Barker Comes Off Bench, Makes Tide Roll : SEC: Alabama freshman quarterback leads three fourth-quarter touchdown drives in 24-19 victory over No. 8 Tennessee.

Alabama freshman quarterback Jay Barker acknowledged being a bit nervous as he came into the game in the second half Saturday. It didn’t show in his play or on the scoreboard.

Barker quickly gained control of the offense as the 14th-ranked Crimson Tide scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 24-19 Southeastern Conference victory over No. 8 Tennessee.

It was the Volunteers’ sixth consecutive loss to Alabama and their second SEC road defeat in two weeks.

Alabama’s Siran Stacy had two short scoring runs in the Barker-led spree, and Derrick Lassic added the third. The first half was all defense and field goals.

Coach Gene Stallings called on Barker midway through the third quarter after starter Danny Woodson suffered a pulled hamstring.

“I had the jitters when I first went in,” Barker said. “When we came to the sidelines after my first series, I told the offensive line, ‘I have confidence in you. You just have confidence in me.’ We knew their defense was tired.”

Alabama, 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC, and Tennessee (4-2, 2-2) had played seven quarters since last season without a touchdown when Stacy scored from the one- and two-yard lines and Lassic from the one.

Tennessee’s Aaron Hayden then scored on runs of one and eight yards.

The Volunteers led, 6-3, when Barker came in and led Alabama on a 70-yard drive, capped by Stacy’s one-yard dive.

“I thought the key part of the game was the 70-yard drive,” Stallings said. “Barker did an outstanding job in the second half coming off the bench.”

John Becksvoort had put Tennessee ahead on field goals of 33 and 43 yards in the second quarter, countered partially with a 21-yard field goal by Alabama’s Hamp Greene.

With Alabama ahead, 10-6, Chris Anderson returned a punt 56 yards to the 15, setting up a one-yard scoring run by Lassic.

Tennessee’s Andy Kelly threw an interception to Antonio Langham at the Volunteer 34. Stacy went 26 yards on the first play and carried three more times, scoring from the two to make the score, 24-6.

With Kelly’s passes and an eight-yard run to the one, Tennessee moved 81 yards to score with less than five minutes left on Aaron Hayden’s one-yard dive. A two-point conversion attempt failed.

Chris Mims recovered an onside kick at the Volunteer 49, and Kelly again led a touchdown drive, completing a fourth-down pass of 16 yards en route. Hayden scored on an eight-yard run.

“We had a slim chance to get back into it, but I’m proud of what we could accomplish,” Tennessee Coach Johnny Majors said.

Alabama, he said, “got better and stronger in the second half.”