100 Greatest Finishes

#1
allvol

allvol

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#1
100 Greatest Finishes -
The greatest endings in college football history from 1970 to the present

from college football news.....
100 College Football Top Finishes

No. 91 Tennessee 34 ... Syracuse 33, September 5, 1998

At the time: It was the season opener for each team. Tennessee was in game one following the Peyton Manning era, while Syracuse and QB Donovan McNabb were trying to get off to a big start after closing out 1997 with eight straight wins before a Fiesta Bowl loss to Kansas State.

The setup: In an exciting see-saw game, Syracuse got a late 19-yard field goal for a 33-31 lead and an apparent victory. Jamal Lewis had rushed for 141 yards for the Vols, but new starting QB Tee Martin struggled despite running for a touchdown and throwing two scores to Peerless Price. Martin would get one final drive to make amends for a rocky start.

The ending: Helped by a questionable pass interference call on fourth down to keep the drive alive, Martin coolly and calmly lead the Volunteers into field goal position. With the Carrier Dome crowd roaring, Jeff Hall connected on a 27-yard field goal as time ran out.

How they ended up: Syracuse overcame the heartbreaker to shock Michigan 38-28 in the Big House. Despite losses to NC State and West Virginia, the Orangemen ended up in the BCS losing 31-10 to Florida in the Orange Bowl. Tennessee had a dream season winning tight games with Florida, Arkansas and Mississippi State to get to the Fiesta Bowl against Florida State for the national title. The Vols won 23-16.

No. 75 Tennessee 35 ... Notre Dame 34, November 9, 1991

At the time: Notre Dame shook off an early season loss to Michigan to win seven straight for an 8-1 record heading into the showdown with Tennessee for the 300th game played at Notre Dame Stadium. The 13th ranked Vols started off 4-0 before losing to Florida and Alabama. A win over Memphis turned things around a bit, but they needed a big win to get back on track.

The setup: Things couldn't have been going worse for Tennessee down 31-7 late in the first half when Irish PK Craig Hentrich lined up for a 32-yard field goal with :40 to play. The kick was blocked and picked up by Floyd Miley for an 85-yard Volunteer touchdown. The UT defense dominated the second half while Aaron Hayden scored two fourth quarter touchdowns for an improbable 35-34 lead with just over four minutes to go. Rick Mirer and the Notre Dame offense finally got going moved the ball to the Tennessee nine-yard line with four seconds to play.

The ending: Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz had to put in backup kicker Rob Leonard to replace an injured Hentrich for the final 27-yard field goal attempt. Leonard kicked it squarely, but UT DB Jeremy Lincoln flew in and appeared to dive past the play. The ball bounced off Lincoln's butt and was pushed wide as time ran out.

How they ended up: Tennessee went on a great run to close out the year. The Notre Dame win was the second in a five-game winning streak before losing 42-17 to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl for a 9-3 record. Notre Dame got blasted 35-13 by the Nittany Lions the following week before beating Hawaii and then Florida in the Sugar Bowl to finish 10-3.


No. 22 Tennessee 28 ... Arkansas 24, November 14, 1998

At the time: No. 1 Tennessee was 8-0 and with a few classic wins early to be in the hunt for the national title. Arkansas was also unbeaten at 8-0 coming off a 34-0 win over Ole Miss. This was played in front of 106,365 people in UTs Neyland Stadium, the largest crowd to ever see an Arkansas game.

The setup: Arkansas stunned the huge orange crowd by jumping out to a 21-3 lead. The Vols managed to get within 24-17 on a Tee Martin touchdown run, but the offense was stuffed in the red zone on the next drive forcing a field goal and a 24-20 Hog lead. But Arkansas couldn't keep the pressure on getting a field goal blocked with just over six minutes to play. Once again, the Arkansas defense stiffened forcing a punt, but UT's David Leaverton came through hitting a beauty pinning the Hogs on their one-yard line. After driving out to their 41 the Hogs needed to punt it away, but the snap flew over Chris Akin's head and was booted through the end zone for a safety and a 24-22 Arkansas lead with under three minutes to play.

