With just under 6 minutes left in the game, Tennessee had a 14-13 lead. All the Volunteers defense had to do was stop Alabama’s offense one more time. But they couldn’t. Alabama QB Jake Coker led his offense down the field on an eight play, 71-yard drive that was capped off with a 14-yard touchdown run from RB Derrick Henry.

Tennessee got the ball back with 2 minutes left, but LB Ryan Anderson sacked Tennessee QB Joshua Dobbs and forced a fumble. Alabama recovered the fumble and held on to win by the final score of 19-14.

As the season has gone along, Tennessee has shown signs of progress. But on Saturday, the Volunteers showed their fans that they still need to learn how to finish games.

Here’s a closer look at the game.

5 TAKEAWAYS

1. The Volunteers played their hearts out: No one should question the effort that Butch Jones’s players put forth in this game. Tennessee came into Bryant-Denny Stadium as a 15-point underdog but went toe-to-toe with Alabama from start to finish. Despite starting two true freshmen on its offensive line, Tennessee ran for 132 yards against the third-best rushing defense in the nation. And even though Tennessee didn’t have its starting defensive tackle, Shy Tuttle, for this game, its defense still managed to hold RB Derrick Henry to 143 yards on 28 carries. After the game, Butch Jones said: “At the University of Tennessee, there are no moral victories.” But the effort that Tennessee displayed on Saturday should at least be considered a step in the right direction.

2. Injuries and lack of depth are significantly hurting Tennessee’s chances in winning close games: For the fourth time this season, Tennessee came up short in the fourth quarter. The Volunteers lack of depth and inexperience was particularly pertinent in this game. On Alabama’s game-winning touchdown drive, Coker went 2-2 passing for 54 yards, and Henry gashed the interior of the Volunteers defense with his 14-yard touchdown run. Then, on the last two plays Tennessee’s final offensive possession, Alabama sacked Dobbs twice and came up with the game winning fumble recovery. A lack of depth on both sides of the ball will continue to be a thorn in Tennessee’s side for the rest of the season.

3. Tennessee’s pass rush finally lived up to its preseason hype: After only recording nine sacks in its first six games of the season, the Tennessee defense sacked Coker five times. When DL Corey Vereen sacked Coker twice, it was the first time that someone lined up on the opposite side of vaunted DE Derek Barnett had come up with a sack since Curt Maggitt fractured his hip in Tennessee’s second game of the year against Oklahoma. If Tennessee  can continue to successfully sack opposing quarterbacks,  it will have a good chance of winning its final five games of the regular season.

4. Tennessee can run the ball against anybody: Tennessee proved that it has one of the best rushing attacks in the country. Jalen Hurd ran the the ball 18 times for 92 yards, and always seemed to gain a yard or two more than he should as he dove forward with two Alabama defenders wrapped around his legs. As Hurd continues to bring power to the running game, Alvin Kamara brings speed. Kamara had five carries for 25 yards and was dangerous as a receiver, leading the Volunteers with four receptions for 44 yards. He had one 20-yard reception in the first half in which he broke three tackles. Dobbs also showed that he was a threat to run the ball on every play and had a few solid gains on some quarterback draws.

5. Tennessee will be an SEC championship contender next year and beyond: This team is still one of the youngest teams in the country. Its players have shown significant improvement throughout the season and they will continue to get better. The success in Saturday’s game against Alabama is just the tip of the iceberg.

REPORT CARD

Offense: C – Tennessee had success running the football, but Dobbs struggled to throw, completing only 13 of 22 passes for 171 yards. Dobbs stat line could have been significantly worse, as Alabama dropped three potential interceptions. He was also sacked five times, and his fumble at the end of the game was devastating. Tennessee had plenty of chances to put points up on the board, but the offense stalled three times after it crossed the 50 yard line, resulting in three missed field goals.

Defense: B – The defense did not give up the big play to Lane Kiffin’s offense. Alabama had to earn every one of its 364 total yards. On two of Alabama’s possessions in the second half, its offense drove the ball into the red zone but was forced to kick field goals. The Tennessee defense bent, but it didn’t break until Alabama’s fourth-quarter touchdown drive. The Volunteers’ defense also gave gave Coker fits, sacking him five times and baiting him into throwing an interception to DB Brian Randolph.

Special Teams: D – Aaron Medley missed all three of his field goals. Two of the misses were beyond 50 yards, but his performance was still frustrating. The Volunteers offense also started with poor field position most of the game.

Coaching: C –  Defensive coordinator John Jancek did a good job of making sure his defense didn’t give up big plays by dropping his safeties 30 yards back on passing downs, and his defense contained Alabama’s offense for most of the game. But offensive coordinator Mike DeBord put Dobbs in some tough situations. Despite the fact that Tennessee has an inexperienced offensive line,  DeBord did not call many passing plays that allowed Dobbs to roll outside of the pocket. Every time Dobbs dropped back to pass, he was a sitting duck, just waiting for the offensive line to collapse.

Overall: C – Tennessee’s defense played good enough to win today, but Tennessee struggled in the other phases of the game.

GAME BALLS

RB Jalen Hurd: In the post-game press conference, coach Jones said: “What can I say about Jalen Hurd? 92 tough yards.” Hurd carried the offense and scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin: He was everywhere, accounting for 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and one sack.