Sports

Tennessee vs. Alabama: Numbers behind the big Volunteers win

Written by ABC AUDIO on October 16, 2022

The No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers completed an SEC clash for the ages in one of the biggest games of the 2022 college football season.

With a 52-49 win, Tennessee snapped a 15-game losing streak against Alabama courtesy of a game-winning 40-yard field goal by Chase McGrath.

The Vols’ 52 points were the most allowed by Alabama since a 1907 game against Sewanee (54).

It was also just the third game across Nick Saban’s collegiate and professional head coaching career where his team allowed at least 52 points — and the first instance since a 1999 game between Michigan State and then-No. 20 Purdue.

Fans near and far from the college football world weighed in on the historic matchup.

The final score is far from the only staggering number the Vols put up. Here are some other notable numbers from the rivalry game:

1: Tennessee started the game on an impressive note as the first team to score a touchdown on its opening drive against Alabama this season.

4: The Volunteers continued to find the end zone on their next two drives. This was just the fourth time in the Nick Saban era at Alabama where the defense allowed a touchdown on its opponent’s first three offensive possessions.

Tennessee has beat four ranked opponents this season (No. 17 Pitt, No. 20 Florida, No. 25 LSU, No.3 Alabama).

The last team to have four ranked wins within their first six games was LSU in 2011 and only five other teams have accomplished this feat in the AP Poll era.

5: It was the Jalin Hyatt and Hendon Hooker show at Neyland Stadium. The duo connected for five touchdowns. Hyatt became the first player to have at least 200 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns in a game since former Crimson Tide wideout DeVonta Smith in 2019.

Hooker is the first player with multiple games of 350 passing yards and five passing touchdowns in program history.

The offensive firepower gave legendary former Tennessee signal caller Peyton Manning more than enough reasons to light a victory cigar.

28: Entering Saturday, Alabama’s season-high for points allowed in a game this season was 26 against Arkansas. Tennessee eclipsed that total in the first half alone with 28 points, its most in any game versus Alabama since 2007.

136: This was the 136th top-10 matchup in SEC history, but only one of the previous 135 featured 100 combined points. It ties the 2013 game where No. 3 Auburn beat No. 5 Missouri, 52-49, as the highest scoring top-10 matchup in SEC history.

Tennessee beats Alabama football on last-second field goal for first series win since 2006

Tennessee beats Alabama football on last-second field goal for first series win since 2006. Nick Kelly. The Tuscaloosa News.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. − Alabama football looked like it had the game clinched.

Kool-Aid McKinstry was running toward the end zone, and even if he didn’t make it, the Crimson Tide appeared to be in control. Alabama had a lead in the final minutes Saturday and was about to have the football deep in Tennessee Vols territory.

But wait. There was a flag. Pass interference on Alabama.

The play was coming back. Shortly after, Tennessee tied the game.

The Crimson Tide, whether it was early in the game or toward the end, just couldn’t get out of its own way.

Tennessee took advantage of a missed field goal late, and the Vols kicked the game-winner at the buzzer to beat Alabama 52-49 at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee snapped a 15-year losing streak to Alabama.

Here are observations and takeaways from the game between No. 1 Alabama (6-1, 3-1 SEC) and No. 8 Tennessee (6-0, 3-0).

Defense struggles against Hendon Hooker and company, outside of a few turnovers

Alabama was well aware of the tempo with which the Vols offense operates. It was talked about repeatedly throughout the week. Knowing about it often didn’t matter, though.

The Crimson Tide struggled to slow Tennessee’s fast-paced offense. Blink, and the Vols had already run several plays. That quick tempo prevented Alabama from affecting Hooker, and the Vols offense rolled early. Tennessee had already scored three touchdowns by the end of the first quarter.

Hooker and the receivers continued to find soft spots in coverage, and Alabama struggled to find ways to disrupt a usually clean pocket for Hooker. That led to plenty of offensive success for the Vols.

Alabama eventually stopped the bleeding and had a few impressive plays. There were a couple of fourth-down stops and DeMarcco Hellams became the first defender to intercept Hooker in about 11 months. Dallas Turner also recovered a fumble for a touchdown.

Still, the defense couldn’t stop giving up plays late, in particular to Jalin Hyatt. He cooked the Crimson Tide secondary for 207 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Then Tennessee drove down the field in the final minute, ending with the game-winning kick.

Discipline problems and mistakes put Alabama behind early

It almost became silly how Alabama was finding ways to get penalized on one first-quarter drive.

First, there was holding on the kickoff return. Tennessee had just taken a 14-7 lead and the Crimson Tide needed to respond. On the first offensive play, another holding penalty. Before Alabama could run another play, the Crimson Tide had a false start. The drive only got worse from there. Mix the penalties with a Traeshon Holden drop, and James Burnip soon had to punt out of Alabama’s end zone.

The Crimson Tide reached seven penalties for the game by Burnips’ punt. More than five minutes still remained in the first quarter. In the first half alone, Alabama had nine penalties for 71 yards.

Those got in the way of an Alabama team that already had enough of a problem facing a talented Tennessee team in a hostile Neyland Stadium.

As far as mistakes go, none were more glaring than Quandarrius Robinson’s punt return mistake when he tried to pick up a loose ball and Tennessee recovered. Shortly after the turnover, the Vols took a 28-10 lead with 11:41 left in the first half.

Bryce Young’s shoulder is more than fine

Young was injured recently? He certainly didn’t look like a player fresh off a shoulder injury.

After missing the previous week’s game vs. Texas A&M, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner was back to his old tricks as Alabama’s quarterback: making defenders miss, extending plays, throwing footballs into tight windows.

His third-quarter drive to help Alabama take its first lead was a masterpiece. Young led a 12-play, 75-yard march made possible by his Houdini-like moves and remarkable throws. The pass to tight end Cameron Latu along the right sideline was nothing short of impressive.

Jahmyr Gibbs continues to be a gamer

Outside of Young, the next player you would want to have the football in an important moment is Gibbs.

He froze defenders at times. He also proved clutch when it came to scoring. He had three rushing touchdowns by the end of the third quarter.

In another 100-plus-yard rushing day for Gibbs, he proved to be the best player on the Alabama offense not-named Young.