The cigars are waiting, tucked in humidors and desk drawers and glove compartments and pockets all over Knoxville.
They’re a tradition for the Third Saturday in October, the annual, perpetual, don’t-schedule-your-wedding-this-weekend date of the Alabama-Tennessee game. Begun in 1961 when an Alabama trainer passed out smokes to celebrate the Tide’s first victory over Tennessee since 1954, cigars are now the visible — and fragrant — sign of victory in a rivalry that dates back to 1901.
“This is why you come to Tennessee and want to be in this league,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said Monday. “Our players have earned the right to get to this point and play for this … It will obviously be a huge test for us, but our players are really excited.” Hooker stretches the field — his 10.2 yards per attempt ranks first in the SEC and third in the nation — and he’s the most accurate passer, by completion percentage, in the conference. As a team, Tennessee’s quick-strike offense has kept three ranked teams on their heels, forcing them to play from behind almost from the jump. The Vols have scored first in four of their five victories.
“We don’t have to do anything extraordinary,” Heupel said. “We have to do the ordinary at a very high level.” That’s … sort of the definition of “extraordinary,” but Heupel is doing his best to manage expectations.
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