It was evident on Alabama's first possession.

The Tennessee defense, backed by the deafening sounds 102,000-plus orange-clad fans, showed that this one was going to be different.

Even when the No. 3 Crimson Tide overcame an 18-point deficit and took the lead in the second half, the Vols answered. Then they kept their hopes alive with a defensive stand for the ages that resulted in Alabama's Will Reichard missing a potentially game-winning field goal.

Chase McGrath didn't miss when it was his turn.

McGrath ended 15-years of heartbreak and frustration against Alabama with a 40-yard field goal as time expired, the dramatic stamp on a 52-49 Tennessee victory at Neyland Stadium.

The win was the Vols first in the series since 2006.

It was a shootout that would have likely made General Robert Neyland and Bear Bryant grimace, but the matchup between two of college football's top quarterbacks did not disappoint.

Sixth-ranked Tennessee's Hendon Hooker helped solidify his Heisman Trophy campaign by finishing 20-for-31 passing for 385 yards and five touchdowns. The biggest stat was the win, which greatly overshadowed two interceptions.

Bryce Young was questionable in the week leading up to the game, but made his first appearance since injuring his shoulder against Arkansas three weeks ago. He gave the Vols a dose of what won him the Heisman a year ago, tallying 455 yards and two touchdowns.

Without All-SEC receiver Cedric Tillman for the third-straight game, Jalin Hyatt starred in Tennessee's offense again, turing in a career another career performance with six receptions for 207 yards and five touchdowns-a single-game program record.

Tennessee (6-0, 3-0 SEC) and Alabama (6-1, 3-1 SEC) matched scores early in the first quarter, but the Vols scored on back-to-back possessions, both on Hooker touchdown passes to Hyatt to take a 21-7 advantage.

Less than four minutes into the second quarter, Tennessee upped its lead to 28-10 following a short touchdown run from tight end Princeton Fant who lined up at running back on the play, but nothing came easy for the Vols after that.

Alabama scored twice before halftime to make it a one possession game at the intermission and Tennessee failed to convert on fourth-and-6 at the Crimson Tide 42 on its first drive of the third quarter.

Alabama took advantage, scoring on a Jahmyr Gibbs' 26-yard run and then converting on the ensuing two-point conversion to knot it up at 28-28.

Squandering what was at one point an 18-point lead was deflating, but it seemingly hadn't gotten to Hooker. He responded with a 60-yard touchdown pass to Hyatt to put the Vols back in front, but kicker Chase McGrath missed the extra point.

Alabama took its first lead at 35-34 with a drive that ate up more than five minutes in the third quarter. The play before Gibbs scored his third touchdown on a 2-yard rush, Young eluded several would-be tacklers and heaved a pass to the end zone that drew a pass interference call to turn what would have been fourth-and-goal from the 16 to first-and-goal.

Hooker's first critical mistake of the season-an interception thrown to DeMarcco Hellams-gave the ball right back to an Alabama offense that had all of the momentum, but Tennessee's defense stepped up to force a three-and-out.

Three plays into Tennessee next drive, Hyatt got a step on two Alabama defenders and Hooker hit him in stride for a 78-yard touchdown. Hooker pitch inside to Fant on the two-point conversion swelled the Vols' lead to 42-35 in the fourth quarter.

Alabama kept pace, however.

After Omari Thomas sacked Young for force second-and-24, Young avoided Tennessee pressure again and found JoJo Earle down the sideline for a 42-yard pickup. The play put the Crimson Tide back in the goal-to-go territory and on a fourth-and-goal gamble, Young hit a wide-open Cameron Latu to draw even for the third time in the second half, 42-42.

A botched exchange on the handoff between Hooker and Small left the ball on the turf and was picked up by Dallas Turner and carried 11-yards for a go-ahead score.

Tennessee was in an all-too familiar situation against Alabama, the Vols flipped the scrip on past history. A Hooker pass that was intercepted in the end zone was called back for pass interference. It gave him another chance, another pass to his biggest target in Hyatt to put the game on the brink of overtime.

Alabama got into field goal range, but it hardly mattered as Riechard's field goal missed wide right from 50-yard away. With the ball in his hands, Hooker engineered a legendary drive that gave McGrath the room for the field goal that will be etched into Tennessee program history.

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