No. 6 Alabama falls to No. 14 Tennessee, drops back-to-back games in same season for first time since 2013

Alabama committed four turnovers on Saturday at Tennessee's Neyland Stadium. One of those occurred on fourth-and-1 late in the first half, as quarterback Keelon Russell got his feet tangled at the line and running back Daniel Hill couldn't bring in the ensuing handoff.

Then the Crimson Tide turned the ball over on downs while facing another fourth-and-1, that time early in the second half, as the result of what seemed to be a missed blocking assignment.

Kalen DeBoer's team was flagged 10 times, Russell was neutralized for the second week in a row and Alabama — after amassing a mere 201 yards of total offense — fell to a cigar-lighting Tennessee squad 26-10 in the latest "Third Saturday in October."

The Crimson Tide have now lost back-to-back games in the same season for the first time since 2013.

No. 14 Tennessee (6-1, 3-1 SEC), meanwhile, has won three of its past five meetings with No. 6 Alabama (5-2, 3-2). Before that, as legendary Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban referenced on "College GameDay" earlier this season , Alabama won 15 straight under him in the rivalry.

The Volunteers went 1-16 versus Saban's Crimson Tide but are 2-1 against DeBoer's Alabama teams.

As much as the Crimson Tide shot themselves in the foot on Saturday, they also had no answer for a punishing Tennessee run game. The Volunteers rushed for 150 yards, controlled the clock and did a better job taking care of the ball.

With George MacIntyre making his second career start at QB after replacing Faizon Brandon , Tennessee was responsible for only one offensive turnover.

MacIntyre finished with 197 yards on 21-of-31 passing and an interception. Notably, he hooked up with wideout Mike Matthews seven times for 85 yards.

The Vols' other giveaway took place on special teams in a bizarre first-half sequence.

Following a 19-yard Russell touchdown run and a Tennessee field goal that put Josh Heupel's group ahead 12-7, the Volunteers botched a punt return. With the ball rolling to a stop, Tennessee linebacker Brayden Rouse touched it, seemingly trying to pick it up. Alabama capitalized on that boneheaded mistake, hopping on what was then a Vols fumble.

But Alabama squandered the brilliant field position because of the aforementioned handoff fiasco. The Crimson Tide later wound up kicking a field goal to pull within two points before intermission.

In the second half, though, they were thoroughly outplayed.

An unblocked Jeremiah Telander ruined the next 'Bama fourth-and-1, stopping Hill short of the first-down marker.

Still up only 12-10, Tennessee began its takeover. Running back DeSean Bishop shot out of a cannon on a 20-yard run that set up his subsequent 5-yard score on the ground.

On the Crimson Tide's next drive, they were going to roll the dice on one more fourth-and-1, except a false start that brought up a fourth-and-6 from their own 29-yard line led to the punt team trotting out.

Alabama punted again early in the fourth quarter, and that was the kiss of death. Because Tennessee went to orchestrate a drive that will be etched in Vols lore: a 15-play, 72-yard series that spanned 9:32.

It ended with Bishop finding pay dirt from 5 yards out again.

That left Alabama in a 16-point hole with just 3:12 remaining. The Crimson Tide didn't close that gap. Kayin Lee's interception in the end zone was the exclamation point on an emphatic Volunteers win that Alabama will be thinking about for a while.