GAME BREAKDOWN
KEY MATCHUP: Jarrett Guarantano will look to recapture the magic that led to a career afternoon against Auburn. The redshirt sophomore will do so against an Alabama passing defense that’s surrendered more touchdowns (10) than Auburn (6) this year. Guarantano has multiple touchdown passing games in consecutive weeks for the first time in his career, coming against Georgia and Auburn, respectively. The New Jersey native completed all eight of his passes on third downs of eight-or-more yards last week against the Tigers. His 64 percent completion percentage is the highest for a Vols quarterback since Erik Ainge in 2006, ranking him sixth in the SEC.
If Tennessee wants any chance of completing a sweep of the Yellowhammer State, they’ll need to be nearly perfect through the air. That’s because gaining any traction on the ground — especially for a middling running game as Tennessee’s 159 yards per game — could prove futile against a Tide run defense that’s allowed a national best three rushing scores all year.
DRAFT SLANT
–WR Jauan Jennings was the hero the last time Tennessee knocked off a ranked opponent when the then sophomore came down with a 43-yard touchdown heave from Josh Dobbs to upend No. 25 Georgia, 34-31, as time expired during an Oct. 1, 2016 thriller. Jennings was back at it again in the Vols’ upset of No. 21 Auburn. The redshirt junior’s 25-yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter gave Tennessee a 20-17 lead that it would not relinquish. With 71 yards against the Tigers, Jennings is now 47 yards shy of 1,000 for his career to go along with nine touchdowns. He could fit a similar mold at the next level as Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Josh Malone. The former Vol turned a 1,608 yard, 14-touchdown career on Rocky Top into a contributing role as a second-year player for the AFC North-leading Bengals. “We’re 10 months here and Jauan Jennings has done everything that I’ve asked him to do since I’ve been here,” Pruitt said of the wide receiver. “He’s one of my favorite guys. Guy competes, works hard. He loves the University of Tennessee, has passion for it. He’s healthy.”
ROSTER REPORT:
–OLB Jonathan Kongbo will have surgery on the ACL he tore in the second half of the Auburn game and will miss the remainder of the season. A senior, Kongbo’s career on Rocky Top is essentially over. The Surrey, British Columbia, native and highly-coveted Arizona Western-transfer notched a pair of solo tackles and intercepted Tigers quarterback Jarrett Stidham for his second career interception prior to exiting the game with the injury.
–ILB Daniel Bituli will sit out the first half against Alabama after drawing a targeting ejection in the fourth quarter against Auburn. The junior inside linebacker leads the Vols with 31 tackles on the year after posting 90 takedowns a year ago.
=======