"I Smoked it Slow, but it was Dang Good:" What Tennessee Said After 52-49 Win Over Alabama

The Volunteers connected on a 40-yard field goal as time expired to snap a 15-game Crimson Tide winning streak in the Third Saturday in October series.

Author:
Christopher Walsh
Publish date:
Oct 15, 2022 11:28 PM EDT

In this story:

Alabama Crimson Tide

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel was understandably late to his postgame press conference, especially after the fans at Neyland Stadium rushed the field in celebration and tore down a goalpost.

Here's what he and some of the Volunteers had to say after the 52-49 victory to snap a 15-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide.

“During the week, I don’t know if I downplayed it, but I certainly did not recognize it. I felt it and knew it from the moment that I got here. Tonight was for our players, for our former players, for our donors; it is for our fans (too). 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. I think it just speaks to the mentality, the growth, and the progress of the individuals inside of our locker room and collectively as a team.

"(It) speaks to our coaching staff; Coach (Alex) Golesh, Coach (Tim) Banks, Coach (Mike) Ekeler, our coordinators, and every assistant coach and young coaches, too. The growth inside of our program from the time we got here, the ability to be resilient; it was not pretty in the second half, there were a lot of things that we did not do at the level that we are capable of, but the kids continued to reset and go play and believe and ultimately find a way when it ticks zero to be on the right side of the scoreboard. (I am) really proud of them and really excited to be able to celebrate with everybody tonight.”

On Tennessee's hurry-up offense near the end of the game as well as versus Kentucky in 2021 and LSU last weekendL

"Their ability to finish a half or a game the way that we did offensively today and in the games that you were speaking about, it starts with your quarterback being able to be decisive and take care of the ball. You have to have trust in him. The five guys up front did a phenomenal job protecting tonight. Our defensive line is one of the greatest in the country. Then guys on the perimeter making plays. Ramel Keyton with that catch, and Bru (McCoy) was setting it up. Chase McGrath, in the middle of the football game, there was one (kick) that he wants to have back. I went over and talked to him and he gave me the look like, ‘Get away from me, I'm good. You don't need to talk to me.’

He's a competitor and for him to go off and finish it tonight, it's fitting. I’m really proud of that."

On what the scene was like after the game ended:

"As for the scene after the game, our administration had a plan. We we're trying to make sure that our team was safe and our staff was safe. Man, what an unbelievable scene. That thing ends and, shoot, I'm running out in the middle of the field. You can see the swarm of orange coming down. The orange out was phenomenal tonight. 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."

On the takeaways from Hendon Hooker's career-high touchdown-pass performance:

"Guy's playing at an unbelievable level. 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."

On the hang-on factor as a head coach and staff in a hectic environment Saturday:

“I think it was our program, our players, our coaches and our calm in the storm. We talk a lot about it. We talked about it this week: 60 minutes. It doesn’t matter what it looks like in the beginning, middle, or end. In the late third quarter, early fourth, it didn’t look good. Our guys just continued to reset and the greatest thing that I could say is when they are coming off the field after something doesn’t go right, they have already reset. That’s true. The offense, after the fumble and defensively they gave up a score, they are ready to go compete the next time. That speaks to the culture and the program. It speaks to our coaching staff. I mentioned our coordinators. Our entire coaching staff does a phenomenal job. It speaks to leadership too, and Hendon’s (Hooker) a big part of that too.”

On the postgame atmosphere in the locker room:

“I smoked it slow, but it was dang good. It was a great night, so much fun. From former players to current players, guys that just finished a year ago that are a huge part of this culture and what this program has been able to do this year—just that trajectory from last year. Man, it was a great night.”

On if he remembered his last cigar before tonight and if it was his first one:

“I’m going to say no on that. No, it was not my first one.”

On talking to the team about the big picture beyond the win:

“The big picture of this means we are the best team on the field this game and that is our goal every single week. There are so many uncontrollables. Control what we can control. It doesn’t change from week to week and this journey is just beginning. Good teams get better throughout the course of the season. We are halfway finished with the regular season. We are just beginning. We have guys that have to get back healthy. We have to continue to improve in all areas. You guys saw a lot of things starting with me, to our players that we can be better at. We are glad to get this one, but this is just this one. Enjoy it today. Tomorrow our staff will flip the switch and start correcting things at 10 in the morning and our players will flip the switch on Monday. Everybody should enjoy it.”

