1989 UCLA = 2013 Oregon?

#1
Neyland Law Vol

Neyland Law Vol

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#1
To invoke a little faith in this trip out west.

The 1989 UCLA game was a great unexpected west coast road game upset against a top ten team. I was there with my father:hi:.

The game was early in the season, and at that point UCLA was highly touted. Tennessee had been beaten in both their prior trips to the Rose Bowl to play the Bruins (1975 and 1967), and the pundits widely expected they would repeat that trend, as the Vols came off of their worst season in recent memory (5-6) and a close call in their season opener versus a lowly Colorado State team.
The Vols, however, stepped up to the challenge and proved that their 5-6 record for 1988 was only a bump in the road as they came out gunning for the No. 6-ranked Bruins. The Vols completely shut down the UCLA offense with their own brand of SEC defense en route to a 24-6 victory. That game set the stage for the rest of the season—one which included 10 more wins and only a single loss. The Vols would go on to win an SEC Championship, beat Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl that year, and end with a No. 5 ranking.

Vol Network (Tennessee 24 UCLA 6) 1989 Part 2 - YouTube

So maybe the vols shock the college football world on saturday?

:rock:
 
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#3
#3
The vols may have stunk up 1988 but they were 10-2 in '87 and 7-5 in '86 and 9-1-2 in '85. If this was 2009 (lane kiffin's roster) I would say yes. But we've had 3 consecutive losing years. It would be a much greater feat to topple this Oregon team. That's my two cents.
 
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#4
#4
VolFan4Life87 said:
The vols may have stunk up 1988 but they were 10-2 in '87 and 7-5 in '86 and 9-1-2 in '85. If this was 2009 (lane kiffin's roster) I would say yes. But we've had 3 consecutive losing years. It would be a much greater feat to topple this Oregon team. That's my two cents.
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I`m not sure I agree with this. Yes we had 3 bad years but I don't see that it was because of a poor roster. I think it was more because of poor coaching and bad decisions made by the previous staff i.e. hiring Sal Sunseri. This years roster is better prepared and has better coaching than the past few years even Kiffins one year because we see just how good a coach he is not since he took the coaching job at USC. Not saying a upset is going to happen but feel better about the 2013 Vols than the previous 4 years. JMO
 
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#5
#5
This would be a much much bigger upset.
UCLA was a 2 touchdown favorite, but they were not a good team, having just lost Troy Aikman and starting a freshman QB. Oregon is a great team, and I think they are 29 point favorites right now.

But one similarity:
if we are going to beat Oregon we are going to have to dominate on the ground while on offense. And that 89 team ran all over UCLA all day.
 
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#7
#7
:rock::This team we are playing this week might be the best in college football including the all mighty washing power team that once had a cub as a coach, in 89 i was at the game the week before i thought we had a chance at UCLA, but this team the DUCKS going out west that far no way, if we had them at home i would give us a 3 percent chance, not begin neg vol but these Ducks can fly they will beat us by 40 if some how we can keep it at 28 that would be like a win, we cant quack with these Ducks muck less fly long weeks ahead now, that part of it we got to keep this recruiting class intact thats the main thing this year wins and loses does not matter this year just play hard improve week to week show the fans and the recruits that we are headed in the right direction.
 
#8
#8
I can sort of see it, but Oregon would be a much, MUCH bigger upset. That '89 Vols team was pretty good. Granted we don't know how good this team is yet, but I think most people saw 1988 as more out of the ordinary than a sign of things to come.
 
#9
#9
Side note, to the "we always lose in the orange pants" crowd, notice what color pants they wore in that UCLA upset :)
 
#10
#10
I was there in 89 also. Wish I could be in Autzen this weekend, however, I'll be making noise here in Lexington!
When the neighbors hear me cheering, they all run to their TV's thinking it's basketball season, since there is not much to cheer about here during football.
 
#12
#12
VolFan4Life87 said:
The vols may have stunk up 1988 but they were 10-2 in '87 and 7-5 in '86 and 9-1-2 in '85. If this was 2009 (lane kiffin's roster) I would say yes. But we've had 3 consecutive losing years. It would be a much greater feat to topple this Oregon team. That's my two cents.
Click to expand...

Our line was bad that year...
 
#13
#13
No way Tennessee goes to Oregon and wins. They have way too much speed for us.
I do give them a 40% chance of beating Florida though.
 
#15
#15
We have literally no chance. Has anyone actually watched these 2 teams. This is a horrible matchup nightmare and they are way better.
 
#17
#17
Anything can happen and we have won several games as double digit underdogs.

That being said, I don't think we've ever won as a 25+ point underdog. It would be the biggest win in 12 years and, as far as the program is concerned, probably one of the biggest wins in school history.
 
#18
#18
Velo Vol said:
1989 was a long time ago. #Old
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I am kind of laughing that in other threads, many are saying things like "The 2010 game has nothing to do with this game" (which I agree to an extent), but then we keep having people pull out much older examples of Vol upsets as "proof" it may happen.
 
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#20
#20
Velo Vol said:
1989 was a long time ago. #Old
Click to expand...


Your point? There is a reason there is a divide between the young punk fans that bag on tradition and those of us that remember big games and apply it to current situations. Not saying it makes certain people any less of a fan, just a whole lot less knowledgeable.

Cue google search to prove 'intelligence'
 
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#21
#21
Crap, 1989 was the year I got married during the Bama weekend. Neither event ended well.
 
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#22
#22
VolsSportsFan said:
I am kind of laughing that in other threads, many are saying things like "The 2010 game has nothing to do with this game" (which I agree to an extent), but then we keep having people pull out much older examples of Vol upsets as "proof" it may happen.
Click to expand...

Or maybe they are just citing similarities at that point in the season and their personal experiences. No need to come off a condescending asshat to people who want to share their thoughts.

A lot better than the conjecture posts with no substance that litters these type threads.
 
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#23
#23
Maybe this will make some of you more comfortable so you can prove to other fanbases that your not 'homers' and get their ever important approval for your defeatist attitude.

'Huh, huh. We'll be lucky to keep them under 100. Huh. Huh.'
 
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