<a href='http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/109869577895620.xml' target='_blank'>http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/in...69577895620.xml</a>

TUSCALOOSA - One play summed up University of Alabama quarterback Spencer Pennington's Saturday afternoon in Knoxville. Actually, it was one play that didn't officially count.

Alabama wide receiver Tyrone Prothro found an open space in the Tennessee secondary. Pennington waited to the last second before lofting the ball downfield with three defensive linemen closing in quickly.

If the ball lands in Prothro's hands, it's a big play. With Prothro's ability to make defenders miss, it was possibly a touchdown. It was possibly the game-winning touchdown. At the very least, it converts a fourth-and-6 and keeps Alabama's final hopes alive.

Instead, the ball landed about a yard past the outstretched arms of Prothro. Tennessee bailed Alabama's offense out - at least at the time - by roughing Pennington on the play. But if Pennington completes the pass, the penalty doesn't matter. One day - Alabama head coach Mike Shula hopes it's soon - Pennington needs to make that type of play.

Coming close doesn't cut it against the 11th-ranked team in the country. And it surely won't cut it against Auburn and LSU.

"We've got to try to eliminate `close,'" Pennington said in the aftermath of the 17-13 loss to Tennessee. "That's what we've talked about for the past three weeks now."

In the category that counts most, Pennington failed on Saturday afternoon in Knoxville. Shula often says the true measure of a quarterback's performance comes in the win-loss column.

But to pin this loss solely on Pennington is not looking at the whole picture. He wasn't on the punt coverage team when Tennessee's Derrick Tinsley set up the go-ahead touchdown in the second quarter with a 45-yard punt return. He was credited with a fumble that allowed Tennessee to score 45 seconds into the game, but the critical mistake made on the play was an offensive line miscommunication.

Sure, the quarterback is judged by the final result, but it's impossible not to distribute the responsibility for Saturday's loss, although it's difficult to point a finger at any Crimson Tide defensive player. Pennington did some good things - setting career highs in attempts (28), completions (14) and passing yards (113) and remaining poised under pressure. He also did some bad things - the interception on the final drive, getting sacked on first down deep in Tennessee territory and missing open receivers.

Shula and offensive coordinator Dave Rader put more burden on Pennington than in his other two starts this season. Pennington threw the ball 20 times in wins over Kentucky and Southern Mississippi. He threw the ball 28 times against Tennessee but often missed open receivers on his incompletions.

The higher number of passes doesn't mean the game plan disregarded the running game. Alabama had 16 first-down plays in the first half and the Crimson Tide ran the ball on 12 of those plays. In the second half, Alabama had eight pass plays called on 13 first-down plays. Three of those first-down passes came on a fourth-quarter drive to a field goal and the two came on the final desperation possession.

Consistency was a problem on Saturday. Alabama had 11 of its 16 first downs on its three scoring drives. Two of those drives consisted of a good mixture of passing and running and the other included a key third-down conversion pass to Prothro.

Pennington's critics need to remember he started for just the fourth time as a college player. Experience, hopefully, cures some problems. He'll have a week to rest and reflect on the past three weeks before Alabama plays host to Mississippi State on Nov.6.

If Tim Castille's knee injury is as serious as feared, the passing game may have to take some pressure off halfback Kenneth Darby. That means Pennington needs to learn from Saturday and get better.

E-mail: sirvine@bhamnews.com

Well, that's about it in a nutshell. If BC were healthy this Bama team would be 7-1 or 8-0 right now. Unfortunately that's not the case. Castille is gone for the season as well. He tore his ACL, MCL, and the latest report the injury also involved reattaching his hamstring, although there is no official word on the Hammy. The Tide football team continue's to be gouged by the injury bug. Two seasons in a row, and counting. better days coming though. Bama will have its full complement of schollies this coming recruiting season. That will help.

With Bama's injuries and MSU's win maybe we can see a good game instead of a blowout by Bama.

May the trend continue with the Kentuck game this weekend.