Tennessee football: Five key Vols to watch for at Alabama
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Quarterback. 839. Redshirt senior. Hendon Hooker. 3. player
6’4″ 218 pounds
He may not even play. Well, if Tennessee football doesn’t have Hendon Hooker on Saturday, it has no shot of winning. The key to beating Alabama for years has always been an elite playmaker at quarterback Nick Saban isn’t used to dealing with. Saban has never seen Hooker play before, and Hooker is a dual-threat playing for an offensive-minded coach.
Although Joe Milton III also fits that mold, the quarterback has to be capable of beating Alabama as well. Milton isn’t there yet. Hooker, on the other hand, fits the mold of guys Nick Marshall and Trevor Knight. Without the defense, he’s their best chance to win.
For the year, Hooker has completed 95 of 138 passes (68.8 percent) for 1,296 yards (9.4 yards per attempt), 14 touchdowns and just one interception, and he has 89 carries for 390 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. He has two fumbles, so he has three turnovers overall, but he hasn’t had one the past four games.
Last week, Hooker nearly pulled off a heroic effort. He threw for over 230 yards and a touchdown and ran for over 100 yards and a touchdown while committing no turnovers. Late in the game, he drove the Vols into scoring position with seconds left and his team trailing 31-26 before he had to leave, forcing Milton to finish.
Josh Heupel could be employing a gamesmanship strategy with Hooker and Milton, and this is one of the weeks that could work. However, the Vols need Hooker on the field to win. Without him, they don’t stand a chance to even make this game close.