The ending: Tennessee's offense couldn't do anything and had to give it back to Arkansas. Appearing to be on its way to win by running out the clock with 1:43 to go, QB Clint Stoerner went back to try to pick up the first down to put the game on ice. Instead, he tripped and lost the ball as he was trying to regain his balance. UT's Billy Ratliff recovered the fumble on the Arkansas 43 with 1:43 to play. It then became the Travis Henry show as he ran five straight times, finishing with 197 yards on the day, powering through for a one-yard touchdown with :28 to play.

How they ended up: The following week, a down Hog team lost 22-21 to Mississippi State and ended up 9-3 and ranked 16th in the AP poll and 17th in the Coaches' poll after losing 45-31 to Michigan in the Citrus Bowl. Tennessee rolled the rest of the way wining its final four games culminating with a 23-16 win over Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship.

 
#2
#2
I'd at least put the 2004 Florida win and the loss in (2001 I think) to UGA in there somewhere. Those were two of the craziest finishing sequences I've ever seen.
 
#5
#5
Yeah . . . The name on that Mack truck that hit us was Nebraska. I think K State was at the end of 2001.
 
#6
#6
What about the 1982 game against #2 Alabama. The Tennessee win broke an 11-year losing streak. Alabama had just beaten Penn State the week before. Tennessee won 35-28, with the victory being preserved by Mike Terry's interception in the back of the endzone with 17 seconds left in the game. Willie Gault set a new SEC record for return yardage. Alan Cockrell passed for 192 yards on 18-of-29 and was named Southeast Player of the Week. Chuck Coleman rushed for 139 yards. Johnny Majors was named national coach of the week by the UPI.
 
#7
#7
(allvol @ Aug 8 said:
What about the 1982 game against #2 Alabama. The Tennessee win broke an 11-year losing streak. Alabama had just beaten Penn State the week before. Tennessee won 35-28, with the victory being preserved by Mike Terry's interception in the back of the endzone with 17 seconds left in the game. Willie Gault set a new SEC record for return yardage. Alan Cockrell passed for 192 yards on 18-of-29 and was named Southeast Player of the Week. Chuck Coleman rushed for 139 yards. Johnny Majors was named national coach of the week by the UPI.
Click to expand...

That doesn't seem like one of the greatest 100 finishes.

Also, the we lost to Nebraska in the Orange Bowl in 1997. Silly article.
 
#8
#8
the 95 UGA game was a great finish, as well as the 1990 ND game, though we lost it...

i would include the 90 colorado, 90 Auburn, 93 Bama game as well....how can ties decided on the last play of the game not be considered great finishes?
 
#9
#9
(jakez4ut @ Aug 8 said:
the 95 UGA game was a great finish, as well as the 1990 ND game, though we lost it...

i would include the 90 colorado, 90 Auburn, 93 Bama game as well....how can ties decided on the last play of the game not be considered great finishes?
Click to expand...

Because this article wasn't about Tennessee's 100 greatest finishes. :)
 
#11
#11
(jakez4ut @ Aug 8 said:
the 95 UGA game was a great finish, as well as the 1990 ND game, though we lost it...

i would include the 90 colorado, 90 Auburn, 93 Bama game as well....how can ties decided on the last play of the game not be considered great finishes?
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The 1990 Auburn game? How does a bad kicker shanking a chip shot qualify as a great finish?
 
#12
#12
(hatvol96 @ Aug 8 said:
The 1990 Auburn game? How does a bad kicker shanking a chip shot qualify as a great finish?
Click to expand...

My sentiments exactly. All I remember is Greg Burke shanking a FG attempt and Pat Dye running around like he'd won the Super Bowl.
 
