Saturday at Bryant Denny Stadium, Alabama defeated Tennessee for the 15th consecutive meeting.

But the Volunteers didn’t make it easy.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young rushed for 2 touchdowns and passed for 371 yards and 2 scores, Brian Robinson rushed for 107 yards and 3 scores and John Metchie had 11 catches for 121 yards and 2 TDs as the Crimson Tide (7-1), ranked 4th in the Associated Press poll, defeated UT 52-24.

Young’s 6-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter, which was upheld on review when officials ruled that the ball came loose after it crossed the end zone, gave Alabama a 31-17 lead.

UT struck right back with Hendon Hooker’s 70-yard TD pass to Cedric Tillman to get the Vols within 31-24. Hooker had 282 yards passing and 3 TDs for Tennessee (4-4). But Robinson’s 15-yard TD rush restored Bama’s 14-point lead to cap a sequence of 3 TDs in just over 2 minutes, part of a 28-point fourth quarter for the Crimson Tide.

De’Shawn Rucker blocked a Bama punt early in the third quarter, setting up Tennessee at the Tide’s 16-yard line. But the drive went nowhere and UT settled for Chase McGrath’s 33-yard field goal to get within 21-17. Will Reichard’s 45-yard field goal on the next drive restored Alabama’s 7-point lead.

Alabama took a 59-38-7 all-time series lead against the program that has beaten the Tide more times than any other, but it took a while for the home team to take control. Tennessee was ahead 14-7 in the second quarter but Bama got the lead back on Young’s 6-TD pass to Metchie late in the first half.

A roughing-the-kicker penalty on a Vols punt extended one UT drive, and 2 plays later Hooker hit JaVonta Payton, who shook a tackle on his way to a 57-yard touchdown pass. That gave the Vols a 14-7 lead, the first time Tennessee led Alabama in a game since 2015.

Alabama drove deep into Vols territory on the next drive but UT defensive back Kamal Hadden forced a fumble by Jameson Williams after a catch and DB Kenneth George recovered. But Alabama forced a quick punt and Young’s 5-yard scamper for a TD on 3rd and goal tied it at 14-14 with 9:27 left in the first half.

The Crimson Tide got on the board first with a 12-play, 85-yard drive capped by Robinson’s 8-yard touchdown run, his 9th of the season.

Hooker’s 39-yard pass to Cedric Tillman to the Bama 11 set up Velus Jones’ 8-yard TD catch to tie it at 7 with 6:15 left in the first quarter. That was the first of two big pass plays in the first half for Tennessee, a team that had lacked big plays most of the season.

Reichard was short on a 54-yard field goal with 2:44 left in the first quarter (his career long is 52).