Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel
USATSI

Tennessee's normally stoic football coach Josh Heupel emerged to a podium inside Neyland Stadium sporting a soft grin and let out a "How about that, man?" just a few minutes after the Volunteers closed out a 20-13 win over Texas A&M last Saturday. "Wow, I haven't been involved in one like that in a long time," he said.

One year after Heupel's offense topped the charts nationally by averaging 525.5 yards per game, this new version of Tennessee showed a different side of itself in securing a rugged SEC victory over the Aggies with a mere 100 yards passing. It was Tennessee's first win in three seasons under Heupel in which the Vols failed to reach 30 points and Heupel's first such victory in his six seasons as a head coach.

It's against that backdrop that the No. 17 Volunteers head to No. 11 Alabama for an SEC cross-division showdown (3:30 p.m. ET on CBS) that should bear no resemblance to last year's thriller between the historic rivals.

Tennessee prevailed in a 52-49 classic over Alabama last season in a game during which the teams combined for 1,136 yards and 61 first downs, thanks largely to their elite passing attacks. As they prepare to meet one year later, the point total at Caesar's Sportsbook is set at just 48.5 points -- a half-point less than the amount produced by last year's losing team.

The stunning contrast between last season's high-flying shootout and this week's presumed defensive battle between the Crimson Tide and Volunteers is the result of a drop-off in quarterback play that is requiring both teams to undergo dramatic philosophical shifts. Tennessee's Hendon Hooker ranked No. 2 nationally in passing efficiency last season while Alabama's Bryce Young ranked No. 8. As a result, both teams ranked in the top-20 nationally in passing offense at season's end.

Entering Saturday's rematch, however, the Volunteers rank 87th in passing offense with quarterback Joe Milton at the helm while the Crimson Tide rank 81st under the direction of quarterback Jalen Milroe.

"I don't see Joe a whole lot different than what we played against in the past when Hooker was there," Alabama coach Nick Saban said this week.

Still, the numbers tell another story. 

Joe Milton's deep problem

Hooker connected on 37 passes that resulted in gains of more than 20 yards last season through 11 games, good for an average of 3.4 per game. Milton has completed just eight passes totaling more than 20 yards -- an average of 1.3 per game -- and is coming off an 11-of-22 performance against Texas A&M. He completed just one pass covering more than 15 yards in the win over the Aggies.

Included in Hooker's prolific total last season were touchdown passes to now-departed receiver Jalin Hyatt that covered 36, 60 and 78 yards against Alabama. While plenty is made of Milton's arm strength, a trait that should theoretically allow the Volunteers to replicate some of last season's vertical passing success, he is just 8 of 35 (22.9%) on attempts traveling more than 20 yards through the air. According to TruMedia data, 50 of Milton's 112 completions have come at or behind the line of scrimmage while another 40 have come on passes traveling less than 10 yards downfield.

By contrast, Hooker finished last season 30 of 68 (44.1%) on passes of 20 or more air yards, completing such throws at nearly twice the rate of Milton. Of course, Milton isn't the only culprit. Amid the departures of Hyatt to the New York Giants, Cedric Tillman to the Cleveland Browns and the loss of Bru McCoy for the season due to injury, the Volunteers are operating without their top three receivers from last season. Amid the changes in personnel at receiver, the Vols have struggled with drops and timing on routes.

"We've had guys open and we haven't hit them," Heupel said. "Communication's been off at times. We've just got to be a little bit better. It wasn't pretty on Saturday. I'll be the first to admit that, but it's not that far off either. We've got to do ordinary things at a really high level."

Jalen Milroe's short problem

Hitting big plays isn't the problem for Milroe, who is a stunning 19 of 31 (61.3%) on passes of 20 or more air yards, including an impressive 7 of 15 on throws of 40 or more yards. Where the redshirt sophomore struggles is in the short and intermediate passing game.

Milroe is just 16 of 31 (51.6%) on throws between 10 and 20 yards and a pedestrian 37 of 47 (78.7%) on throws 0-10 yards past the line of scrimmage. That lack of consistency has turned Alabama's offense into something of a feast-or-famine attack.

In last week's uncomfortably close 24-21 win against a struggling Arkansas team, Milroe hit touchdown passes of 79 and 29 yards in the first half. Then, in the second half, he fired eight straight incompletions. That stretch corresponded with with three straight three-and-outs for the Crimson Tide and a pair of long Arkansas touchdown drives as the Razorbacks clawed their way back into the game.

While Milroe's success on deep shots has helped him reach No. 2 in the league in yards per attempt (10.6) and No. 2 in passing efficiency behind only LSU's Jayden Daniels, Alabama coach Nick Saban is encouraging Milroe to think of himself as a point guard in basketball as the Crimson Tide seek more consistency.

"I think that it's just something that I thought would be apropos for Jalen in terms of his thought process of how important it is for him to execute and not think that he has to make every play, but that distributing the ball in the right place is actually making plays," Saban said. "And the whole idea is to play winning football at your position, and making good choices and decisions is probably the key to the drill there, much like a point guard in basketball. It's not something I've used in the past, but I do think it's sort of something that resonated with him that's helped him grow and develop at the position."

Getting by in other ways

Improved defense has helped both teams cope with the downgrade in quarterback play. Alabama ranks 15th nationally in yards allowed per play at 4.47 while Tennessee is 10th, allowing 4.41 yards per play. Both rank top 20 in total defense, which is particularly noteworthy in Tennessee's case since the Volunteers ranked 90th in total defense last year. Alabama ranked a solid 12th in total defense in 2022 and has improved its pass rush in 2023, ranking fourth nationally in sacks per game at 3.71.

Tennessee ranks third in the same category with an average of four sacks per game, creating yet another element that could work against the passing games of both teams on Saturday. In Tennessee's case, the running game has emerged as the team's identity. The Volunteers rank sixth nationally in yards per game rushing at 231.3. Tennessee validated the legitimacy of its ground attack in the win over Texas A&M, rushing for 232 yards against an Aggies defense that limited Alabama running backs Roydell Williams and Jase McClellan to just 54 yards on 18 carries the week before.

"They play with great tempo on offense, which is challenging for the defense, but their ability to run the ball and create balance has been pretty phenomenal this year," Saban said. "I mean, they run it for like 230, pass it for like 210, whatever, and that kind of balance is always something that is difficult."

While Alabama's rushing offense ranks just 71st nationally, the Crimson Tide have made gains in other areas to help atone for one of the most pedestrian offenses of Saban's 17-year tenure. Fifth-year kicker Will Reichard is 13 for 13 on field goals, and James Burnip ranks No. 3 nationally in yards per punt at 48.9.

The Crimson Tide have also proven more opportunistic defensively after finishing last season ranked 13th in the SEC with just 14 takeaways and with a -2 turnover margin for the year. This year's group has already matched last year's Alabama defense with seven interceptions, and the Crimson Tide have a +3 turnover margin as a result.