The Tennessee football program had their hands full with their SEC matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Volunteers entered the game as the 17th-ranked college football team in the country, but the Alabama football squad bested them 34-20. Tennessee could not overcome Alabama's attack on both sides of the ball. Nevertheless, some believe the referees neglected the Volunteers. Head Coach Josh Heupel believes so too.

Penalties pile up as Tennessee falls short of Alabama 

Heupel was asked about the one-sided officiating of the game in a post-game press conference, and his reaction spoke to his dismay, even though he was speechless. The head coach was silent for roughly 15 seconds after being asked to address the question. He then looked up and said this:

“Next question, yeah? Was that a long enough silence?”, Heupel told reporters, per Knoxville News Sentinel.

The Tennessee football unit was flagged for 8 penalties totaling 55 yards. Meanwhile, Alabama was called for one penalty that only cost the Crimson Tide five yards. While penalties did not work in the Vol's favor, they failed to maximize their offensive ability. In addition, they could not tame Bama's offense.

Both teams had a solid passing day, but Tennessee could not stop the Alabama football rushing attack. Running back Jase McClellan ran for 115 yards and 1 touchdown on 27 carries. Meanwhile, Tennessee QB Joe Milton totaled 59 yards on 15 carries.

All is not lost, as the Vols have plenty of time to maintain a good record to fight for an SEC Championship birth. Josh Heupel is frustrated with how the game went, but that will not stop his preparations as Tennessee soon takes the field against the Kentucky Wildcats.