How Scott Hunter reacted to Bryce Young breaking his 52-year-old Alabama record
“That’s it.”
Sitting in his club seats above Bryant-Denny Stadium, Scott Hunter’s two-word acknowledgment ended his 52-year reign in the Crimson Tide record book. He held the Alabama single-game standard with 484 passing yards since the 1969 Iron Bowl until Bryce Young eviscerated it against Arkansas.
Speaking to AL.com by phone later Saturday night, Hunter congratulated Young for his 559-yard night in a 42-35 win over Arkansas.
Making it even more special was the fact Hunter was an honorary captain on the same night his 52-year record was taken out back. It survived multiple offensive revolutions, the spread, Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones before Young bettered it by 75 yards.
“For it to last this long,” Hunter said, “it was kind of surprising.”
Hunter said he nudged his buddy, Mike Tindal, when Young was in the 365-yard range knowing something was up. If this game stayed close, he knew there would be opportunity to hit that record.
“He’ll have to keep throwing,” Hunter said. “And the way they’re throwing the football and the receivers they have, I knew he had a chance to do it.”
Arkansas kept it close.
Young kept throwing.
And he did it.
At 450, Hunter knew the jig was up and by the time he looked back at the scoreboard, Young was in the 490s.
“I wasn’t tracking it and I was kind of into the strategy of the game,” Hunter said. “It’s not like a guy hitting a home run and you know when he broke the record.”
It was a 27-yard pass to Slade Bolden in the fourth quarter that pushed Young over the top.
“Tindal held up his finger,” Hunter said, “and that was it.”
Under normal circumstances, Hunter said he would have gone right down to the locker room to congratulate Young but security has tightened over the years. Hunter’s wife, Deb suggested a letter so he said he plans on penning that note Monday when he gets home to Mobile.
Young lit up when told Hunter was the honorary captain and in attendance for the historic moment.
“It’s crazy,” Young said before giving all the credit to his teammates.
Like Saturday, Hunter’s 1969 record was a product of a close game. In his case, it was a consistent deficit as Auburn won the game, 49-26.
“Coach Bryant said keep throwing,” Hunter said. “I didn’t stop throwing until the whistle blew.”
Alabama quarterback Scott Hunter (12) talks with teammates in 1969, the same year he broke the school record that Bryce Young broke against Arkansas.The Birmingham News
Hunter had 55 attempts in his record performance, completing 30. Young was a more efficient 31-for-40 with five of those going for touchdowns. He had two triple-digit receivers with Jameson Williams going for 190 yards and John Metchie adding 173.
“With receivers like No. 1 … if I had three like him,” Hunter said with a laugh, “I would have put up 750 yards.”
Mac Jones came close to the record in last season’s national title game win over Ohio State. He finished with 464 yards (36-for-45) but Alabama dialed things back after taking a commanding lead in the game it won, 52-24. Jones has 454 yards after three quarters but added just 10 more in the fourth.
“You need a game like tonight’s where it’s close and Nick had to keep the pedal to the metal,” Hunter said.
Hunter said the fact this record went down is a credit to Saban.
“When he first got here, the quarterbacks tended to be the game manager types,” Hunter said. “As the years went by, he did it like Coach Bryant. He always wants a game-changer at the position of quarterback on the field and Nick has gravitated that same way. He’s a game-changer at quarterback.”
Young has at least three games left to play with a few single-season records in his sights but few have the history of the one he claimed Saturday. There was no hint of disappointment in Hunter’s voice Saturday night, five decades after he set the mark that fell Saturday night.
“Fifty-two years!” Hunter said. “It was time.”
“That’s it.”
Sitting in his club seats above Bryant-Denny Stadium, Scott Hunter’s two-word acknowledgment ended his 52-year reign in the Crimson Tide record book. He held the Alabama single-game standard with 484 passing yards since the 1969 Iron Bowl until Bryce Young eviscerated it against Arkansas.
Speaking to AL.com by phone later Saturday night, Hunter congratulated Young for his 559-yard night in a 42-35 win over Arkansas.
Making it even more special was the fact Hunter was an honorary captain on the same night his 52-year record was taken out back. It survived multiple offensive revolutions, the spread, Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones before Young bettered it by 75 yards.
“For it to last this long,” Hunter said, “it was kind of surprising.”
Hunter said he nudged his buddy, Mike Tindal, when Young was in the 365-yard range knowing something was up. If this game stayed close, he knew there would be opportunity to hit that record.
“He’ll have to keep throwing,” Hunter said. “And the way they’re throwing the football and the receivers they have, I knew he had a chance to do it.”
Arkansas kept it close.
Young kept throwing.
And he did it.
At 450, Hunter knew the jig was up and by the time he looked back at the scoreboard, Young was in the 490s.
“I wasn’t tracking it and I was kind of into the strategy of the game,” Hunter said. “It’s not like a guy hitting a home run and you know when he broke the record.”
It was a 27-yard pass to Slade Bolden in the fourth quarter that pushed Young over the top.
“Tindal held up his finger,” Hunter said, “and that was it.”
Under normal circumstances, Hunter said he would have gone right down to the locker room to congratulate Young but security has tightened over the years. Hunter’s wife, Deb suggested a letter so he said he plans on penning that note Monday when he gets home to Mobile.
Young lit up when told Hunter was the honorary captain and in attendance for the historic moment.
“It’s crazy,” Young said before giving all the credit to his teammates.
Like Saturday, Hunter’s 1969 record was a product of a close game. In his case, it was a consistent deficit as Auburn won the game, 49-26.
“Coach Bryant said keep throwing,” Hunter said. “I didn’t stop throwing until the whistle blew.”
Alabama quarterback Scott Hunter (12) talks with teammates in 1969, the same year he broke the school record that Bryce Young broke against Arkansas.The Birmingham News
Hunter had 55 attempts in his record performance, completing 30. Young was a more efficient 31-for-40 with five of those going for touchdowns. He had two triple-digit receivers with Jameson Williams going for 190 yards and John Metchie adding 173.
“With receivers like No. 1 … if I had three like him,” Hunter said with a laugh, “I would have put up 750 yards.”
Mac Jones came close to the record in last season’s national title game win over Ohio State. He finished with 464 yards (36-for-45) but Alabama dialed things back after taking a commanding lead in the game it won, 52-24. Jones has 454 yards after three quarters but added just 10 more in the fourth.
“You need a game like tonight’s where it’s close and Nick had to keep the pedal to the metal,” Hunter said.
Hunter said the fact this record went down is a credit to Saban.
“When he first got here, the quarterbacks tended to be the game manager types,” Hunter said. “As the years went by, he did it like Coach Bryant. He always wants a game-changer at the position of quarterback on the field and Nick has gravitated that same way. He’s a game-changer at quarterback.”
Young has at least three games left to play with a few single-season records in his sights but few have the history of the one he claimed Saturday. There was no hint of disappointment in Hunter’s voice Saturday night, five decades after he set the mark that fell Saturday night.
“Fifty-two years!” Hunter said. “It was time.”
