The Tennessee Volunteers’ 2021 football season came to an end on Thursday night with a disappointing overtime loss to Purdue in the Music City Bowl. While the season came to an unfortunate ending result, Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker said the game is something that the program as a whole can use to progress and change the program’s narrative.
“I see it as something we can build off of,” Hooker said. “Right now, remembering this loss. To change that narrative is big.”
The first quarter of the game was massively in favor of the Volunteers. Hooker tossed two touchdown passes and Jabari Small ran a touchdown in, allowing Tennessee to lead 21-7 after one quarter. But the Volunteers were outscored 16-0 in the second quarter, thus trailing 23-21 at halftime. The two teams battled it out until overtime where the game came to a controversial ending.
Tennessee got the ball first in the overtime session and got all the way to the Purdue 1-yard line and ran the ball on fourth down. Jaylen Wright was stuffed short of the goal line but appeared to reach the ball over the goal line before he was down on the field. However, officials blew the play dead, thus ending the drive and resulting in a turnover. Purdue would go on to kick a game-winning field goal for the three-point win.
