Tennessee football’s top five performers in 52-49 win vs. Alabama
player. 839. Pick Analysis. r-Senior. 2. Quarterback. Hendon Hooker. Scouting Report
21-of-30, 385 yards; 5 TDs; 14 carries, 56 yards
His interception streak came to an end, as Hendon Hooker threw his first pick all year. That’s not going to matter to him, though. Hooker’s play was as elite as ever, and once again, he lived up to his Heisman hype, constantly delivering for Tennessee football when they needed him.
In the Vols’ third straight game without Cedric Tillman, Hooker still dominated. Once again, he turned to Jalin Hyatt, who we will get to, but we first have to look at Hooker’s overall stats. You can’t dismiss averaging 12.8 yards per pass and gaining 441 yards of total offense. He actually had a higher Total QBR than Bryce Young, and Young was superb.
Now, that interception and the fumbled exchange with Jabari Small that resulted in a touchdown were critical mistakes, but Hooker’s mental toughness is what really stands out here. Every time Alabama came in and made a play to seemingly take control, Hooker responded.
That carried until the end. With 15 seconds to go, the Vols needed to completions to set up a game-winning field goal. Hooker found Ramel Keyton and Bru McCoy with perfect strikes to do just that. His clutch gene is as real as his talent, and that’s a great combination.