Five Things To Know: The Win Over Alabama

In Neyland Stadium in front of an orange-out crowd, 101,915 were in attendance to see the top-10 rivalry matchup between the No. 6/8 Volunteers and the No. 3/1 Crimson Tide. On a historic, record-setting and exhilarating Saturday night, Tennessee defeated Alabama 52-49.

Neyland Stadium started shaking on the first drive of the 105th edition of this rivalry game. Here are five things to know from the win:

1. Tennessee Offense Lights Up Tide In Historic Fashion

The Tennessee Volunteers headed into the day with the fastest, highest-scoring offense in the SEC. Continuing into week seven, the Vols kept up with their reputation on the biggest stage.

Tennessee's 52-point game marked the most the Vols have ever scored against an AP-Top 25 opponent, and with that total, UT dropped the most points on Alabama during the Nick Saban era and the most points Bama has ever conceded since 1907, when it lost to Sewanee, 54-4.

The Vols racked up 567 yards of total offense, eclipsing 500 total yards for the fifth time in six games this season. As of Monday morning, the undefeated Vols lead the nation averaging 551.0 yards per game.

Tailback Jabari Small and tight end Princeton Fant punched in rushing scores for the Big Orange in the win, while junior receiver Jalin Hyatt delivered arguably the greatest receiving performance in school history.

The nation's No. 1 offense continued to attack all game long, with wide receiver Jalin Hyatt hauling in a program-record five touchdowns.

2. "Hooker to Hyatt!"

The nation's No. 1 offense was headlined by Hyatt Saturday, as he pulled in an SEC record-tying five receiving touchdowns. He finished the day with six catches and 207 receiving yards, including a long of 78 yards on one of his five touchdowns.

His five TDs shattered the school record for most touchdowns in a single game, as the previous record of three was achieved 12 times. He also increased his career touchdown total to 14, ascending to 13th in program history for receiving touchdowns and becoming the 10th Vol in school history to have a 200-yard receiving game.

The junior wide receiver clocked the most touchdowns scored by a Vol in one game since 1929. With his 30 points scored, he tied the single-game program record set by All-American Gene McEver, who rushed for five touchdowns against South Carolina in 1929.

"Everyone knew he wanted to be a great player," head coach Josh Heupel spoke of Hyatt postgame. "You've heard me say it. He has worked to become a great player this year. Preparation meets opportunity, and you have to be ready to smash it. Tonight, he had opportunities and played really good football. It's really special what he did tonight."

3. Hooker Hits Record Heights

Hendon Hooker's spectacular campaign continued Saturday, finishing with a career-high 385 passing yards and five passing touchdowns, all to Hyatt. His stat line represented the most yards and TDs by a Tennessee quarterback in the 105-game series with Alabama.

Hooker's 36-yard connection to Hyatt early in the first quarter marked the signal caller's 18th game in a row with a touchdown pass, tying VFL and Heisman runner-up Heath Shuler's Hooker program record that spanned from 1992-94.

"Hendon is playing at an unbelievable level," Heupel said of his signal caller. "He's smart, tough, competitive, decisive, and he's accurate with the football short, medium and deep. He controlled the game for us, he used his feet when he had to, and he's the key to the ignition that makes us go."

Throwing his only pick of the season in the third quarter, Hooker's historic streak of consecutive passes without an interception was snapped at 261. The streak ended as a school record and the third-longest in SEC history.

With his career day against the Tide, Hooker moved into ninth on the UT career passing charts with 4,762 in 19 games. He also sits ninth in career total yardage in program annals with 5,665 since making his Tennessee debut last fall.

4. College Football At Its Finest

For this year's installment of the Third Saturday in October, the sellout crowd colored the stadium orange with Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White declaring the game an official orange-out.

With both teams ranked in the top-10 for just the sixth time in their 105 meetings, and the conference rivals both coming into Neyland Stadium with an undefeated record, all eyes were on Tennessee this weekend.

In what had been built up by the media as one of the biggest games of the year, College GameDay made its way back to the lawn of hallowed Ayres Hall for the second time in the last four weeks. The last time the nation's most-watched college football show broadcast live from Rocky Top was Sept. 24, to preview the Vols takedown of Florida in a sold-out and checkerboarded Neyland Stadium. College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning served as the guest picker during Saturday's show and was among the 101,915 in attendance for the game as well.

SEC Nation's broadcast was also live from campus, set up just outside Thompson-Boling Arena prior to kickoff, with UT alum Paul Finebaum among the crew.

"The orange-out was phenomenal tonight," Heupel said. "The energy from our fans, the student body and our entire stadium was electric. Vol Walk is always the most unique thing in college sports, in my opinion. Until you experience it, it's just words, but it truly is. Tonight's Vol Walk was unlike anything I could ever imagine. The sea when I turned left with my kids was so deep. What an awesome night for Vol Nation."

The afternoon's sellout crowd marked the third-consecutive sellout in Neyland Stadium this season. It is the first time that Tennessee has hosted three sellouts in consecutive home games since 2016.

5. McGrath Makes It!

In a back-and-forth bout between elite top-10 opponents, the tide seemed to turn toward Alabama as the game was coming to a close and the Crimson Tide led the game 49-42 with just over seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. After Hooker found Hyatt for a game-tying 13-yard touchdown and the Volunteer defense delivered a much-needed stand, 15 seconds remained for the Big Orange to pull off the upset.

Hooker proceeded to fire completions to wideouts Ramel Keyton and Bru McCoy to push the Big Orange comfortably into field goal range. With two seconds remaining on the game clock, the stage was set for redshirt senior placekicker Chase McGrath.

Seeking redemption after an extra point slightly missed the mark earlier in the day, McGrath's 40-yard field goal cleared the crossbar and found its way through the goalposts to power the Tennessee Volunteers past the previously undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide, 52-49, as time expired. McGrath's kick pushed the Vols to their first victory over the Tide since 2006.

The field quickly turned from green to orange as the fans on Rocky Top flooded onto Shields-Watkins Field to celebrate with the team. "Dixieland Delight" rang out through the stadium and cigar smoke filled the air as Vols reigned victorious on a Tennessee Saturday night.

"Tonight was for our players, for our former players, for our donors, and for our fans," Heupel said in his postgame remarks. "I know how much this has meant to the people of Tennessee and Vol Nation, and (I am) so excited that we came out with the win, for everybody involved. It was a great night."

Up next, the undefeated Vols host UT Martin for homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 22 (Noon ET, SEC Network).

University of Tennessee Athletics

1. Tennessee Offense Lights Up Tide In Historic Fashion

2. "Hooker to Hyatt!"

3. Hooker Hits Record Heights

4. College Football At Its Finest

5. McGrath Makes It!

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Players Mentioned

Princeton Fant

Hendon Hooker

Jalin Hyatt

Ramel Keyton

Bru McCoy

Chase McGrath

Jabari Small

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