Countdown to September 2nd vs UVA. (Top 150 Vols wins)

105 days…..

#105 - 17-7 vs Alabama (1914)


When the Tide came to Knoxville, they were riding a seven game winning streak and UT had not scored a point in any of those games. The Vols were undefeated and much was riding on the outcome.

Alabama quarterback Charlie Joplin was ruled ineligible by the SIAA for refusing to sign an affidavit that he had not played professional baseball, and Tennessee halfback Red Rainey was out with injury. The first Vols score came on a 40-yard pass from Bill May to Scotty Cameron. A 22-yard pass to Goat Carroll got the next points. Bama would score to cut the lead to seven on a fumble recovery, but Scotty Cameron’s FG late iced the win.

UT would go on the finish the season undefeated and conference champions. Ending streaks against Bama is always great…


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105 days…..

#105 - 17-7 vs Alabama (1914)


When the Tide came to Knoxville, they were riding a seven game winning streak and UT had not scored a point in any of those games. The Vols were undefeated and much was riding on the outcome.

Alabama quarterback Charlie Joplin was ruled ineligible by the SIAA for refusing to sign an affidavit that he had not played professional baseball, and Tennessee halfback Red Rainey was out with injury. The first Vols score came on a 40-yard pass from Bill May to Scotty Cameron. A 22-yard pass to Goat Carroll got the next points. Bama would score to cut the lead to seven on a fumble recovery, but Scotty Cameron’s FG late iced the win.

UT would go on the finish the season undefeated and conference champions. Ending streaks against Bama is always great…


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Undefeated and conference champions is always a good look!
 
104 days…..

#104 - 22-13 vs #15 Ole Miss (1990)

The 8-1 Rebels and #14 Vols squared off in Memphis with New Years bowl games on the line. The Vols had lost to #1 Notre Dame the week before dashed any slim hopes of a National Championship, but the Vols still had Sugar Bowl aspirations.

Trailing late in the first half, Andy Kelly hit Alvin Harper on a short TD pass to give UT a 10-7 halftime lead. Tony Thompson scored late in the third quarter to give the Vols a 10 point lead. Late in the last quarter, Greg Amsler had 38 yards on 6 carries on a pivotal drive that culminated in a FG to give UT a 20-7 lead. After a late Rebel TD, Floyd Miley returned a blocked XP for 2 points to secure a hard fought victory. The Vols defense gave up tons of rushing yards, but came up big by causing four turnovers. Tony Thompson rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown.

The Vols would go on to win the final two games and be named SEC Champions.


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103 days…..

#103 - 44-6 vs #19 Kentucky (2022)

The undefeated Vols hosted the 5-2 Wildcats in what some called a trap game before the showdown with Georgia. UT was having none of that……

Tennessee limited Kentucky to just 205 total yards and forced the Wildcats to go nine consecutive possessions without points. The matchup was hailed as a battle of elite quarterbacks, but only Tennessee's Hendon Hooker met the bill. Hooker threw for 245 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions while also running for another score. His favorite target was again Jalin Hyatt, who caught five passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns to increase his season scoring tally to 14.

The victory showed that UT wasn’t looking ahead. A huge showdown awaited, but the Vols were focused on the present that October night.

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102 days…..

#102 - 23-22 vs #16 Iowa (1987 Kickoff Classic)

The #17 Vols opened the ‘87 season in New Jersey in the Kickoff classic. Although both coaches, Johnny Majors of Tennessee and Hayden Fry of Iowa, said they would treat the event as a kind of preseason game and use a lot of players, the first teams were on the field during the decisive drive.

The Vols had an eleven point lead during the first half, headlined by a 97 yard fumble return for a touchdown by Darrin Miller, but trailed for most of the second half.

Tennessee had six possessions in the first three quarters in which it did not make a first down. The Volunteers passed midfield for the first time in the second half when Reggie Cobb ran 26 yards on the next-to-last play in the third period. The gain led to a 45-yard field goal by Phil Reich, the first of his three in the fourth quarter.

Down by two points, UTs offensive line took control on the final drive. Cobb had 21 yards and Jeff Francis hit Nate Middlebrooks on a 16 yard pass to set up Reich’s 20 yard FG in the closing seconds for the victory. Cobb, playing in his first college game, ran for 142 yards and was named MVP.

UTs victory set the stage for a very successful 9-2-1 regular season, culminating in a victory in the Peach Bowl.

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102 days…..

#102 - 23-22 vs #16 Iowa (1987 Kickoff Classic)

The #17 Vols opened the ‘87 season in New Jersey in the Kickoff classic. Although both coaches, Johnny Majors of Tennessee and Hayden Fry of Iowa, said they would treat the event as a kind of preseason game and use a lot of players, the first teams were on the field during the decisive drive.

