TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - With a kick, fumble and catch, No.5 Alabama ended the frustration in its bitter rivalry against No.17 Tennessee with a 6-3 victory.
Jamie Christensen's 34-yard field goal with 13 seconds left Saturday won it, but two huge plays late made it possible for Alabama to stay unbeaten.
Tied at 3, the Volunteers had first and goal from the 3. Two penalties helped push the ball back to the 15, and on third down, Cory Anderson caught a swing pass and headed toward the end zone.
But Roman Harper jarred the ball loose near the goal line, and it bounced out of the end zone for a touchback with 5:08 left.
"I wasn't thinking they were going to score," said linebacker DeMeco Ryans, who recovered an earlier fumble and intercepted Tennessee's last-gasp pass. "I knew one of our safeties was going to come in and hit him."
On the ensuing drive, Brodie Croyle hit D.J. Hall for a 43-yard pass down the left sideline on third and 8.
"When we came to the huddle, Brodie came right at me," said Hall, who had 10 catches for 139 yards. "He said, "Hey, I'm coming right to you, so just run.' I gave (the defender) a little move and ran by him, and Brodie just put it in the right spot."
After Ken Darby's 11-yard scamper to the Tennessee 14, Alabama milked the clock down to 18 seconds with the Vols out of timeouts for Christensen's kick.
"I've done it a thousand times," said Christensen, who made a 31-yarder as time expired in last weekend's 13-10 win over Mississippi. "It's no different except for what's at stake."
The rivalry has built intensity off the field in recent years, with Alabama fans angry at Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer for being a secret witness in the NCAA's investigation that led to probation.
The situation also spawned a lawsuit by former Tide coaches against the NCAA and others and another against the NCAA and Fulmer by a former Alabama recruit who wound up spending one season at Tennessee.
This one eased the frustrations of two straight tough losses in the series, including a 51-43 five-overtime defeat in the Vols' last visit.
It was the first time Tennessee failed to score a touchdown since a 30-3 Peach Bowl loss to Maryland on Dec.31, 2002.
"We do some darn good things, and then we find a way to screw it up," Fulmer said. "We've got two choices. We find a way to get it corrected, or you give up. And we're not giving up."
Neither team scored until the final play of the third quarter, Christensen's 33-yard field goal.
Both teams set up their first scores on special teams. The Vols' Lucas Taylor fumbled trying to field a punt, and Ryans fell on it at midfield. The Vols stopped Darby shy of a first down on third and 1 from the 16, forcing the field goal.
Taylor atoned by returning the ensuing kick to the Tennessee 46, setting up James Wilhoit's 32-yard field goal with 11:52 left.
