Aside from a few dropped passes, Tua Tagovailoa did not have many signs of discomfort in the first half against Tennessee. While the sophomore moved to fourth all-time with 24 touchdown passes in a single-season, junior running back Josh Jacobs was responsible for establishing a physical tone. Alabama’s swiss army knife led the team in rushing with 64 yards and two scores.
Jacobs started today’s matchup against Tennessee with a 42-yard kickoff return, which set up the Crimson Tide for a 58-yard drive (nine plays) that ended on a 11-yard touchdown pass from Tagovailoa to Jerry Jeudy. His toughness sparked the offensive line to protect Tagovailoa, and even rubbed off on Alabama’s defense.