KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — South Alabama erased most of a 24-point deficit and reached the Tennessee 7-yard line in the final moments before falling to the Volunteers 31-24 on Saturday before a crowd of 87,266 at Neyland Stadium.
In the South Alabama Tennessee game, the Jaguars blanked the Volunteers after Tennessee’s opening drive of the third quarter.
Early Lead, Then a Tennessee Surge
South Alabama took the opening kickoff and drove for the game’s first points. Tennessee then scored 31 straight points, including a touchdown on the opening possession of the second half, to build a 31-7 lead.
From there, the South Alabama defense did not allow another point.
Interception Sparks Comeback
The decisive swing in the Jaguars’ rally came on a sequence of turnovers. Tennessee’s Brent Brewer intercepted South Alabama quarterback Ross Metheny at the Jaguar 35-yard line. On the Volunteers’ first play after the takeaway, Clifton Crews deflected a Justin Worley pass and Maleki Harris intercepted it, returning it 58 yards to the Tennessee 10. A personal foul on Tennessee moved the ball to the 5-yard line.
Cris Dinham scored the ensuing touchdown, cutting the Tennessee lead to 31-24 with 8:55 remaining. Harris’ pick was South Alabama’s third interception of Worley in the game.
Final Drive Stalls
South Alabama got the ball back and reached first-and-goal at the Tennessee 7-yard line in the closing moments. The Volunteers’ pass rush pressured Metheny on the possession, and the Jaguars were unable to score.
Jaguars head coach Joey Jones said after the game that South Alabama would have attempted a two-point conversion for the win had it reached the end zone.
“It was going to be do-or-die,” Jones said. “We were a couple of plays away from beating a SEC team.”
Jones: ‘My Hat’s Off to My Team’
Jones said the halftime message focused on effort after a difficult first half.
“They (Tennessee) ran through us in the first half, and we didn’t have anything offensively other than that first drive,” Jones said. “We came in at halftime and I challenged them to come out and fight. And they did that. We were eight yards from making unbelievable history, but we didn’t do it. I am proud of the way we fought. We did some great things in the second half. My hat’s off to my team.”
He added: “Tennessee has a really good football team. They did a good job against us. But I’m just real proud of the way our kids fought.”
Up Next
South Alabama returns to Sun Belt Conference play next week with a trip to Troy for a noon kickoff, televised by the Sun Belt Network.
