Kool-Aid McKinstry looking ahead, not back, on Tennessee matchup

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry was involved in one of the most pivotal plays in last year’s Tennessee game, one that ultimately turned the tide for the Vols.

With just over four minutes left to play a season ago, Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker dropped back to pass on 4th and 5 at the Alabama 28. Hooker was flushed out of the pocket and forced to roll to his left, and he looked tight end Princeton Fant’s way near the goal line. The pass was broken up and fell into McKinstry’s hands in the end zone, and the Tide cornerback ran it back more than 80 yards before stepping out of bound inside the Vols’ 20.

But there was a flag on the field.

Alabama defensive back Malachi Moore was called for pass interference, which erased the pick that could have likely sealed the road win for the Crimson Tide. Instead, Tennessee maintained possession and scored on the very next play as Hooker connected with Jalin Hyatt on a 13-yard touchdown, their fifth of the contest. That tied the game at 49-49, and the Vols would go on to win the game, snapping a 15-season losing streak, on a last-minute field goal. 

Fast forward a year later and McKinstry was asked about the game-altering penalty.

“I haven’t looked at that play since the Monday after the game after we watched film with Coach,” McKinstry told reporters on Tuesday. “That’s last year. I’m kind of focused on this year, focused on doing what we need to do to execute and play fast and physical as a defense this week. I haven’t really went back and looked at that.”

Hooker and Hyatt moved on after the 2022 season, and Tennessee wide receiver Bru McCoy suffered a season-ending injury earlier this year. The Vols’ passing game isn’t as potent as it was a year ago, averaging 212.5 yards per game (11th in the SEC) and 6.8 yards per attempt (13th). But quarterback Joe Milton is capable of throwing from goal line to goal line – and is also a running threat – and has Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton as his top targets. 

McKinstry assessed both Milton and his receiving corps.

“I feel like their quarterback is a good player,” McKinstry said. “He has a very strong arm. He can make all the throws. He plays like he’s very smart and he understands what the offensive coordinator is trying to get accomplished with their offense.”

He added on the wideouts, “Those guys are good players. They also understand the scheme that their coach is trying to get accomplished. I feel like they do their jobs. They don’t try to do too much outside of what they need to be doing. I feel like they play very hard, and they block on the outside. I feel like they run good routes, and I feel like those guys are good players, too.”

While McKinstry said he doesn’t talk trash during games, he does play mind games with the opposing players, acting like Alabama is in man coverage when the call is actually zone.

“I feel like it works all the time,” McKinstry said. “I feel like I kind of get in guys’ heads and kind of just me being me and just being confident in our scheme and just telling guys stuff to confuse the other players that are on the other side of the ball because I know that they’re listening. I know they’re trying to figure out what we’re doing. 

“Because we do so many different things, I know they’re trying to figure out what we’re doing. So I might just say little, slick things so they think they’re doing something, but the whole time, we’re doing another. Or we might be really doing that, so you never know what’s really going on.

“That’s kind of the way I like to play, and just me being confident in the scheme and the guys around me, I feel like I can do those things.”

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