On games he has been involved with as a player and a coach and where this one ranks:

“This is a great one. It’s special, obviously with the opponent. The way it transpired back and forth, being on the wrong side of it for most of the fourth quarter and then the guys reset and clinched the right way. It’s special for Chase (McGrath) to finish it the way he did, and obviously the two big completions too.”

On why this team has been able to handle the noise that Tennessee has had outside of the program:

“I think we have good leadership inside our locker room. It starts there. Coaches are not too different year to year. Leadership with accountability is a huge part of it. We have special leaders on both sides of the football. That is a big place where it all starts. This group continues to believe and they have been smart enough and mature enough to be real and understand what the video Looks like. They continue to improve their practice habits and one reason I do love this team is because they enjoy being out on the grass together and competing and getting better throughout the week."

On if he envisioned Jalin Hyatt’s role to be what it was in the game:

“I don't know if you plan on that. I think that is one of the great stories. Everyone knew he wanted to be a great player. 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.”

On if Alabama's film showed weaknesses in the secondary for Jalyn Hyatt to have opportunities or if it was just good player making plays:

“Good player making plays. They are good structurally and obviously have good personnel too.”

On the magnitude of the Tennessee-Alabama rivalry:

“To be honest I probably got a better sense of it last year. Walking off the field and seeing the smoke in the stands and understanding the magnitude a little bit. This was the first game I heard about when I got here. I think when you talk to different generations of Tennessee fans you get different answers of who the biggest opponent is. I think that is one of the unique things here. Alabama is definitely one of them that is circled every year by our fan nation. Our players and staff understand that. We knew going into the week. One of the things, I did like about this team is during the course of the week it was still about getting us into the right mentality and approach. It was the expectation tonight to find a way to be plus one.”

On the success the offensive line:

“Coach Elarbee does a phenomenal job with those guys. They continue to grow together. Fundamentally they have gotten better and with communication. We have been fortunate to have guys play at their positions. Our left tackles flip back and forth a little bit, but we have had some consistency. They continue to get better at passing twists games off in the pass protection and being better at combinations in the run game. Our running backs continue to get better at getting blocks and pressing the line of scrimmage and making good reads and cuts. It’s all of it together. That offensive line is where it starts for us.”

On how much the hug with Tyler Baron postgame meant:

"No hug from a player means more than another. I do not want to get in trouble, so want to make sure I put that out there. Tyler, just a unique path and story. His ability to gain trust in us and the staff, myself, our defensive line coaches, and Coach Banks, and continuing to grow up as a player and as a man. His best football is still out in front of him. It is a great testament to him, and his growth as a player and as a person. I am proud of him, man. There were a lot of great moments tonight. We get a chance to enjoy the success of tonight and appreciate each other. It was a lot of fun.”

On moving forward with the defensive back injuries:

“It was (tough). Obviously, there were a lot of moving pieces, guys moving from up front to back, corners rotating, guys not being available. Kamal (Hadden) was ultimately a game-time decision, so other guys had some preparation late in the week to be ready for it. (It was) a unique scenario here where we had to play a bunch of guys, and I thought they all stepped in and were ready to go compete and get an opportunity to learn and be better from.”

On the scene with Chase McGrath postgame:

“Great hug, super excited. Got a chance to see his family, too. What a great moment for him. As a specialist, sometimes you do not get a ton of opportunities, and he got a chance to take advantage of it tonight. Really special, his journey and how he got here. (He was) one of the first guys that our staff recruited. Overcoming obstacles and injuries, he has done a phenomenal job for us.”

