Poll: Best or most impressive single-game performance by Tennessee as a team ever?

Best or most impressive single-game performance by Tennessee as a team ever?

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#26
#26
Im a younger guy (21), but from a little research the game that stands out to me would be 96 bama game i believe (where kent took the slant to the house and "the whole state of alabama" song was sung).......but from games ive watched live id have to say 06 cal or 06 (maybe 07)georgia i think. Antonio Wardlow blocked a punt and recovered in the end zone for TD and we won 51-33

EDIT: bama game mightve been 95 too....my bad if im off on years
 
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#27
#27
The 51-33 victory over Georgia was the 2006 game. And, yes, the "touchdown on play number one" was the '95 Alabama game.
 
#28
#28
Volosaurus rex said:
The 51-33 victory over Georgia was the 2006 game. And, yes, the "touchdown on play number one" was the '95 Alabama game.
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I remember watching the 2006 UT v UGA game in a tent, middle of the night in Iraq. I didn't get to start watching till halftime. I was pleasantly pleased to see the result and more than willing to sacrifice some sleep.
 
#30
#30
Gotta roll with The Miracle in South Bend. Anyone who has coached or played any sport at any level understands how hard it is to keep a team believing when getting their teeth kicked in. That ND team was heavily loaded with talent and killing us.

The 85' Sugar Bowl would be second.


My sleeper pick would be 05' LSU. I almost left my buddy's at halftime. The only thing that kept me there was a buddy i had not seen in years walked in with a 2 cases of cold beer. I figured WTF, might as well drink the pain away. The emotions of that game reminded me of the ND game in 91. Twas an awesome ending to a roller coaster night.
 
#31
#31
The '05 LSU game ties for the third biggest comeback in Tennessee history. I was on vacation in Glacier National Park in Montana during that game. We went to bed under the impression that Tennessee had lost convincingly and asked the desk clerk at the campground the next morning what the final score was. He was as surprised as we were to discover that, lo and behold, Tennessee had come back and won it in overtime.
 
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#32
#32
The '01 UF game wasn't a great performance for 4 quarters. The 1st half was brutal for Witten. He had 2 fumbles. However, the Vols overcame those, and the OL paved the way for Stephens to have a tremendous night.
 
#34
#34
There would be far more talented teams in years to come, but, in 45 years, I have never witnessed a Tennessee team that more truly gave everything they had for Tennessee than the one that slaughtered Miami on that magical night.
 
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#36
#36
Webbvol32 said:
I voted for the 01 victory over hated Florida. Besides the 95 Bama game,that is the most memorable game to me. I was only 5 during the Sugar Vols victory,so I was unable to properly appreciate it. The Draining of the Swamp was a victory that made me danged proud to wear Big Orange and be a Tennessean. The Iceman and Travis Stephens were the definition of clutch. I was living in Decatur,Al at the time. If anyone else was,they may remember a young man clad in orange riding a bicycle with HUGE UT flags flying screaming Rocky Top and Go Vols all night after that victory. That was moi. I always represented my Vols while I lived in that dump. Thankfully,I'm back in my beloved Jimtown,Tennessee. Go Vols!
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This visual image gave me a hearty chuckle. :)
 
#38
#38
Volosaurus rex said:
The 1970 Florida game would fall in the "honorable mention" category. In Dickey’s return to Tennessee as Florida’s coach, Bobby Scott passed for a then-school record 385 yards and the Big Orange gave the lizards a world-class butt-kicking, 38-7.
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And, Tennessee fans were classy enough to give Dickey a standing ovation when he left the field for his service to UT.
 
#39
#39
The 1995 OSU team was stacked.

Bobby Hoying
Eddie George
Ricky Dudley
Orlando Pace
Terry Glenn
Mike Vrabel
Shawn Springs
 
#40
#40
The most votes are going to the 86 Sugar Bowl team, and deservedly so. However, don't discount how good the 03 Miami team UT beat was. In terms of future NFL talent, you could make the case that that is the best team Tennessee has EVER beaten. The 85 Miami squad is pretty close though, and probably had a wider talent gap between themselves and the 85 Vols than did the 03 Canes and 03 Vols. There were a lot of future NFL players on both sides of the ball in 2003.
 
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#42
#42
Johnson said if Miami won and the No. 1 team lost, his team should be voted national champions.
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As I recall, he didn't mention "if Miami wins" and just implied that it was a done deal. Which was a big pisser for me.
 
#43
#43
The regular season game against Alabama in 1981. For 11 years the tide rolled. That game was inspiring as any listed, except for the NCG.
 
#44
#44
Actually, it was 1982 and I was wondering when someone would mention that game. Beating 2nd ranked ‘bama, 35-28, in Bear Bryant's last Tennessee game, certainly was one of the sweetest victories in Tennessee history. That 11-game losing streak had become extremely difficult and painful to swallow. The only solace we can take in it is the fact that nobody else in the conference was beating the Bear with any regularity at the time. His “reign of terror” was the longest, most sustained period of dominance by any program in SEC history.
 