#13
#13
(hatvol96 @ Aug 8 said:
The 1990 Auburn game? How does a bad kicker shanking a chip shot qualify as a great finish?
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it didn't for us....but the same could be said about the kick by ND in 91....missed kick to lose...missed kick to tie....
 
#14
#14
(VolinArizona @ Aug 8 said:
Because this article wasn't about Tennessee's 100 greatest finishes. :)
Click to expand...

I think the point was that some feel there are better finishes for UT than the ones listed. (I tend to agree)
 
#15
#15
The basic criteria:
1) These are the greatest finishes, not the greatest games. With few exceptions, the finish means the final play, final drive, or some other wild series of events to end a game. A good fourth quarter of a classic game doesn't necessarily count as a great finish.
2) The better, bigger and more significant the game, the more important the finish. 3) How memorable was it? It might not have been meaningful to determining a national champion, but it might have been one of the signature moments in college football history.


I would choose the Ark 98 Notre Dame 91 Florida 98 in that list.
 
#16
#16
i like 2004 florida. a kicker misses the extra point for the tie, but a minute later he makes 50+ yarder for the win. added controversey makes it better.
 
#19
#19
For me, the 1998 Florida game was one of the greatest finishes. The significance of the game nationally (back when UT v FL was a top 10 matchup year in year out), under the lights, first game in overtime at Neyland (and for the VOLS I think...), not to mention ending 5 years of frustration against Spurrier.

Still gives me chills when I hear John Ward's call...

"NO SIR-REE, NO SIR-REE

Final score, TENNESSEE 20, Florida 17

Pandemonium reigns!!!!"
 
#21
#21
(VolinArizona @ Aug 8 said:
Didn't we lose to Nebraska in the Fiesta in 1997?
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The Conference Champions
Atlantic Coast: Florida State (10-1)
Big East: Syracuse (9-3)
Big 12: Nebraska (12-0)
Southeastern: Tennessee (11-1)

Other Participants
Kansas State (10-1)
Ohio State (10-2)

The Matchups
Orange: (2) Nebraska 42, (3) Tennessee 17
Sugar: (4) Florida State 31, (9) Ohio State 14
Fiesta: (8) Kansas State 35, (14) Syracuse 18
 
#22
#22
how can they leave out UT/FL 98? Leading up to the NCAA championship. The defeat of Spurrier, etc. etc.
 
#24
#24
(VolinArizona @ Aug 8 said:
That doesn't seem like one of the greatest 100 finishes. (TN-AL 1982)
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From a national perspective, it would not seem so. Even from a perspective so far removed from 1982. However, in the context of when the game was played, Alabama was coming off a decade in which they dominated the SEC and won a few national championships.... they had won 11 in a row over the Vols and were 2nd in the nation after having beaten a highly ranked Penn State team the week before. It would easily be in my top three Tennessee finishes due to the interception with 17 seconds and the overall importance to the development of the program.

For the same reasons as the game above, I agree with the '98 Florida game. It was a hurdle the Vols had to cross to get to the next level.
 
#25
#25
(allvol @ Aug 8 said:
From a national perspective, it would not seem so. Even from a perspective so far removed from 1982. However, in the context of when the game was played, Alabama was coming off a decade in which they dominated the SEC and won a few national championships.... they had won 11 in a row over the Vols and were 2nd in the nation after having beaten a highly ranked Penn State team the week before. It would easily be in my top three Tennessee finishes due to the interception with 17 seconds and the overall importance to the development of the program.

For the same reasons as the game above, I agree with the '98 Florida game. It was a hurdle the Vols had to cross to get to the next level.
Click to expand...


The 1982 game against Bama ranks in my top 5 games of all time. I was there, 9 years old, and all I remember was how cool Bama's uniforms (yes, I liked their unis) had been over the years. Back then, when I was small, for some reason, I was always amazed by their uni's. Sounds silly, but it's true.
 
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