The forgotten play from Tennessee's win against Alabama that proved to be extremely important
Despite the disappointing losses to Georgia and South Carolina, the 2022 season was extremely special for the Tennessee Vols. Tennessee beat Florida for the first time since 2016, then they beat LSU for the first time since 2005. The highlight of the season, of course, was beating Alabama for the first time since 2006. Tennessee's […]
Despite the disappointing losses to Georgia and South Carolina, the 2022 season was extremely special for the Tennessee Vols.
Tennessee beat Florida for the first time since 2016, then they beat LSU for the first time since 2005.
The highlight of the season, of course, was beating Alabama for the first time since 2006.
Tennessee's win against the Crimson Tide provided some of the best scenes of any college football game in 2022.
The wild celebration that ensued after Chase McGrath's game-winning 40-yard field goal is one that will be remembered forever by college football fans.
That celebration, however, wouldn't have been possible without a mostly-forgotten play early in the fourth quarter.
With the Vols trailing 35-34, Hendon Hooker connected with Jalin Hyatt for a 78-yard touchdown that put Tennessee ahead 40-35.
Because of a missed extra point earlier in the game, the Vols went for two after the long Hyatt touchdown.
On the two-point conversion attempt, Hooker hit Princeton Fant with a well-designed and well-executed shovel pass that pushed Tennessee's lead to seven points.
Those two points proved to be critical for Tennessee.
The Vols trailed 49-42 later in the fourth quarter before tying the game on Hyatt's fifth touchdown of the day.
If Tennessee would've failed to convert that two-point attempt, they would've trailed 49-40 before Hyatt's fifth touchdown.
That would've meant that instead of Alabama attempting a field goal when the game was tied 49-49, the Crimson Tide would've been trying to run out the clock instead.
Essentially, without the two-point conversion by Hooker and Fant, the Vols don't win the game. There is no 15-second drive from Hooker to get Tennessee into field goal range. There's likely no celebration. No wild post-game scenes.
Every play in a football game is obviously important, but the two-point conversion by Fant was one of the most important plays in what turned out to be the best college football game of the year.
Featured image via Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
