Alex Golesh was known this time last week as Tennessee’s successful second-year offensive coordinator.
Following last Saturday’s 52-49 victory over Alabama inside a Neyland Stadium filled with drama and excitement, Golesh is now recognized as the offensive coordinator who helped the Volunteers hang more points on the Crimson Tide than any program in more than a century.
“Rewarding is a good word,” Golesh said Tuesday in a news conference when asked to describe Tennessee’s first toppling of the Tide since 2006. “There was an emotional end to it — I got to see my wife and kids on the field right at the end of it — and the amount of work that everybody has put in is the rewarding part. We got here January 28th a year and a half ago, and it’s been a lot of work, to say the least.
“We played really hard in that game offensively. Our O-line played really hard. Our wideouts played hard — the tight ends, the running backs, the quarterback. The rewarding part is that we went into that game expecting to win.”
Tennessee put up pinball-machine numbers at Alabama’s expense, with sixth-year senior quarterback Hendon Hooker throwing for 385 yards and five touchdowns, with all those scores going to Jalin Hyatt. The junior receiver set a program record for single-game touchdown receptions, and the running game complemented that aerial showing by amassing 182 yards on 39 carries.