Jalin Hyatt explains how Alabama fans' disrespect last season fueled his play Saturday
Tennessee wideout Jalin Hyatt had the performance of a lifetime on Saturday versus the Alabama Crimson Tide. Hyatt finished the day with five touchdowns on six catches with 207 yards. What fueled the third-year player to a record-breaking game? Apparently, Alabama fans last year played their part.
“Last year, I remember when we played Bama, fourth quarter and three-to-four minutes left, you could already smell the smoke,” Hyatt said in his post-game press conference. “They lit it before we even ended the game and when you feel a feeling like that, you want to bounce back from that.
“They came to our place, sold out, I knew Vol nation would show out. Just to see what these guys have done, how we executed for four quarters, it just shows how much heart we have on this team. We all believe in our coaches, that’s another thing. I’m proud of this group, I’m proud of these guys.”
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Last season in Tuscaloosa, Hyatt posted three catches for 14 yards in what ended up as a 52-24 blowout. If the Tide and Volunteers end up meeting again in the post-season, there’s no doubt there will be heightened emotion from both sides after such a hard-fought battle on Saturday.
Tennessee shocks Alabama
As much as the win meant to the Volunteers, Hyatt insisted they went into the game with the mindset that it was just yet another must-win matchup.
“This is how we prepared. We didn’t prepare thinking we were going to lose at all,” Hyatt said. “We all came here confident. We came here like it was another game, like we always do. The players here, they know what to expect.
“When you come to the SEC, especially Tennessee, you know the guys you have to beat when you sign that letter of intent. So we did that tonight, we’re blessed.”
Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel discussed how Hyatt’s performance was the culmination of the hard work he’s put in every day since last season.
“He’s worked to be a great player this year,” Heupel said. “Preparation meets opportunity and you’re ready to go smash it. Tonight, he had opportunities and he played really good football. Really special what he did tonight and obviously Hendon being a huge part of that too.”