TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Remember Cal?

Or how about that 39-point loss to Florida in the Swamp five weeks ago?

Tennessee hadn’t exactly forgotten, and it appeared to have moved on.

But on Saturday, the Vols didn’t exactly expect to be reminded quite so vividly as they were in front of 92,138 in Bryant-Denny Stadium, either.

As much as Alabama did to remind the Vols in a 41-17 loss Saturday, Tennessee did just as much.

Penalties, poor execution and the absence of UT’s leading receiver all played a role in another loss that was just as bad as the score looked.

Tailback Arian Foster, who was the brightest spot on a dim day for the offense with 91 yards rushing, said there were two major culprits.

“Us and penalties,” he said.

That’s it, in an Alabama boiled peanut shell.

Four of Tennessee’s season-high 11 penalties belonged to the offense.

Oddly enough, the Vols overcame an illegal block on tight end Jeff Cottam that nullified a Foster touchdown reception to score three plays later.

The Vols overcame a holding call on Ramone Johnson with a 27-yard completion to Austin Rogers on the next play.

Jacques McClendon was whistled for a false start on first down that same drive, but the Vols were able to come within a yard of the first down.

On third-and-1, Lennon Creer pointed to another problem that proved costly for the first time since those two early losses — an inability to convert on third down and extend drives.

In the second half, the Vols were 3-of-7 on third downs and failed to convert on their only fourth-down try.

“It felt just like the Florida and Cal loss,” tight end Chris Brown said. “We didn’t do a lot of good things. We didn’t do enough things to win the football game.”

Tennessee even gave Alabama a momentum-swinging turnover, too.

With Tennessee trailing by a touchdown on its first offensive possession of the second half, quarterback Erik Ainge threw just his fourth interception of the season when looking downfield for Denarius Moore.

“He probably should have put some more air on the ball,” UT coach Phillip Fulmer said of the interception. “He didn’t see the guy, he said.

“Erik, like anybody else, he’s not perfect. That was a tough break. There was a chance right there to make the game back to even.”

Following that interception, though, the Vols weren’t even a break-even venture on offense.

They reached Alabama territory just once — for an incomplete pass on fourth-and-2 — and ran just 22 plays following the interception.

For all the penalties and third-down struggles, the Vols could have just as easily pointed to themselves.

And afterward, they did.

“That’s what it all comes down to is our execution,” said center Josh McNeil, who was whistled for a second-half holding penalty. “The coaches had us prepared. This is all the players fault. (Alabama) didn’t show us anything new that we didn’t think they were going to do.

“This is all about player execution. It comes down to us taking responsibility for what happened today.”

Having to rely on three receivers who entered Saturday’s game with nine catches between them didn’t help, either.

With Lucas Taylor rendered ineffective because of a toe injury suffered last week and Josh Briscoe gone after a first-half concussion, Ainge was working with an unfamiliar group of receivers.

Ainge praised Moore, Quintin Hancock and Gerald Jones, but it was clear the senior didn’t have the timing with those three that he’s developed with Austin Rogers, Taylor and Briscoe.

“It’s obviously harder when you’re not on the same page with somebody like that,” Ainge said. “There’s a big upside for them. I think we just need to go out to practice and I need to work with them more.”

More work awaits the Vols, as do four more conference games in what already has been a wild SEC season.

“I think we’re a good offensive football team that didn’t execute as well as we needed to,” offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe said. “That’s my responsibility. We plan on getting back to work and making that happen. Fast.”

Drew Edwards covers University of Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.