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The Tuscaloosa News
Alabama football vs Tennessee: Score prediction, scouting report, betting odds
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- Alabama football vs Tennessee: Score prediction, scouting report, betting odds
Saturday may be Kalen DeBoer's first experience with the Alabama football-Tennessee rivalry .
But in the days leading up to kickoff between the Crimson Tide and the Volunteers , he's doing everything can to prepare "so that people can celebrate and enjoy the rivalry on our end.
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"A lot of respect for Tennessee , their coaches, their players," DeBoer said. "But we're just pouring into the things we can control, what we can focus and want to bring that joy to not just the hard work we put in personally and within this team but also so our fan base can enjoy it, as well."
Alabama kicks off against Tennessee at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday from Neyland Stadium on ABC.
Here's our scouting report of the Volunteers and how they stack up with the Crimson Tide along with an Alabama-Tennessee score prediction.
Tennessee football players to know
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RB Dylan Sampson : No defense has really been able to stop Dylan Sampson . The Tennessee running back has eclipsed 100 yards rushing and multiple rushing scores in five of six games in 2024. He's the centerpiece of the Volunteers offense, one that will be given 20-plus touches regardless of his yards-per-carry. Facing an Alabama defense that has struggled in defending long, drawn-out drives, Sampson could be the Crimson Tide 's worst nightmare.
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DE James Pearce Jr.: The Tennessee defensive end seems to be heating up production in conference play. The SEC's sack leader in 2023 has two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss in three conference games, along with 18 tackles, a pass deflection, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Alabama couldn't stop Kyle Kennard against South Carolina . It will need to stop Pearce to find success Saturday.
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QB Nico Iamaleava : SEC play has been difficult for Nico Iamaleava . The redshirt freshman quarterback has been sacked 10 times in three games, has completed 60.5% of his pass attempts for an average of nearly 174 yards passing, and thrown only one touchdown. Iamaleava has the best run game in the SEC at his disposal. But the former five-star quarterback will have his time to try and perform against a takeaway-friendly Alabama defense.
Alabama football vs Tennessee history
Alabama has dominated its recent history against Tennessee. The Crimson Tide have won 16 of its past 17 meetings with the Volunteers, including a 34-20 win in Tuscaloosa in 2023. From 1995-2006, Tennessee won 10 of 12 against Alabama, including the Volunteers' most recent win at Bryant-Denny Stadium: a 35-24 win Oct. 21, 2001.
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Alabama leads the overall series against Tennessee 59-39-7.
How Alabama-Tennessee stack up on offense
Third down conversion percentage
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Alabama:46.4% (No. 29 nationally)
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Tennessee:44.7% (No. 41)
Passing offense
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Alabama:263.2 yards passing per game (No. 36)
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Tennessee:238.3 yards passing per game (No. 61)
Red zone offense
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Alabama:83.3% (No. 80 - tied)
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Tennessee:90% (No. 39 -tied)
Rushing offense
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Alabama:179.2 yards rushing per game (No. 51)
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Tennessee:246.2 yards rushing per game (No. 7)
Sacks allowed
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Alabama:2 sacks per game (No. 72 - tied)
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Tennessee:2.17 sacks per game (No. 81 - tied)
Scoring offense
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Alabama:41.7 points per game (No. 10)
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Tennessee:42.2 points per game (No. 9)
Total offense
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Alabama:442.3 yards per game (No. 35)
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Tennessee:484.5 yards per game (No. 9)
How Alabama-Tennessee stack up on defense
Third down defense
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Alabama:31.2% (No. 23 - tied)
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Tennessee:24.1% (No. 2)
Passing yards allowed
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Alabama:213.3 yards passing per game (No. 63 - tied)
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Tennessee:170.2 yards passing per game (No. 19)
Red zone defense
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Alabama:83.3% (No. 64 - tied)
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Tennessee:63.2% (No. 6)
Rushing defense
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Alabama:129.2 yards rushing per game (No. 55 - tied)
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Tennessee:79.7 yards rushing per game (No. 5)
Sacks
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Alabama:2.33 sacks per game (No. 36 - tied)
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Tennessee:2 sacks per game (No. 61 - tied)
Scoring defense
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Alabama:20.83 points per game (No. 42 - tied)
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Tennessee:10.67 points per game (No. 4)
Total defense
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Alabama:342.5 yards per game (No. 55)
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Tennessee:249.8 yards per game (No. 2)
Alabama vs Tennessee spread
Note: Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday, Oct. 16
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Spread: Alabama -3
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O/U: 56.5 points
Alabama vs Tennessee score prediction
No. 10 Tennessee 35, No. 7 Alabama 28: The combination of a raucous Neyland Stadium atmosphere, Dylan Sampson and the Tennessee run game, and the Volunteers' defense that has become one of the best in the SEC will be too much for the Crimson Tide on Saturday afternoon. While Vanderbilt left Alabama shocked, Tennessee will bring Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide a first true "Welcome to the SEC" moment.
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Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football vs Tennessee: Score prediction, scouting report