On what a win like this means for the program:

“You can look on Cumberland (Avenue) and see the excitement and what it means to our fanbase. For us, as a team this year, this is just the beginning. We are in the middle stages of it, and there is a lot left out there. We have to continue to improve. At the same time, it has a chance to continue to build focus, urgency, belief and preparation if we handle it the right way. For our program, I think it just continues to elevate. Rocky Top is special; it is how I want it to be here. The fanbase, the gameday environment, the pageantry here in Knoxville: this is college football, and it is absolutely as good as it gets in the country. To be able to showcase it to recruits, for it to be on the national stage, it is just in the beginning stages of this. You cannot imagine a more exciting time to be a part of something as we continue to build this program.”

Senior Quarterback Hendon Hooker

On how special this win is for the team:

“We approach every game the same. It's just another day at the office, and that's how we approached it today. We're just determined to go out there and execute plays and play 100 percent for my brothers to my left and my right. That's what we did tonight.”

On when he learned that Coach Heupel played with fast-paced intensity and how important that has been for his growth:

“That's something that's preached upon day-in and day-out. Wipe the play and move on to the next play. Take one play at a time. We hear that 100 times throughout practice, and that's what we strive to do. We just want to make sure we're doing our jobs to the best of our abilities.”

On if jumping right into a big rivalry coming from the transfer portal is a new normal:

"I guess so. We came here to do a job, and we work our tails off every day to do that to the best of our abilities. We expect to win, and when we come out on the field, we're going to give our 100 percent."

Wide Receiver Jalin Hyatt

On why he was able to have success in the game:

"It was a lot of things. The looks they were giving us—me and (Hendon)—were on the right page as far as what we were looking at, and him trusting in me. I’m just blessed. This is what we needed. It’s been a while since we’ve beaten Alabama. I’m glad we got the win.”

On what the win means:

“That’s just how we prepared. We didn’t prepare thinking we were going to lose at all. We came in here confident and came in here like it was another game—like we always do. The players here, they know what to expect when you come to the SEC, especially Tennessee. You know the guys you have to beat when you sign that letter of intent, and we did that tonight.”

On his performance tonight:

“To be honest, I didn’t know I was going to have five touchdowns. That’s a lot. It was the looks, what they were showing us. We came to the sidelines and figured out what was going to work against their defense. There’s a lot that goes to it in terms of the game plan and how we prepare. We knew we could execute on big plays, knew that coming into the game and knew we had to in order to win this game. I’m proud of everyone in this locker room, and we’re onto the next.”

Senior Kicker Chase McGrath

On what the scene on the field and in the locker room was like after the game:

"It's amazing. Especially with this fan base, you know, all of those years. For us to be able to come out with a win tonight and see everybody's reaction, it's a real blessing and it's an awesome night."

On missing the extra point attempt in the third quarter then kicking the game-winning field goal:

“Yeah, obviously you don’t want that to happen. That’s something that really has never happened to me, but just wipe it and on to the next kick. I knew there was going to be another opportunity later on in the game, so I just really tried to move on from that and focus up on the next opportunity.”

On what the win means to the program:

"I absolutely smoked a cigar. For guys like my holder (Paxton Brooks), who has been in this program since 2018 and this fanbase, I had to smoke a cigar with them. It's such an awesome memory and to get that win for the fanbase and the team, it's a blessing."

Defensive Back Trevon Flowers

On what it was like keeping everything together after other defensive backs got hurt:

“That’s just something we’ve prided ourselves on since the offseason. The next-man-up mentality. No matter what we practice hard, we train hard, we love each other so no matter who’s out there we have to go out there and execute.”

On the last defensive drive, was there anything that was done differently:

“No man, we're just taught to play all four quarters till the clock hits zero. We got some good calls in from our coach, and we executed. We’re not going to stop playing till the game is over. Maybe it looked like the guys came off harder, whatever the case may be but that’s what we pride ourselves on. If it's the first quarter or the last quarter, we have to go hard.”

On the last seconds, what the game means to him:

“It’s indescribable. The stuff that I’ve been through, the stuff that these guys have been through, it’s just something that has been built in the offseason. It’s something that we’ve worked so hard for, it’s definitely history. We will never forget this moment, I’m glad it was with these guys. The coaches, the university, the members of our staff, it’s just indescribable. It's an amazing feeling."