TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — There was still 5:49 remaining in the fourth quarter, but the air inside Bryant-Denny Stadium was already thick with cigar smoke.
Zabien Brown returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the first half, and No. 6 Alabama rolled to a 37-20 victory over No. 11 Tennessee in the rivalry known as the «Third Saturday in October.»
Brown's pick gave the Tide a 23-7 lead and was all Alabama's defense needed while turning in its best performance of the season. The Tide (6-1, 4-0 SEC) held the nation's highest-scoring offense to just 410 yards, well below its 529-yard average.
Ty Simpson completed 19 of 29 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He led two TD drives of 90-plus yards as the Crimson Tide won their sixth consecutive game, including four in a row against ranked opponents.
Alabama's final touchdown, a 4-yard run by Daniel Hill with 5:49 remaining, ignited cigar smoke from every direction inside Bryant-Denny Stadium — a tradition for the victors in this rivalry.
For Tennessee (5-2, 2-2), Joey Aguilar completed 28 of 44 passes for 268 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. DeSean Bishop ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
Alabama prevented back Tennessee from winning consecutive games in the series for the first time since 2003-04. Alabama has won 17 of 19 in the rivalry.
Alabama's win, coupled with losses by No. 2 Miami and No. 5 Ole Miss, should propel the Tide into the top five in the next AP Poll on Sunday. Tennessee will surely fall, along with No. 7 Texas Tech and No. 10 LSU.
The Volunteers' loss featured a number of uncharacteristic statistics. They failed to score 30 points for the first time this season, and a defense that led the SEC in
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