Alabama football's penalty problem has almost reached its lowest point in Knoxville.

The Crimson Tide struggled in that regard before Saturday's game against Tennessee. Then Alabama committed 15 penalties for 115 yards.

That was the most in a game so far this season, surpassing the previous high of 13 against South Florida.

As a result, No. 7 Alabama lost 24-17 to No. 11 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium. The Crimson Tide fell to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play.

“I just can't get over the hurdle and that's going to put you in situations where your back is against the wall,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. “We can’t kill each other like this.”

From start to finish, the Crimson Tide was plagued by penalties. On the first drive of the game, Alabama committed a false start. On the second-to-last drive, Kendrick Law committed a personal foul penalty, which became fourth-and-22 in the final two minutes. Alabama failed to convert on that play when it desperately needed a touchdown, trailing by just four at the time with 1:47 left.

Alabama had false starts, defensive holds, pass interference, intentional grounding, personal fouls and more. Either way, the Crimson Tide probably raised a flag for it.

Alabama had 10 penalties at halftime. So there was an improvement in the second half. But the flags also proved costly in the third and fourth quarters.

It's a trend that lasts all season long. Alabama entered the game as one of the most penalized teams in the country. The Crimson Tide averaged 7.83 penalties per game, ranking 111th fewest in the nation. Only 17 teams performed worse early in the game.

The number of teams with more penalties per game will likely be even lower after Saturday.

“There are times when we are stuck, but we have to get better,” DeBoer said. “No question. You can’t win a football game if you make mistakes like we made out there in the penalty shootout.”