If Hendon Hooker ends up on the stage at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City come December, it only took two throws to help him get there.

The Tennessee senior quarterback already had the numbers to back up his claim to at least be in the Heisman Trophy conversation before the Vols ended a 15-year losing streak to Alabama with a 52-49 win at Neyland Stadium last Saturday. But his final drive that led to kicker Chase McGrath's game-winning 40-yard boot as time expired was the "Heisman moment" that will likely be remembered when the votes for college football’s most prestigious individual award are cast.

If it's not remembered by the voters, it is likely forever nestled into the memories of Tennessee fans.

After Will Reichard's go-ahead field goal drifted right and kept the score knotted up at 49, Hooker had 15 seconds to go from the Tennessee 32 to get the Vols into range for their own field goal. The first throw went for 18 yards to Ramel Keyton. The second was snagged by Bru McCoy inside the 25 with two seconds remaining. It was enough room for McGrath.

"You practice those things in training camp," Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said on Monday. "How you want to function and operate in a lot of different scenarios. Love the fact that our kids understood what we were trying to accomplish. From wideouts to quarterback, to protection up front. … It was a big-time performance by those guys at the end of the football game."

Hooker has had a hand in a number of big-time performances since taking over the starting job early last season.

At Pittsburgh in Week 2, he followed up a holding call that took a touchdown run back with a 28-yard scoring toss to Cedric Tillman that proved to be the game-winner in overtime. The 99-yard scoring drive he engineered just before halftime against Florida gave Tennessee the lead for good in a 38-33 win. He followed that performance up with a 40-13 rout of LSU where he passed for 239 yards and two touchdowns.

The final drive against Alabama was, to this point in his career, the most memorable — especially given the stakes. Hooker is not only a legitimate Heisman candidate, but he's also helped mold the Vols into a serious College Football Playoff contender midway through the season.

Those goals take a backseat to the team goal, however, which is to reach the SEC championship game in Atlanta.

“We've had a main goal since January and we've been working to maintain that goal this whole time," Hooker said. "Until that goal is obtained, there is no rest — and after that goal, there's still more work to do."

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