Just mention the 15th of October and the expression on Bryon Young’s face changes.

Down in Mobile for last week’s Senior Bowl, the former Tennessee defensive lineman was more than happy to discuss what happened that night in Knoxville. He’s one of a few former Crimson Tide opponents with whom we chatted about some of the wild games that dotted the 2022 season.

For Young, it was about “being part of history” when the Vols broke more than a decade of futility with the 52-49 win over its archrival. The series, last won by Tennessee in 2006, wasn’t even competitive in recent years but there was something different when both teams entered Neyland Stadium undefeated.

The Vols were rolling while uncertainty surrounded the Alabama quarterback situation. Bryce Young injured his throwing shoulder two weeks earlier and backup Jalen Milroe had an inconsistent performance in the previous week’s 24-20 escape against Texas A&M. The whole week leading into the Tennessee game was filled with speculation about the reigning Heisman winner’s status. That extended to the Vol locker room.

“We were hoping he’d play because we wanted to get their best shot,” Byron Young said last week. “We didn’t want the type of deal where we beat them with the other quarterback and it would be like, ‘They only won because Bryce didn’t play.’ So we wanted him to play.”

Bryce Young came out early to warm up, flicking passes without much strain. He hadn’t fully uncorked a full-strength pass since the injury at Arkansas but he didn’t show much rust in Neyland.

The junior passer completed 35 of 52 passes that day for 455 yards and two touchdowns.

“I tell everybody he’s the best guy I ever played,” Byron Young said. “Just his mindset. His mentality. He’s a humble guy and it’s hard to sack him. That’s one of the many reasons.”

Byron Young had one QB hurry in the 2022 game but got to Bryce Young for a sack and three hurries in the 2021 meeting in Tuscaloosa.

“I love going against the best because that’s how you get better,” Byron Young said. “You don’t get better playing against … like (Jalen) Milroe is a good quarterback but Bryce is obviously the man so you don’t get that much credit for winning that type of game. But going against Bryce Young was amazing, man, because that’s a hard QB to win against.”

And the fairy tale ending nearly fizzled out for the Vols after taking a huge lead. The hosts led 28-10 early in the second quarter before the Crimson Tide fought all the way back to take a 49-42 lead midway through the fourth quarter. But a Jalin Hyatt touchdown catch with 3:26 left tied it. And after Will Reichard’s 50-yard field goal missed with 15 seconds left, the Vols zipped down 45 yards in three plays to set up Chase McGrath’s 40-yard game-winner as time expired.

“We knew it was going to be a dogfight,” Byron Young said. “With a team like that, you have to take advantage when you’ve got your foot on their neck, you have to keep it there. We let our foot off their neck a little bit so they ended up coming back.”

The ending wasn’t quite as sweet for Nick Broeker and Jonathan Mingo of Ole Miss.

Alabama went to Oxford on Nov. 12, a week after losing for a second time at LSU. All national title hopes appeared dead and a No. 11 Ole Miss team was ready for the KO punch.

Like Tennessee, Lane Kiffin’s group took a two-score lead in the first half. It was 17-7 just before halftime when Alabama forced a fumble and scored a touchdown with 8 seconds on the clock. At 17-14, the visitors were within striking distance.

Again, it came down to one final play.

With Alabama up six in the closing seconds, Ole Miss’ sleepy offense kicked back into gear.

“Personally I thought we had a lot of confidence,” said Broeker, an offensive lineman. “I thought, especially after those two big running plays with (Quinshon Judkins) I thought we were going to win it but they kinda stepped up and made some really big plays down the stretch. It was a crazy moment. I thought it was a crazy game. Looking back on it, it was really fun with a fun atmosphere.”

Judkins, a freshman from Pike Road, Alabama, broke off runs for 35 and 14 yards to get Ole Miss all the way to the Alabama 14. After a third-down sack, Ole Miss had one final play from the 20. Jaxson Dart’s pass to Mingo in the end zone was broken up by Tide defensive back Brian Branch.

“It was crazy,” Mingo said last week. “You know, we made a couple of mistakes. Being up before halftime and fumbling in our red zone right before halftime, you can’t do that because Bryce Young, he doesn’t make too many mistakes. It just came down to the last play. I wish we could get it back but, it’s football.”

Alabama’s 30-24 win salvaged some of the pride that left Baton Rouge bruised a week earlier. Unlike at Tennessee, the Tide offense struggled for extended periods under the lights. It trailed 14-9 entering the fourth quarter without an offensive touchdown before scoring two in the final 15 minutes.

It seesawed through that quarter and into the overtime when Alabama scored first before LSU answered on the next play. Coach Brian Kelly opted for the winner-take-all two-point conversion. The gamble paid off with Mason Taylor catching the game-winning pass and, again, chaos.

“As a player, you’re so zoned in playing the game, by the time the game is over, it was so surreal,” LSU defensive lineman Ali Gaye said in Mobile. “Through the course of the game, we were so locked in, trying to get into the next play. Just do your job and hold them to not score. We held them until the end and finally got away with the win.”

Bryce Young’s completion percentage fell below 50 for the only time this season when completing 25 of 51 throws for 328 yards. He had one touchdown and an interception thrown into the end zone on the first drive of a sloppy night.

Gaye had five tackles including one in the backfield on a night that fans rushed the field celebrating the 32-31 Tiger win.

“It meant a lot,” Gaye said. “I wanted to get one up on them before I left so. It meant a lot for the team and personally for me and the whole state of Louisiana.”

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.