Josh Heupel could only breathe a sigh of relief as Tennessee knocked off Alabama in a shootout 52-49.
Tennessee jumped out to a quick 21-7 lead, but Alabama went on a 10-0 scoring streak before halftime to capture momentum. The Tide also outscored Tennessee in the third quarter to come marching back to take the lead.
Chase McGrath kicked the game-winning field goal from 40 yards.
The Third Saturday in October absolutely lived up the game of the year hype, too.
Heupel spoke to CBS Sports immediately after Tennessee beat Alabama.
“Rocky Top — this is college football at its best,” Heupel said. “Our team competed 60 minutes. These fans, phenomenal. What an environment, man?
“It’s (this win is) about this team, our former players and our fans. We know what this means. We’re lighting a cigar tonight.”
A graduate of the University of Florida and founder of Saturday Down South, Kevin is a college football enthusiast.
