The Tennessee Volunteers have been one of the best stories in college football this season, with a win over Alabama earlier this year in an instant classic pushing them into the top-3 in the country in every poll.
If that magical evening in Knoxville was the high point of the season, Saturday night in Columbia, South Carolina marked the low point as the Vols got shredded by Spencer Rattler and the Gamecocks, who rolled up 63 points in a stunning upset of the No. 5 ranked team in the country. That loss will dash any hopes Tennessee had of still sneaking into the College Football Playoff, but more concerning was a late injury suffered by their star quarterback.
Senior starter Hendon Hooker emerged as a Heisman Trophy candidate this season, putting up some truly ridiculous numbers in the high-powered Tennessee offense and serving as the catalyst for their leap into contention in the SEC. Hooker left Saturday’s loss late with a knee injury and the team announced on Sunday that further testing had revealed a torn ACL, ending Hooker’s season and college career.
Thank you @henhook2
#VFL pic.twitter.com/7IlJWpFOmj
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) November 20, 2022
Hooker’s season will end with some unbelievable numbers, as he completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. Few teams pushed the ball down the field with more success this season than Tennessee and Hooker’s accuracy on deep passes was the reason they could attack teams vertically the way that they did. It’s a disappointing and unfortunate way for the Vols to see their season approach its end, as they’ve had one of the best seasons in school history but won’t be able to enjoy finishing it off with their star quarterback.