Alabama Football: Offensive Report Card vs Tennessee

Alabama football fell to Tennessee 52-49 in its first loss of the 2022 season. The Alabama offense executed well all afternoon, yet failed to make game-changing plays in the contest’s biggest moments.

Alabama Football Quarterbacks: A

Bryce Young scrambled around, evaded would-be tacklers, and invented ways to pick up yardage throughout this game. His improvisational skills kept Alabama alive in a game that was a shootout from the start.

Young threw 52 times in the game, racking up 455 yards and a pair of touchdowns. As has been the case in the past, Bryce Young’s unusually high usage rate was not a good sign, especially coming off of an injury.

Alabama’s offensive strategy to cut Young loose was an indication of inefficiency in other facets of the offense and the inability of the defense to get a stop.

Alabama Football Running Backs: B

Jahmyr Gibbs carried the load in the Alabama backfield for the third consecutive week. Gibbs was once again elusive and electric, and was one of the best players on a field filled with future-NFL offensive talent.

For the game, he ran 24 times for 103 yards and three scores. He also caught five passes for 48 yards.

Jase McClellan spelled Gibbs in a limited role and was effective as a runner and receiver, totaling 37 yards on six touches.

Alabama Football Receivers: B

Senior tight end Cameron Latu had his best game of the season, leading the Tide with 90 receiving yards on six catches with a touchdown.

Ja’Corey Brooks and Kobe Prentice were the most effective Alabama wide receivers against Tennessee. Brooks caught six passes for 79 yards and a touchdown, while Prentice nabbed nine passes for 66 yards. Prentice regularly got open and showed good hands, but was largely a possession receiver and was unable to create big plays.

A few Alabama receivers were able to generate explosive plays, but did not contribute consistently. Jermaine Burton only caught two passes but they went for 49 yards, including a 36-yarder on a slot fade route. Isaiah Bond caught a 33-yard pass on a similar route and finished with two catches for 39 yards.

Jojo Earle’s only reception was a 42-yard grab to convert a behind-the-chains situation for the Tide. Traeshon Holden caught a 20-yard pass but was quiet for the remainder of the game. Holden continues to struggle with costly dropped passes at inopportune times.

As a group, Alabama’s receivers made plays in various ways and continued to show growth. Still, they don’t seem to be creating separation on their initial route breaks. Far too many of Young’s completions come off of improvisation and broken plays.

Alabama Football Offensive Line: B

The Alabama offensive line was serviceable, but not remarkable against Tennessee. The Tide’s 114 rushing yards on 3.7 yards per carry were its worst performance of the year on the ground by a wide margin.

Still, the line protected Bryce Young very well in what turned into a pass-heavy offensive approach. It allowed just one sack of Young all game. To their credit, the Tennessee defense notched nine hurries in the contest. This is not an ideal number for Alabama, but it is not bad considering Bryce Young threw 52 passes.

Despite racking up 569 yards of offense and not turning the ball over, the Alabama offense showed that it still needs work. It was unable to consistently run the ball, and relied too heavily on Bryce Young. The offense also committed nine penalties for 52 yards, contributing to Alabama’s record-setting day of miscues.

These issues must be resolved, as Alabama’s margin for error has evaporated. The Tide must now win out to achieve any of its goals.