Things didn’t go well for Alabama football the last time it visited Tennessee. The Volunteers famously snapped a 15-year losing streak on a field goal as time expired, before UT fans rushed the field and threw the Neyland Stadium goalposts in the Tennessee River.

Crimson Tide freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams wasn’t around for the game. Still, he’s heard about it this week from his UA teammates.

“We were in the locker room just talking about it,” Williams said. “They don’t want that feeling again, so I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure they don’t have that feeling.”

Alabama got a measure of revenge last season. The Tide won UT’s return trip to Tuscaloosa 34-20 on UA’s way to a College Football Playoff appearance.

On Saturday, it will play at Neyland Stadium once again. Some of the team’s older players are trying to impart the importance of the matchup to Alabama’s youngsters.

“We definitely remember that feeling,” fifth-year safety Malachi Moore said. “Trying to put it on ourselves and give ourselves a little responsibility of letting the guys, the young guys and the transfers, know how big this rivalry is to Alabama.”

Tennessee and Alabama face similar stakes on Saturday. Both teams enter with a loss, and a second could crush their hopes of appearing in a newly revamped 12-team CFP.

Neither team looked especially good in their most recent games. Alabama had to fight back after trailing South Carolina in the second half, while lowly Florida took the Volunteers to overtime in Knoxville.

The Crimson Tide knows how big the game is. Still, graduate defensive lineman Tim Smith emphasized how important it is for the team to remain composed.

Smith explained his mindset for a game where he was expecting lots of trash talk.

“If somebody’s got to sit there and tell you you’re trash, they’re the trash,” Smith said. Like you’re clearly not working hard enough for me to be going back and forth with you… If you were working hard, you wouldn’t have the breath, nor energy or mindset to be talking about some, ‘Oh, you trash.’

“You’re trying to get in my head to make me mess up or crash out. That’s how I take it. If you’re telling me I’m trash, I’ve been whooping your ass the whole game.”

The Tennessee offensive attack Alabama will face Saturday is a different animal than the 2022 Volunteers. Josh Heupel’s team is still capable of explosive pass plays with freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, but relies far more on the run now.

Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide offense has been solid, but an inconsistent defense has struggled in both the South Carolina game, and UA’s loss at Vanderbilt. Between the two playoff hopefuls, something will have to give on Saturday.

“As a competitor, you’re supposed to love moments like this,” Moore said. “Going into a place where everybody hates you, nobody wants to see you win or walk out of there victorious. You just have to… expect it and go out there and execute it.”

Alabama and Tennessee are scheduled to kick off at 2:45 p.m. CT Saturday. The game will be aired on ABC.