Jalen Hurd was named Outback Bowl MVP after rushing for 130 yards and a touchdown in Tennessee's win 45-6 win over Northwestern. He didn't lose a yard all day. But it was a performance that almost didn't happen.
"Jalen was a game-time decision. It's a testament to him getting himself back, getting himself ready to go," said Tennessee head coach Butch Jones.
"You know I put it in my mind that I was going to play either way and that's what I did tonight," said Hurd.
The sophomore running back injured his hamstring during practice at the University of Tampa's Pepin Stadium earlier in the week.
"I want to say in either Monday or Tuesday's practice and it was a hamstring and he was just running in the open field and went down and felt it pull," said Jones. "To his credit, it was four or five rounds of treatment around the clock and again Jason McVeigh and our entire training staff and doctors they did a tremendous job."
Jones wasn't sure if Hurd would be able to play until right around game time. Hurd was in backfield on Tennessee's first offensive play, along with fellow running back Alvin Kamara.
"Thursday I ran around a little bit and I felt pretty good," Hurd said. "I got treatment all week, but there was nothing really that was going to stop me from playing. Even if i was hurt I really didn't care."
Perhaps Hurd didn't quite have the burst in the open field that he usually does but that didn't stop him from putting up big numbers or highlight reel plays. Hurd shoved aside a defensive lineman with a stiff arm on one fourth-quarter play, then ran right through a tackle for a 24-yard gain on the next play.
With 130 rushing yards in the Outback Bowl to go with his 122 in his last year's TaxSlayer Bowl, Hurd is the only player in the history of Tennessee football to rush for at least 100 yards in two bowl games.