The combination of Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker and head coach Josh Heupel has been nightmare fuel for opponents this season. Even Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide found that combination tough to stop as Saturday’s game between Tennessee and Alabama got underway.
When Hooker threw this 36-yard touchdown pass to Jalin Hyatt with 6:33 left in the first quarter, the Vols had already scored on Jabari Small’s one-yard run. Then, Alabama responded with a drive that end in Jahmyr Gibbs’s eight-yard touchdown run, setting Hooker up for this beauty of a throw.
The Vols' offense ranks No. 1 in Success Rate out of 3×1 sets this season.
The Crimson Tide defense ranks 39th in the FBS in Success Rate against 3×1 sets. https://t.co/PA2DfyqFCg
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) October 15, 2022
(Charting numbers per Pro Football Focus).
Pre-snap, Tennessee motioned to a 3×1 set in a wide formation, and Hyatt just blew through Alabama’s defense.
As seen in Tennessee’s 40-13 beatdown of LSU last Saturday, motioning to a three-receiver set and winning with the deep ball appears to be a Heupel/Hooker thing this season.
Hendon Hooker slinging dimes to Jalin Hyatt for six! Vols lead LSU 20-0. #Tennessee #LSU pic.twitter.com/v8OWiqKRtR
— Off The Deck Sports (@OffTheDeck_) October 8, 2022
We’re sure that Saban was aware of these numbers, Stopping those formations on the field, when Heupel is dealing things up and Hooker is throwing the ball, however, is another matter.