The Vols had an eleven point lead during the first half, headlined by a 97 yard fumble return for a touchdown by Darrin Miller, but trailed for most of the second half.

Tennessee had six possessions in the first three quarters in which it did not make a first down. The Volunteers passed midfield for the first time in the second half when Reggie Cobb ran 26 yards on the next-to-last play in the third period. The gain led to a 45-yard field goal by Phil Reich, the first of his three in the fourth quarter.

Down by two points, UTs offensive line took control on the final drive. Cobb had 21 yards and Jeff Francis hit Nate Middlebrooks on a 16 yard pass to set up Reich’s 20 yard FG in the closing seconds for the victory. Cobb, playing in his first college game, ran for 142 yards and was named MVP.

UTs victory set the stage for a very successful 9-2-1 regular season, culminating in a victory in the Peach Bowl.

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Fun game! On that long defensive TD, Miller intercepted the option pitch (technically a fumble recovery) in the Iowa backfield. He ran the length of the field (he was not fast) with an orange convoy. Track athlete and CB Terry McDaniels blocked 2 different guys on Miller's return for a TD. He screened one guy and then ran to the next! 😂 Iowa had started their drive first-and-goal at the TN 1 yard line! On Iowa's fourth attempt from our 1 (stuffed run, stuffed run, swatted down pass, we score a TD! You can't beat it for a goal-line stand. I had completely forgotten that that was Cobb's first game.
 
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I attended the 1988 Peach Bowl. The Vols defeated an 8-3 Indiana team who had beaten both Michigan and tOSU during the regular season. Cobb was terrific. The Francis to Miller TD pass was a thing of beauty.
 
2006-Tennessee steam rolls the 9th ranked Cal Bears. I was sitting close to the Cal fan section and saw Adam Carolla walk past me smiling as the TN faithful taunted him for being a Cal fan, the best taunt was when TN was up 35 -0 and Cal just scored a FG, an exuberant fan screamed at Carolla "You flew 5 hours to score 3 points! Go back to Loveline, football isn't your thing!"
 
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Fun game! On that long defensive TD, Miller intercepted the option pitch (technically a fumble recovery) in the Iowa backfield. He ran the length of the field (he was not fast) with an orange convoy. Track athlete and CB Terry McDaniels blocked 2 different guys on Miller's return for a TD. He screened one guy and then ran to the next! 😂 Iowa had started their drive first-and-goal at the TN 1 yard line! On Iowa's fourth attempt from our 1 (stuffed run, stuffed run, swatted down pass, we score a TD! You can't beat it for a goal-line stand. I had completely forgotten that that was Cobb's first game.
I was watching that game with my girlfriend at the time in a pizza place in Murray, KY. When Miller made the initial play, I was fairly calm but happy. The longer he ran, the more animated I got until he scored (again, he was not fast). My girlfriend was not amused and claimed I embarrassed her with my outburst. I told her I was sorry, but it was Tennessee football. We broke up a few months later. ;)
 
I was watching that game with my girlfriend at the time in a pizza place in Murray, KY. When Miller made the initial play, I was fairly calm but happy. The longer he ran, the more animated I got until he scored (again, he was not fast). My girlfriend was not amused and claimed I embarrassed her with my outburst. I told her I was sorry, but it was Tennessee football. We broke up a few months later. ;)

Took my wife about 4 years to get used to my fandom. 41 years later - here we are. LOL
 
Took my wife about 4 years to get used to my fandom. 41 years later - here we are. LOL
Congratulations on 41 years. my wife and I are coming up on 33 in June.

Fortunately for me, my father-in-law reacted to the ebbs and flows of his favorite teams (Illinois and Southern Illinois) similar to me, so my wife quickly recognized the symptoms.
 
Congratulations on 41 years. my wife and I are coming up on 33 in June.

Fortunately for me, my father-in-law reacted to the ebbs and flows of his favorite teams (Illinois and Southern Illinois) similar to me, so my wife quickly recognized the symptoms.
Congrats on the upcoming 33! Ours in June, too.
 
117 days……

#117 - 45-6 vs #12 Northwestern (2016 Outback Bowl)

The Wildcats were no slouch in 2015. They finished with a 10-2 record that included victories over Stanford, Penn St., and Wisconsin.

Josh Dobbs threw for 166 yards and ran for two touchdowns, while Outback MVP Jalen Hurd rushed for 130 yards and one TD for the Vols (9-4), who finished with at least nine wins for the first time since 2007.

Evan Berry put a punctuation mark on the team's sixth consecutive win by returning one of Tennessee's four interceptions 100 yards for a TD in the closing seconds.

What made this game so great was the promise and hope that it gave for the Vols future. Problem was, that it would take several more years……


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we were there....Hurd was a beast and the I formation really worked well in that game for him....the pregame vol walk stretched for what seemed like forever...



my favorite offensive series begins with the start of the 4th qtr. at the 45 minute mark
 
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