Saban: Bama's defense 'too soft' late vs. Vols

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 3 Alabama manager Nick Saban said his defence played "too soft" precocious successful the crippled erstwhile it allowed No. 6 Tennessee to thrust the shot 45 yards successful 13 seconds and acceptable up a walk-off tract extremity to triumph 52-49.

Tennessee fans rushed the tract and tore down some extremity posts Saturday aft Chase McGrath's 40-yard tract goal, and Saban had to beryllium escorted into the visitor's locker country by aggregate constabulary officers.

Alabama allowed the astir points and committed the astir penalties (17) successful a crippled during Saban's tenure, which dates to 2007.

"Very disappointed successful the loss," Saban said. "We didn't reply the doorbell today. Obviously, there's a batch of enactment to beryllium done. Way excessively galore penalties. Gave up explosive plays. Had a large mistake connected peculiar teams that was wholly unnecessary and led to a people connected their part.

"You person to springiness them a batch of credit. They did a bully occupation with their offense. ... But we didn't execute good enough."

Alabama backmost Bryce Young, who missed past week's crippled against Texas A&M with enarthrosis soreness, started and threw for 455 yards and 2 touchdowns. He said his limb felt "fine."

"It was large to beryllium retired determination with my teammates," helium said. "I emotion the crippled and I emotion them, truthful that was great. But astatine the extremity of the day, we lost."

Alabama came backmost from down 28-10 aboriginal and held a seven-point pb with 7:49 near successful the game. Tennessee past scored 10 unanswered points.

Saban said Young played "really well" but "we didn't get it done connected defence erstwhile we had the chance."

Tennessee backmost Hendon Hooker completed 21 of 30 passes for 385 yards and 5 touchdowns -- each to Jalin Hyatt, who acceptable a schoolhouse grounds for TD receptions successful a game.

But nary completions were bigger than Hooker's 18- and 27-yard passes that acceptable up the game-winning kick.

"The feline is playing astatine an unbelievable level," Tennessee manager Josh Heupel said of Hooker. "Smart. Tough. Competitive. Decisive. Accurate with the shot -- short, medium, deep. He controlled the crippled for america and utilized his feet erstwhile helium had to. He's the cardinal to the ignition that makes america go."

Heupel said, "It wasn't beauteous successful the 2nd half" but "our kids continued to reset and spell play and believe."

Saban said helium wished Alabama could person definite decisions back, including its antiaircraft tactics during the last drive.

"We played mode excessively brushed astatine the extremity to fto them spell down the tract and get successful tract extremity range," helium said. "So, I deliberation that the large happening that our players request to bash is larn from this experience, person much respect for playing with subject truthful you don't assistance the different team."

Saban recalled his connection to the squad successful the locker room.

"We tin execute each extremity that we had astatine the commencement of the season," helium said. "There's nary country for mistake successful the West. We person to triumph retired successful the West ... and we inactive person a accidental to spell to the SEC championship.

"But the cardinal to the drill is you person to larn from these experiences. You person to larn from the mistakes you make."

Saban said it was "obvious" the squad has a batch of enactment to do.

"This is simply a pugnacious acquisition to learn," Young said. "... But we're going to ticker the portion and we're going to fig retired what we tin bash better."

By beating Alabama, Tennessee snapped a 15-game losing streak successful the rivalry known astatine The Third Saturday successful October. The 101 combined points were the astir ever successful the rivalry and tied for the astir successful a top-10 matchup successful SEC history.

Heupel acknowledged that helium downplayed the Alabama crippled during the week but said helium understands the enormity of the rivalry and the win.

"So excited we were capable to travel retired with the triumph for everyone involved," Heupel said. "It was a large nighttime and I deliberation it conscionable speaks to the mentality, the maturation and the advancement of the individuals wrong our locker country and collectively arsenic a team. It speaks to our coaching staff."

But helium warned that there's a batch of clip near successful the regular season. After hosting UT Martin adjacent Saturday, Tennessee plays No. 22 Kentucky and No. 1 Georgia.

"This travel is conscionable beginning," Heupel said. "Good teams get amended passim the people of the season."