Alabama football and Tennessee often looked to be demonstrating how not to win a football game.

The matchup ranged from understandable mistakes to a bad football masterclass. The list of teaching mechanisms included everything from missed field goals and interceptions to penalties and missed throws.

Simply put, each team wasted plays. Far too often.

It led to an often ugly, sometimes entertaining football game.

Tennessee ended up the winner in the end. After the Crimson Tide shut out the Vols in the first half, Tennessee pushed through in the second half to defeat Alabama 24-17. The Crimson Tide falls to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play.

Here are three takeaways from the game between No. 7 Alabama and No. 11 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium.

Alabama defense grabs takeaways, but offense can’t capitalize

There certainly was no lack of opportunities for the Crimson Tide on offense in the first half. The defense made sure of it.

Safety Malachi Moore, in particular.

Moore forced a fumble on Tennessee’s first offensive drive. Then, later in the first half, he grabbed an interception on a deep attempt from Vols backup quarterback Gaston Moore.

Then freshman cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe halted another Tennessee drive with an interception near the end zone.

Yet through all of those plays the defense made, Alabama couldn’t score a single point off any of them. Each drive after the defense forced a takeaway, the Alabama offense ended up punting.

By halftime, the Crimson Tide led 7-0 but with three takeaways. And frankly, Alabama should have led by more.

Penalties plague Alabama

As for why the Crimson Tide too often failed to make something of takeaways, penalties became culprit No. 1.

False starts. Holds. Personal fouls. Alabama racked up penalty after penalty. The Crimson Tide had 10 by halftime.

The raucous Neyland Stadium crowd certainly played a role in prompting some of those penalties, but Alabama also did things to get in its own way.

Tennessee‘s defense made plays to stop the Alabama offense, but penalties did too. More than they should have.

Alabama had 17 penalties the last trip to Knoxville, a record for one game. The Crimson Tide’s penalty woes continued in the most recent visit to Neyland Stadium, with 15 flags for 115 yards — including a killer personal foul on Kendrick Law on Alabama’s final possession.

Tennessee offense wakes up in second half

It‘s amazing what can happen when an offense doesn’t turn the ball over three times.

The Vols found out in the second half, scoring three touchdowns on the first five drives after halftime. Tennessee seemed to have figured out how to beat the Alabama defense in the second half. A rushing offense mixed with some important catches provided the recipe for the Tennessee offense to score at a much higher rate after a fairly quiet first half in which the Crimson Tide defense shut it out.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.