Volunteer Rewind: Tennessee snaps streak vs. Alabama in emotional win
Following a road blowout over LSU, Tennessee turned its attention to the Third Saturday of October.
In the match, the No. 6 Vols (6-0, 3-0 SEC) took down No. 3 Alabama (6-1, 3-1) to snap a 15-game losing streak and let loose a flood of fans who stormed Shields-Watkins Field at Neyland Stadium.
Let's dive into the intricacies of one of the biggest wins in modern Tennessee football history.
Scoring
1Q:
Vols TD - Small one-yard run (7-0)
Alabama TD - Gibbs eight-yard run (7-7)
Vols TD - Hyatt 36-yard reception from Hooker (14-7)
Vols TD - Hyatt 11-yard reception from Hooker (21-7)
2Q:
Alabama FG - Reichard 21-yard kick (21-10)
Vols TD - Fant two-yard run (28-10)
Alabama TD - Brooks seven-yard reception from Young (28-17)
Alabama FG - Reichard 43-yard kick (28-20)
3Q:
Alabama TD - Gibbs 28-yard run (Brooks reception from Young two-point conversion) (28-28)
Vols TD - Hyatt 60-yard reception from Hooker (McGrath missed PAT) (34-28)
Alabama TD - Gibbs two-yard run (34-35)
4Q:
Vols TD - Hyatt 78-yard reception from Hooker (Fant reception from Hooker two-point conversion) (42-35)
Alabama TD - Latu one-yard reception from Young (42-42)
Alabama TD - Turner 11-yard fumble return (42-49)
Vols TD - Hyatt 13-yard reception from Hooker (49-49)
Vols FG - McGrath 40-yard kick (52-49)
MVPs
Offensive: Jalin Hyatt
In the win over Alabama, Jalin Hyatt put together one of the best single game performances in school history.
The speedy receiver totaled six receptions for 207 yards and five touchdowns. This came on scores as long as 78, 60 and 36 yards. He accounted for over half of the team's receiving yards in the game and all of their touchdowns.
His 207 yards were the sixth most by a Tennessee receiver in a single game in program history. The five touchdowns were two more than any player has ever caught, as well.
This game solidified Hyatt as the frontrunner for the Biletnikoff Award given to the country's best wide out. It also shot him up draft boards and was a big reason he was picked in the third round this year.
Defensive: Omari Thomas
Although the Tide scored 49 points, the Vols' defense did a solid job of limiting them to begin the game and bending but not breaking at the end.
The biggest positive on the defensive end was the ability to stop Alabama's rush attack. After getting gashed on the ground the year before, Tennessee held the Tide to just 114 yards on 31 carries. This almost exclusively came from Jahmyr Gibbs.
Helping stuff the run and forcing Bryce Young out of the pocket was Omari Thomas. He came up with two tackles and Tennessee's only sack of the game. He clogged the middle of the line with his big and athletic frame, as well.
What it meant
As Chase McGrath's 40-yard kick awkwardly fell in between the uprights by a couple of feet, emotion that had been building for 15 years was uncorked as the more than 100,000 fans inside Neyland Stadium began to file onto the field to celebrate.
As tears ran down faces and cigar smoke filled the Knoxville night sky, one thing was finally clear.
Tennessee football is back.
The win over Alabama marked the program's first over Nick Saban and first since 2006. In that time, six seperate coaches had taken the field as the full-time leader of the Vols' program, but none were able to overcome the hurdle until Josh Heupel.
In just his second season, Heupel had not only taken down Florida, but now also the Crimson Tide. It pushed Tennessee to a 6-0 start and shot the team to a No. 3 ranking in the country, too.
Now, with the hopes of earning a spot in the College Football Playoffs a serious possibility, the Vols would host UT Martin in a tuneup game and opportunity to catch their breath before finishing up their SEC slate.
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