Alabama's Amari Cooper (9) eludes Tennessee's diving Brian Randolph (37) as he runs for Alabama's first touchdown on Oct. 25, 2014. In the background Offensive Coordinator Lane Kiffin follows the play.KNOXVILLE - Lane Kiffin's first play call as Alabama's offensive coordinator inside Neyland Stadium resulted in an 80-yard touchdown pass from Blake Sims to Amari Cooper in the Crimson Tide's eventual 34-20 win.
His entrance into Neyland was just as entertaining.
With less than an hour to go before kickoff, the 2009 Tennessee head coach entered the field in his white visor and white Alabama jacket to resounding boos from the crowd. A couple of Crimson Tide assistant coaches took in the scene and started laughing and clapping as Kiffin ran by and acknowledged their amusement.
"I don't think it affected any of us," Alabama head coach Nick Saban said afterward. "Lane has done a really good job for us all year, and the players really like him and respond well to him. He's a really good coach, and I think why all the people in Tennessee are (ticked) off at him is because they know he's a good coach and were upset when he left.
"I get that, and I understand that, and I know that there are a lot of good fans here."
Preparing for Kiffin's return was no laughing matter for security personnel, who could be spotted in every direction Saturday night.
One adviser with the Contemporary Services Corporation, which handles crowd management, said there are six CSC members who line up behind the end zone in front of the visiting locker room during a typical Tennessee home game. On Saturday night, there were 12 to 14 at all times.
The adviser, who requested anonymity, also said there would be CSC personnel with Kiffin's wife, Layla, throughout the game.
There was also an increase in members of the Knoxville Police Department. One officer said specific numbers for Saturday night would be released either after the game or at some point today.
When Kiffin ran onto the field moments before kickoff, he had a police officer on each side, which was the first time that scene had occurred this season.
"All week, Coach Saban talked about it not affecting us unless we let it affect us," Tide center Ryan Kelly said. "This is a great place to play, and this is a great rivalry, so we weren't looking for redemption. We just wanted to be physical."
Moving on up
With his 80-yard touchdown reception on Alabama's first play from scrimmage, Cooper moved past Julio Jones and into the second spot among all-time Crimson Tide receivers.
Cooper finished with nine catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns and now has 2,868 career yards. He is just 55 yards away from the top spot held by DJ Hall, who amassed 2,923 yards from 2004-07.
Third-time charm
Alabama's 80-yard touchdown reception on the game's first play was the third time in series history that the Tide have scored on their inaugural snap via a pass of at least 80 yards. There were an 80-yard pass from Gary Rutledge to Wayne Wheeler on Oct. 20, 1973, and a 90-yarder from Jeff Dunn to Pierre Goode on Oct. 17, 1987.
Collins sidetracked
Alabama junior safety Landon Collins was injured early in the third quarter and taken immediately into the locker room with what was likely cramps. Collins came back on the next possession after receiving an IV.
"It was eating me up when I was in the locker room," Collins said. "I could hear the crowd when they scored, and I just knew I had to get back out there. I hurried up as fast as possible."
Collins is the most experienced member of the Crimson Tide secondary, having started all eight games at strong safety. He entered Saturday's game with a team-high 50 tackles and added four.
Tide tidbits
Adam Griffith made his first 32 extra-point attempts this season before misfiring after Alabama's first touchdown. ... Alabama improved to 80-5 under Saban when leading at halftime, with one of those losses occurring this season at Ole Miss. ... Xzavier Dickson sacked Tennessee quarterback Nathan Peterman on the opening drive, bringing Dickson's season total to a team-best 6.5 sacks.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.