The Tennessee Volunteers upset rival Alabama 26-10 in Neyland Stadium on Saturday night. This victory marks the Volunteers' third win over the Crimson Tide since hiring Josh Heupel as head coach in 2021, giving Heupel a 3-3 record against Alabama and a 3-0 record against them at Neyland Stadium during his tenure.
Tennessee's impressive victory can be attributed to multiple factors, including a dominant run game led by DeSean Bishop, a stifling defense highlighted by Dejuan Lane, and an elite kicking performance from Cooper Ranvier.
DeSean Bishop
DeSean Bishop had been on a tear leading up to Tennessee's matchup against Alabama, rushing for a combined 358 yards and four touchdowns in the two games prior. The Volunteers desperately needed similar production from their star running back to pull out the win against #6 Alabama, and Bishop did not disappoint.
Bishop finished the rivalry showdown with his second-best showing of the season, totaling 32 carries for 159 yards and two touchdowns. The Tennessee native also contributed as a receiver out of the backfield, tying his season high in receptions at 3 and setting a new season high in receiving yards with 16 in the win.
Bishop scored the Volunteers' only two touchdowns of the game, with both touchdowns coming in the second half.
The Vols' star running back scored his first touchdown with 5:05 remaining in the third quarter, extending the Volunteers' lead from 12-10 to 19-10 after the PAT and giving Tennessee a two-score cushion.
Bishop's second touchdown came with 3:17 remaining in the 4th quarter, giving the Vols a 16-point lead after the PAT, and putting them firmly in control of the game late in the 4th.
Dejuan Lane
Dejuan Lane has been a force for the Volunteers' defense all season and has only gotten better as the season has progressed. Lane and the Tennessee defense had their work cut out for them against Alabama's dynamic offense, but ultimately won that battle, holding the Crimson Tide to 201 all-purpose yards and forcing 4 turnovers.
Lane filled up the stat sheet in Tennessee's upset over Alabama, finishing the game with 5 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a pass deflection, an interception, and a fumble recovery. The fumble recovery was his first of the season, while the interception was his second of the year and his first since Week 5 against Auburn.
The Tennessee defensive back was responsible for 2 of the Volunteers' 4 takeaways, both of which came in the first half.
Lane's first takeaway came when he intercepted Keelon Russell on 3rd-and-10 with 3:11 remaining in the first quarter, setting the Volunteer offense up at the Alabama 43-yard line.
His second takeaway came with 1:53 remaining in the second quarter on 4th-and-1, when he recovered a Daniel Hill fumble at the Tennessee 11-yard line.
Cooper Ranvier
Cooper Ranvier has been very consistent for the Volunteers this season and continues to improve in his second season as the Vols' place kicker. Ranvier played a major role in Tennessee's upset victory over Alabama, outscoring the Crimson Tide by himself.
Ranvier racked up 14 points in his showing against Alabama, outscoring the Crimson Tide's final score of 10 by 2 in just the first half. The Tennessee kicker was perfect in the upset, going 4 of 4 on field goals, all of which were attempted in the first half, and 2 of 2 on point-after-attempts.
Ranvier's first field goal was from 29 yards on the Volunteers' opening drive, following a 12-play, 68-yard drive that stalled out at the Alabama 12-yard line, making the score 3-0 Tennessee.
His second field goal was from 33 yards with 8:59 remaining in the first quarter on the Volunteers' second drive of the game, following a Jeremiah Telander strip sack that turned into a Tennessee 4-and-out and ended at the Alabama 15-yard line, making the score 6-0 in the Vols' favor.
Ranvier went on to score on a third straight drive, making a 41-yard field goal with 4:32 remaining in the first, following a 5-play 27-yard drive that ended on the Alabama 23-yard line, making the score 9-0 Tennessee.
Ranvier's final field goal of the game was a 34-yarder with 5:19 remaining in the 2nd quarter, following a 12-play, 60-yard drive that ended at the Alabama 15-yard line, making the score 12-7 Volunteers.
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