No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) and No. 6 Alabama (5-1, 3-0 SEC) will renew their football rivalry on Saturday. Kickoff between the Vols and Crimson Tide is slated for 7:30 p.m. EDT at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (ABC).
Tennessee enters Saturday’s contest in Week 8 ranked No. 121 nationally in passing defense, allowing 257.8 yards per game. Alabama ranks No. 15 nationally in passing offense, averaging 304.5 yards per contest.
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Ahead of the Third Saturday in October rivalry game, Tennessee secondary coach Willie Martinez discussed the Vols being more consistent in zone coverage.
“I think it’s a lot of it,” Martinez said. “Anticipating what someone lines up in a formation and knowing the situation, whatever that D&D is, where are you at in the field? There’s always some tells to the story as you prepare for an opponent. What are the strengths and weaknesses? There’s a lot that goes into the thought process. We’ve had times where guys were there to make a play, didn’t make the play, guys that did make plays. 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 just have to do a better job collectively as 11 guys. Defense, man, 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.”
More: SEC-Big Ten football strength of schedule comparison Week 8
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Willie Martinez previews Tennessee playing at Alabama in Week 8
