It took all of 1:19 to drive 75 yards on just four plays, as Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd cruised into the end zone from 12 yards out to give the Volunteers a 14-13 lead at a shocked Bryant-Denny Stadium this past Saturday.

The Vols hadn’t led Alabama that late in the game – 5:49 remained when Hurd crossed the goal line and hushed most of the 101,821 in attendance – since 2006. A signature win for a once-proud program looking to complete its rise back to relevancy was less than six minutes away.

The Crimson Tide faithful couldn’t have been overly confident, as quarterback Jake Coker had produced a lone touchdown and a pair of field goals in more than three and a half quarters of work.

A loss would have been the second in eight games for Alabama, meaning a return to the College Football Playoff was almost surely off the table – even getting back to the SEC Championship Game might require a handful of upsets to the likes of LSU and Ole Miss. Running the table could have resulted in nothing more than a ho-hum invitation to the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.

If Coker couldn’t lead a game-winning drive, not only would the season essentially be a waste by Tide standards, but his decision to transfer from Florida State two years ago might have been forever questioned.

After running back Kenyan Drake’s respectable return of the ensuing kickoff, Coker and Co. huddled up at their own 29.

First and 10, preseason goals to go.

“We knew what we had to do,” Alabama tight end O.J. Howard told al.com. “We had to go down and get a score or else …”

Here’s a look inside the drive that saved the Tide’s Final Four hopes:

1st-and-10 from Alabama 29

Dropping back to pass, Coker was pressured up the middle and forced to scramble to his right. Tennessee gave the Crimson Tide offensive line fits most of the day, as Coker’s happy feet were undeniable evidence of the mayhem caused by the Vols up front.

Without much of an opportunity to keep his eyes downfield, Coker settled for another sack and a 1-yard loss.

2nd-and-11 from Alabama 28

Despite Coker’s solid numbers (21 of 27 for 247 yards with no touchdowns and one interception), many of his completions were junior varsity-level shovel passes off jet-sweep action. A handful more were prayers answered by highlight reel-friendly receivers Calvin Ridley and ArDarius Stewart.

Running a fade pattern down the right sideline, Stewart again rescued Coker with a 28-yard reception that required an amazing adjustment on the football mid-flight.

1st-and-10 from Tennessee 44

Until this point, while bruising Alabama running back Derrick Henry hadn’t been shut down, Rocky Top had held him relatively in check: 23 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown with a long run of 20. The Crimson Tide still had plenty of time and gave him the ball again, this time over left guard.

The 6-3, 242-pounder put his foot in the ground and cut it up inside, but he was stopped after only a 2-yard gain.

2nd-and-8 from Tennessee 42

‘Bama went back to the well, this time running Henry off tackle to the left. Tennessee sealed the edge beautifully and again forced him back inside, where he was tackled for another measly 2-yard gain.

The Tide faced third down for the first time on the drive, although clearly they were in four-down territory.

3rd-and-6 from Tennessee 40

In the first half, Coker didn’t appear to have much feel for the back-shoulder fade, missing one badly down the right sideline for Ridley that saw the ball batted down easily by the Volunteers secondary.

But this time, running the same play down the left sideline, Coker placed the pass where only Ridley could make a play on it. The fabulous freshman wideout secured the catch for 15 yards and moved the chains.

1st-and-10 from Tennessee 25

Henry again barreled over left guard, as offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin had yet to call a run to the right on the drive. With no room to bounce outside, Henry sliced his way North and South to gain 6 yards.

The Tennessee front seven began to show signs of fatigue, as No. 2 is a battering ram and tough to corral in space.

2nd-and-4 from Tennessee 19

Henry over left guard once again. He knifed inside once again. Dragged down after a 5-yard gain, Alabama now had a fresh set of downs in the red zone as the clock ticked inside 3 minutes.

1st-and-10 from Tennessee 14

Back in the shotgun after being under center the previous few snaps, Coker sent Ridley in motion from left to right. Faking the jet sweep to Ridley to freeze Tennessee’s linebackers, Coker handed the ball to Henry sprinting left with a full head of steam.

Howard came across the formation from right to left and delivered a perfect seal block on the nickelback. Stewart, who was split left at the snap, bypassed the cornerback in front of him to get a body on the safety at the next level.

Leaving the corner free turned out to be flawless play design, as Henry cut right off Howard’s block and then left off Stewart’s block on his way to paydirt … strike up the band.

It was an 8-play march covering 71 yards that took 3:25, and, aside from the mad scramble on the first snap, Coker appeared to be in total control.

Despite failing on the 2-point conversion, Alabama took a 19-14 lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

The Tide sacked Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs twice on the following drive to put a nail in his coffin once and for all, with the second causing a fumble recovered by defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson.

Victory formation, take a knee, ballgame.

“Some people grew up tonight,” Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland told al.com. “We needed a game like that to show what kind of tough team we (are).”

With a much-needed bye on the horizon for Week 9 and seven extra days to prepare for an epic clash with SEC West-leader LSU on Nov. 7, Coker may have finally earned his stripes in Tuscaloosa.