Alabama fans ready to light up cigars early after wild end of half pick-six

Tennessee has been the one lighting up cigars on the Third Saturday of October in two of the last three years, but Alabama fans can already taste the stogies after Zabien Brown extended the Crimson Tide’s lead to 16 with a 99-yard pick-six as time expired in the first half. The return was the second-longest in Alabama football history, only trailing Crimson Tide legend Minkah Fitzpatrick's 100-yard return.

Tennessee was driving to pull within one score at the intermission, after a dominant half from Alabama’s defense. Then, transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar underthrew a pass to former Alabama tight end Miles Kitselman. The throw allowed Brown to undercut the route, but Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is still to blame. 

Josh Heupel’s big mistake will cost Tennessee on the Third Saturday of October

Heupel’s offense runs that ball at over a 90 percent clip when they’re inside the 5-yard line. So, in keeping with that tendency, the Vols ran the ball on first-and-goal from the Alabama two with only nine seconds left. DeSean Bishop was stopped short, forcing Tennessee to use its final timeout. 

Then, with no timeouts and just seven seconds left, Tennessee sent Aguilar out under center with a heavy formation and used a play-action fake. However, the fake was purposeless and had no effect on Brown because Alabama knew Tennessee could not risk running the ball, getting stopped short, and allowing the clock to run out without an opportunity to kick a field goal and come away with points.

Alabama fans explode after Zabien Brown's legendary moment

Zabien Brown has almost immediately become a Crimson Tide legend with his heroic effort. Brown didn't just undercut the route for the interception, he made the lone Vol with a chance to tackle him miss with a fantastic move down the sideline to evade the tackle attempt.

Alabama fans on social media went wild after Brown's score. Oh, and a Heisman Trophy winner got in on the fun too.

It wasn't just social media. Browns return was the touchdown heard round Tuscaloosa. FOX 54 sports anchor Nick Kuzma posted a crazy video about three miles away from Bryant-Denny Stadium where you could still hear the low roar from the stadium, and likely from all the fans watching on TV in between.

Now, Alabama fans wouldn't dare to break out the cigars early, but it's hard not to think about it heading into the second half with a 16-point lead and maybe the best quarterback in the country on the Crimson Tide's side.