Favorite Opening Game For You?

#1
Nerwen Aldarion

Nerwen Aldarion

Tennessee Girl
Joined
Jul 7, 2010
Messages
7,117
Likes
11,636
#1
It's almost football time, the start of the season and while counting down the seconds till the game starts I've been looking back at other opening seasons.

My favorite opening game I ever went to is easily the 2006 game against Cal.

I do not believe I have ever been to a game that has matched that energy. I remember feeling pumped on the VolWalk as fans talked about how many analysts had counted us out, giving the game to Cal but we were certain we were going to win.

The game that followed was amazing. The energy, the euphoria. Let me tell you, shouting "OVERRATED" with 100,000 fellow VOLS is something to cherish.

It's my favorite memory from Neyland (I'm young, I missed the 90's because I was busy playing on the playground at school, my college years were Fulmer's last year, Kiffin and Dooley, nuff said)

So what is your favorite opening game?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 people
#4
#4
Nerwen Aldarion said:
The game that followed was amazing. The energy, the euphoria. Let me tell you, shouting "OVERRATED" with 100,000 fellow VOLS is something to cherish.
Click to expand...
I've never understood chanting "overrated" at the other team. I prefer to think that they are as good as advertized, and my Vols just happen to be a little bit better.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 people
#6
#6
Against a quality opponent, the ’06 Cal game certainly was an impressive win. The 35-18 final margin of victory really didn’t reflect just how thoroughly we dominated them, given the fact that we raced out to a 35-0 lead. Taking massacres of teams like UT-Martin, Western Kentucky and UNLV out of the equation, other impressive performances in openers against respectable opposition would include the following:

2001: 33-9 victory over a Syracuse team that would finish 10-3
1998: 34-33 come-from-behind road victory over Syracuse team (8-4) led by Donovan McNabb, which set an early tone for our eventual national championship team
1997: Peyton kicked off his senior season with a 52-17 rout of Texas Tech (6-5)

1990: 31-31 tie with eventual national champion (split polls) Colorado (11-1-1) in the Pigskin Classic

1987: 23-22 victory over Iowa (10-3) in the Kick-Off Classic
1972: 34-3 road victory over Georgia Tech (7-4-1)

1968: 17-17 tie with Georgia (8-1-2) in John Ward’s first broadcast. This was a game in which our second touchdown and two-point conversion were both scored with no time left on the clock, so it felt much more like a win than a tie.

1967 20-16 road loss to UCLA (7-2-1), our only regular season loss in Doug Dickey’s first SEC championship year. This was also the first game I listened to Tennessee on the Vol Network.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#8
#8
98 vs Syracuse even though I wasn't there. What a way to start the NC campaign!
 
#11
#11
If its games we went to then 06 Cal for me as well. Actually, even if its not games we went to, I would have a hard time finding a better opening game than 06 Cal.
 
#12
#12
'68 vs UGa in Neyland. It was the start of Dickey's 3rd season and marked the turn-around that everyone was hoping to see. It was a 17 - 17 tie with the game in doubt until AFTER the final whistle. The crowd was wild and for a change almost all were there for the end.
 
#13
#13
I won't research the year but about 70-72. A 12th game was added to the season. As their 12th games, TN and Penn State played the closing game of one year and the opening game of the next year.

Billy Majors had been killed with other coached in a train wreck. Before the game, the entire Majors family gathered on the field in a ceremony to honor Billy. Each were presented a jersey.

Bobby Majors then went onto the field a played one of the greatest football games I have ever watched. He returned kicks until on the last one he fell from exhaustion. TN drubbed PSU, and Paterno said he would never again bring a team into the South before Oct.
 
#15
#15
I would have to say '98 Syracuse. I was really looking forward to that game in the off-season. The 1990 Colorado game was also one that was circled on the calendar.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#16
#16
cgbtn said:
I won't research the year but about 70-72. A 12th game was added to the season. As their 12th games, TN and Penn State played the closing game of one year and the opening game of the next year.

Billy Majors had been killed with other coached in a train wreck. Before the game, the entire Majors family gathered on the field in a ceremony to honor Billy. Each were presented a jersey.

Bobby Majors then went onto the field a played one of the greatest football games I have ever watched. He returned kicks until on the last one he fell from exhaustion. TN drubbed PSU, and Paterno said he would never again bring a team into the South before Oct.
Click to expand...

I was at that game and it was great. I think PSU had Franco Harris at the time. Fans rushed the field after the game. PSU players had to keep their helmets on on sidelines because fans were the throwing things at them. Great game.
 
#17
#17
06 Cal was the by far for me since it was my first date with my now husband. One year later, we went out to Cal and he proposed at the game (although we got beat, boooo)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#18
#18
Gotta be the cal game a few years back for me. Nothing better than pounding them on rocky top that day. Especially since we were sitting next to a group of cal fans. It was priceless.
 
#19
#19
09 against Western Kentucky was pretty cool. We hadn't had a new coach in 16 years, and Kiffy was exciting. Cromp Daddy threw like 6 TD's, and I remember thinking that losing seasons were a thing of the past.

Then reality set in when UCLA beat us in Knoxville. But hey, the excitement was fun for that first week.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#20
#20
I have been watching the Vols since I was a kid in the 70's but I have to agree with Cal game. That was just a great opener....wish I had been at that game, but had to watch from home. I can think of many games that might be close to it that were our second game, but for a first game that's hard to beat.
 
#21
#21
huskyvol said:
98 vs Syracuse even though I wasn't there. What a way to start the NC campaign!
Click to expand...

I flew to NYC to meet a friend who was to make all arrangements to go this game. He dropped the ball and didn't make it happen. He didn't take my infatuation & enthusiasm serious, needless to say, I was very upset. Wound up watching the game at the ESPN Zone in NYC. He couldn't believe I'd rather watch the Vols than see the sights on my first trip to the city.....we broke up after that trip. He just didn't get it.
 
#23
#23
cgbtn said:
I won't research the year but about 70-72. A 12th game was added to the season. As their 12th games, TN and Penn State played the closing game of one year and the opening game of the next year.

Billy Majors had been killed with other coached in a train wreck. Before the game, the entire Majors family gathered on the field in a ceremony to honor Billy. Each were presented a jersey.

Bobby Majors then went onto the field a played one of the greatest football games I have ever watched. He returned kicks until on the last one he fell from exhaustion. TN drubbed PSU, and Paterno said he would never again bring a team into the South before Oct.
Click to expand...

The train accident was like 1965,but I do remember the 1971 State Pen game well..They did honor the family before the game..or halftime..cant recall..I was 11...
 
#24
#24
dooley2 said:
09 against Western Kentucky was pretty cool. We hadn't had a new coach in 16 years, and Kiffy was exciting. Cromp Daddy threw like 6 TD's, and I remember thinking that losing seasons were a thing of the past.

Then reality set in when UCLA beat us in Knoxville. But hey, the excitement was fun for that first week.
Click to expand...

I was at that UCLA game. We started off looking good but I believe we gave up a run back from the second half kickoff. We just kinda gave up.
 
#25
#25
GlockVol said:
I was at that game and it was great. I think PSU had Franco Harris at the time. Fans rushed the field after the game. PSU players had to keep their helmets on on sidelines because fans were the throwing things at them. Great game.
Click to expand...

And we make fun of other teams' fans. :loco:

It couldn't have been too much worse than the '92 UF game where Ericht Rhett was just abused by the student section.

That's when the SEC came in and made UT switch sides, unless they wanted to move the student section to the West side...and that wasn't happening.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top