News Article: Tennessee recap: Vols can’t kick it over Mount Cody

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Tennessee recap: Vols can’t kick it over Mount Cody
By Jess Nicholas
TideFans.com Editor-In-Chief
Oct. 25, 2009

For a brief, two-second moment, Bryant-Denny Stadium had never been louder. That would have been the moment of Terrence Cody’s second blocked field goal of the day and the two seconds immediately following.

Alabama’s 12-10 victory over Tennessee in a game the Tide kept handing to its opponents was followed up with a much-needed off-week before the Tide faces LSU. The only people who need an off-week more than the Alabama players are the state’s collection of cardiologists.

While the South Carolina game looked closer than it was, this game suffered from no such illusions. Tennessee’s offensive line effectively handled Alabama’s pass rush, and Vol QB Jonathan Crompton played more than well enough to win the game. An untimely turnover by Alabama’s Mark Ingram almost did more than short-circuit a Heisman Trophy candidacy – it nearly gave Tennessee the game.

But that was before Terrence Cody fulfilled his mountainous nickname with an effort that should be called nothing short of heroic. Cody had already blocked a field goal in this game, but he blocked a second one as time expired and in the process, preserved Alabama’s undefeated season and kept the Tide’s national championship hopes alive.

It’s also a requirement here that we mention Alabama placekicker Leigh Tiffin, who hit four field goals on the day, including two from 50 yards, to provide all the scoring for the Crimson Tide. Tiffin’s career has been marked by inopportune inconsistency, but Saturday he was the real difference between a win and a loss. Cody just put the exclamation point on the end of Tiffin’s sentence.

Having said that, get ready for a dose of reality.

The Alabama team that has played the last two weeks is not good enough to win a national title without some significant changes on offense. As good as the Alabama defense is, gone are the days when one-dimensional teams won national championships. The postseason setup in current-day college football just doesn’t allow it.

Greg McElroy bounced back nicely after two tough weeks, but the running game, the run blocking and the receiver corps all had breakdowns at key moments in the game. As consistent as Alabama is on defense, the offense has become just as inconsistent.

One can argue that a missed pass interference penalty in the end zone on Julio Jones could have turned this game for good. Had Alabama found the end zone on any Tiffin’s four field goal drives, Alabama would probably have won this game long before the final snap. But Alabama could have solved that problem itself by not trying to throw the football twice against a gassed UT defense on short yardage inside the Volunteer 5-yard line.

There are many explanations for why Alabama is in an offensive rut, and fatigue could very well be the culprit. Alabama has now played four physical football teams in a row, two of them on the road. Alabama’s off-week couldn’t be coming at a better time.

Another factor in the offense’s struggles against Tennessee was the loss of starting tight end Colin Peek during pregame warm-ups. Peek suffered a strained MCL and may miss the LSU game. His loss would be huge. Michael Williams can replace Peek’s blocking, but with Peek out of the passing game, Alabama had to use a combination of Williams, Preston Dial and Brad Smelley. Taken together, those three players pale in comparison to the multi-faceted Peek.

Simply put, Alabama has to get more effective and less predictable. Head coach Nick Saban indicated that McElroy was playing with more confidence again, and the stats bore that evaluation out as to be correct. McElroy put up solid, if unspectacular numbers against Tennessee, and his final stat line was affected by several dropped passes. If McElroy’s confidence is no longer an issue – which it clearly was in games against Ole Miss and South Carolina – then a few tweaks to the playcalling ought to put Alabama in a better place offensively.

Alabama has a week to figure it all out. In the meantime, the team and its fans ought to bask in the glow of a third straight victory over rival Tennessee. Tennessee can keep Rocky Top; Alabama has Mount Cody.