It isn’t a college football rivalry without bulletin board material, especially in 2025.
When Alabama receiver Germie Bernard took notice of Tennessee football’s dismal defensive rankings, he fired the first shot of this season’s Third Saturday in October. The wideout signaled his thoughts about the Vols’ last-place SEC pass defense, plain and simple.
“It’s a field of dreams,” Bernard said on “The Next Round” podcast.
Inside the Tennessee defensive backs room, coach Willie Martinez and his unit are well aware of the success of opposing offenses. The injury trouble that continues to plague the secondary is one of the lingering reasons the Vols grade so poorly in most defensive categories. Now, with outside noise from a Crimson Tide opponent, Martinez is tasked with a new mental challenge for his primarily young group.
“I really don’t read what’s being said,” Martinez said. “We just care about how we prepare. We know that our opponent is a good team. Obviously, everybody that we play is really good, and they’re going to be ready for us. We’ve just got to be at our best when we play them.”
So far, Tennessee’s best came in a game against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs tallied 175 yards through the air, but gashed the Vols’ defense in a high-scoring overtime shootout. Tennessee tallied an interception of quarterback Blake Shapen, a momentum-swinging play that yielded precious points.
This week, with Heisman Trophy hopeful Ty Simpson slinging the rock, Tennessee will face a much bigger test. The Martin, Tennessee, product can boast just one giveaway on the season while torching rival defenses with strong accuracy.
“They’ve got a couple of a couple of other guys too that are doing a really good job,” Martinez said. “Simpson is doing a really great job of managing the offense and being very productive. So we’ve got to do a good job again on those early downs, trying to get them behind the sticks to force the third down and longs and be efficient and the best we can.”
Ironically, third and long is an area the Vols struggled mightily in during their last game against Arkansas. All of the Razorbacks’ seven conversions came in those situations, while Hogs signal-caller Taylen Green racked up 8.3 yards per passing attempt. That mark is the second most against Tennessee this season, only behind a Georgia team that notched 9.5.
Most of these struggles can be attributed to tackling issues in the third level.
“We’ve had times where guys were there to make a play, didn’t make the play,” Martinez said. “But it’s who’s the guy that they go to the most, or taking the right angles, being in the right place at the right time. We’ve just got to do a better job, collectively as 11 guys. Defense, if you’re not all on the same page, your holes, they’ll pick you apart. We’ve had 10 guys doing it right, one guy didn’t do it right. We’ve had that before.”
Alabama’s receiving trio of Bernard, Ryan Williams and Isaiah Horton has combined for 12 touchdowns so far. The group makes up an aerial attack that leads the nation in passing scores per game, something that Vols defensive backs Colton Hood and Ty Redmond haven’t seen yet this year.
“They’re doing a really good job on the edges, really are,” Martinez said. “They’ve been very consistent. They’ve made a bunch of plays. And you can’t play defense if you don’t have those guys on the outside that can force the offense to go a different direction. And I think they’re doing a good job.”
The mental strain of a position in the secondary, especially for a struggling one, is another factor that can weigh on a defense. Success while playing on an island in one-on-one coverage situations is something that defensive coordinator Tim Banks relies on to help his defensive line get to the backfield. The Vols’ pass rush is among the best in the country, but explosive plays can happen if Tennessee’s blitzers can’t get to the quarterback.
“I think moving forward, it’s just doing your job,” Martinez said. “All 11 guys. We’re the last line of defense. You can see all the mistakes from space. We’ve got to be the guys that cover it up when someone does make mistakes in front of you. So it’s the position we’ve just got to continue to grow and learn from those things and be more consistent.”
