assistant Ryan Pannone was finalizing a deal to become the head coach at Arkansas State. Pannone will be replacing former Oats assistant Bryan Hodgson, who took the head coaching job at South Florida.
N/A
Amari Allen
Amari Allen, a 6-foot-7, 180-pound elite wing talent in the 2025 class, announced on Nov. 13 that he officially signed with Alabama, becoming the first member of the class to do so. Allen is the No. 2 ranked player in the state of Wisconsin, and the 13th ranked small forward in the nation.
“Amari is an elite wing that has the ability to play multiple positions due to his size, IQ and high skill level,” Oats said in a press release. “Over the summer Amari proved to be an efficient scorer, shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the free-throw line and is a great fit for our style of play, in a modern era of college basketball.”
London Jemison
The 6-foot-8, 195-pounder out of St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Conn. committed to the Crimson Tide on Sept. 22. At the time of his commitment, he was ranked as the consensus No. 38 prospect in the nation, the No. 9 power forward and the top-ranked player in the state of Connecticut, per On3 Recruiting.
“London is a combination of great size at 6’8″ and his IQ for the game is elite,” Oats said in the press release. “Throughout our time recruiting London, he possessed one of the best shot charts we have ever seen. His talent and size aside, he is known as a proven winner and fits the mold of how we are trying to play.”
Davion Hannah
Consensus 4-star shooting guard Davion Hannah from the Link Academy in Branson, Mo., announced his commitment to Alabama on Nov. 15. The 6-foot-5, 175-pounder transferred to Link Academy in June of ahead of his senior season of basketball.
“Davion possesses elite athleticism that is showcased in the open court and has great size, giving him the chance to play a multitude of positions,” Oats said in the press release. “At 6’6″ with a 6’10” wingspan, he fits the mold of how we are trying to play just like the other guys we have brought in.”
The No. 9 Oklahoma baseball team just needed one more two-run inning to give themselves a chance.
It didn’t happen.
Instead, OU fell to No. 11 Alabama in the third game of a three-game series on Sunday, 8-6, allowing the Crimson Tide to take the set and push themselves a game in front of Oklahoma in the Southeastern Conference standings.
The series loss, Oklahoma’s first in league play since joining the SEC, nearly ended up a series win after a furious rally. OU trailed 8-2 entering the seventh inning when its bats came alive. Kyle Branch scored on a fielder’s choice and Brayden Horton hit an RBI single to pull two runs back. In the eighth, Dayton Tockey smacked a two-run home run to make things interesting.
Then the rain hit – for the second time – and the game was put on hold for about a half-hour. But with the rain leaving, so did the Sooners bats. Alabama closer Carson Ozmer retired Dasan Harris, Jason Walk and Horon in order to finish off the Tide victory.
The Sooners rued their missed opportunities. OU left two runners in scoring position in the first inning and another two in scoring position in the eighth. They also committed two errors in Alabama’s three-run fourth inning.
Meanwhile, Alabama jumped on Oklahoma starter Malachi Witherspoon. He was tagged for all eight runs – though just five earned – on seven hits, a walk and three hit batters in five innings. OU’s bullpen gave up just two more baserunners over the final three innings, but it was too late.
In addition to Hockey’s home run, Jason Walk also went yard. His inside-the-park home run in the fifth inning made the game 8-2. He finished 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs. Jaxon Willits and Sam Christiansen each went 2 for 4 with a run, while Willits added an RBI and a stolen base.
Oklahoma is back on the field at in Tuesday in Frisco, Texas, for a one-off game against former Big 12 rival Texas Tech. SEC play picks back up Thursday through Saturday at L. Dale Mitchell Park against LSU.
Tuberculosis case confirmed at Waukegan High School in Northern Illinois
Weather Forecast and Conditions for Iowa City, IA – The Weather Channel | Weather.com
State pays inmate $4,000 for alleged failures to protect him from several gangs
Brown: Pat Kelsey, Mark Pope have some building blocks. But more assembly will be required
From Louisiana to Pennsylvania, Tracing Plastics Pollution Back to Its Source – Inside Climate News
-
Movie Reviews1 week agoFilm Review: Rachel Zegler is the Best Part of an Otherwise Dull Remake of ‘Snow White’ – Awards Radar
-
Education1 week agoICE Tells a Cornell Student Activist to Turn Himself In
-
Politics1 week agoEXCLUSIVE: Groundbreaking new prayer book designed for demographic most targeted for abortion
-
News1 week agoShooting at Park in New Mexico Leaves at At Least 3 Dead and 16 Injured
-
News6 days agoTrump Is Trying to Gain More Power Over Elections. Is His Effort Legal?
-
News7 days agoWashington Bends to RFK Jr.’s ‘MAHA’ Agenda on Measles, Baby Formula and French Fries
-
News1 week agoDismantling the Department of Education will strip resources from disabled children, parents and advocates say | CNN
-
News1 week agoLeft-Wing Democrats Wait on AOC’s Decision as They Look to 2028 Election