What Alabama Learned from Experience at Tennessee Heading into Road Game at LSU

The Crimson Tide's worst offensive performance of the season came in the hostile environment at Tennessee, and Alabama is about to play in another with even bigger stakes.

Tennessee players surround Alabama running back Daniel Hill (4) during a football game between Tennessee and Alabama at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Oct. 17, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama's last road game at Tennessee delivered its worst offense performance with a season low in yards (201) and points (10) in the 26-10 loss to the Volunteers. It was also a season high in turnovers with four total.

Now, the Crimson Tide (6-2, 4-2 SEC) is preparing for another tough road trip at LSU (6-2, 3-2 SEC) this Saturday that has big stakes for both the SEC and College Football Playoff race.

A few of Alabama's offensive players talked about what they learned from that environment in Knoxville as the Crimson Tide heads into what is one of notoriously loudest places to play in the country at Death Valley.

Offensive lineman Mal Waldrep Jr. made his first career start at center in the game at Tennessee in place of the injured Racin Delgatty. Alabama is hoping to have Delgatty back for the LSU game, but Waldrep will likely start at left guard for William Sanders, who got injured in the Week 8 win over Texas A&M.

"We have to learn to communicate more efficiently," Waldrep said. "The crowd noise, the volume of everything, it’s obviously very loud, but it's nothing we can’t handle. We just have to be more efficient with our communication going forward and just everyone on the same page.”

Alabama was called for six procedural penalties in the loss at Tennessee, including three false starts and two delays of game. The communication along the offense line and with Keelon Russell and the rest of the offense will have to be better in Baton Rouge.

Outside of a 56-23 win at Mississippi State. Alabama has gotten off to slow starts offensively in its other two road games at Kentucky and Tennessee. The Crimson Tide has turned it over nine times in three road games compared to just three turnovers in five homes games.

Alabama is coming off a bye week, where it focused on getting the run game back on track, and it will need to have a more balanced attack against LSU than the 54 rushing yards put up against Tennessee.

"Playing teams like Tennessee and LSU, it’s going to be a tough environment every time you go there, so we’ve just got to be ready," senior running back Daniel Hill said. "Try to block out the noise and be ready for a physical battle.”

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