Cuevas Says Beating Tennessee is ‘Personal’

It typically takes players and coaches (who aren't from the South) some time to understand how big rivalries are in the Southeastern Conference. There are very few, if any, rivalries bigger in the SEC than the Third Saturday in October between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers, and no rivalry in either state is bigger than the one between the Tide and the Vols.

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Alabama's 2024 coaching staff comprised only two on-field coaches who were a part of the rivalry before 2024. The 2024 rivalry game, played in Knoxville, Tennessee, saw the Volunteers claim their second victory this decade against the Crimson Tide, with the first coming in 2022 (when Tennessee snapped a 15-game losing streak to Alabama). Both times, the Volunteers rushed the field in Neyland Stadium.

Last season, Alabama senior tight end Josh Cuevas had to navigate the sea of orange as he left the field, and it left a bad taste in his mouth. During Wednesday night's 'Hey Coach', Cuevas said that it 'fied him up.'

"It fires us up, absolutely," Cuevas said. "It's something that we've been chasing since last season.

"I'll even give you an example. So, the tight ends, we have a football goal sheet and a personal goal sheet that we do before every week to try and meet those goals. Most of the guys on their personal goals wrote down to beat Tennessee, because it is personal. It is something we take personal. Winning isn't easy in the SEC, so it just makes it more rewarding when you see the entire week of preparation paying off."

No. 6 Alabama will host No. 11 Tennessee this Saturday, October 18. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.