#45
#45
All are great that are listed, but would like to add one that in my mind would have had a lot of pressure on the VOLS. The final game in the 39 season. A team that was unscored upon and undefeated would have faced a tremendous amount of pressure to keep that momentum.
 
#46
#46
Of the games listed, it's a tough call between the 2001 UF game, Miracle at South Bend, or the Sugar Bowl vs Miami.

I'd have to go with the 2001 UF game. NOBODY gave us a chance to win and I think we were 18 point underdogs. It was the last game of the year from being postponed after 9/11 and it was for the SEC East title and chance at a NC. I remember watching at my apartment on campus and when we stopped them on the 2pt conv people went running outside going absolutely nuts screaming like crazy. You could hear people from blocks away yelling Go Vols!! Then I'd say a couple thousand fans waited for the team to get back at the Track and Field complex on campus at like 2:00 or 3:00 am. People were still going crazy and then I saw Casey Clausen and D Stallworth with roses in their mouths and I looked at my buddy and said they better not look past LSU. Damnit if they sure enough did.

The Miracle at South Bend would probably be my second choice and then the Miami whipping in the Sugar.

I have to say, though, that the 5OT game vs bama in Tuscaloosa would be right up there with the others. Especially if we're talking about most impressive game as a "team" ever. Im kinda surprised nobody has mentioned it yet. It wasnt a big upset, big comeback, big beatdown, or whatever but that was a great performance by a "team." There were so many ups and downs during that game and many times where they were in a tough spot (4th and 19 ring a bell?) but they never gave up when things weren't looking good. That was a 15 round heavyweight title fight if I've ever seen one even if we werent highly ranked or whatever the case.
 
#47
#47
Excellent points indeed. There have been so many great team performances over the years that it is almost impossible to limit selections to only 10 and still provide a truly representative sample, particularly in a historical sense. I felt compelled to stretch the pool of candidates at least to include the Dickey and early Battle years, since there are a number of "gray beard" contributors, like myself, who have followed the program that long or longer.

With respect to the '03 Alabama game, it was a true classic . . . but it was played against what would eventually prove to be a 4-9 Alabama team. I do believe, however, that it is time, particularly for the benefit of our younger readers, to begin discussion of some of the earlier great performances in Tennessee history.

If we stay with Alabama as a theme, let us begin with the 1928 Alabama game. Arguably the first truly big game in Tennessee football history, the 1928 Alabama game put UT on the proverbial map as a growing regional and, eventually, national power. It also set the stage for The Third Saturday in October’s emergence as the marquis rivalry in Southern football. Tennessee had only won twice in 11 previous meetings and Alabama was heavily favored, coming off of undefeated campaigns and Rose Bowl appearances in both 1925 and 1926. Just prior to kickoff, Neyland employed a psychological stratagem by asking Alabama coach Wallace Wade to shorten quarters in the second half if the score should get out of hand. Instead, Gene McEver proceeded to shock the Tide by returning the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and, later, caught a scoring pass from Bobby Dodd to virtually beat Alabama singlehandedly as the Vols went on to upset the Crimson Tide, 15-13.

The 1970 Alabama game was another impressive performance. Talent discrepancies were more pronounced, however, as Alabama was down just a bit at that time, which was just before the Bear installed his wishbone offense. In a stifling defensive performance, UT shut out Alabama 24-0 and intercepted eight passes. The Big Orange would go on to lead the nation with 36 pass interceptions that year.
 
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#48
#48
Volosaurus rex said:
Excellent points indeed. There have been so many great team performances over the years that it is almost impossible to limit selections to only 10 and still provide a truly representative sample, particularly in a historical sense. I felt compelled to stretch the pool of candidates at least to include the Dickey and early Battle years, since there are a number of "gray beard" contributors, like myself, who have followed the program that long or longer.

With respect to the '03 Alabama game, it was a true classic . . . but it was played against what would eventually prove to be a 4-9 Alabama team. I do believe, however, that it is time, particularly for the benefit of our younger readers, to begin discussion of some of the earlier great performances in Tennessee history.

If we stay with Alabama as a theme, let us begin with the 1928 Alabama game. Arguably the first truly big game in Tennessee football history, the 1928 Alabama game put UT on the proverbial map as a growing regional and, eventually, national power. It also set the stage for The Third Saturday in October’s emergence as the marquis rivalry in Southern football. Tennessee had only won twice in 11 previous meetings and Alabama was heavily favored, coming off of undefeated campaigns and Rose Bowl appearances in both 1925 and 1926. Just prior to kickoff, Neyland employed a psychological stratagem by asking Alabama coach Wallace Wade to shorten quarters in the second half if the score should get out of hand. Instead, Gene McEver proceeded to shock the Tide by returning the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and, later, caught a scoring pass from Bobby Dodd to virtually beat Alabama singlehandedly as the Vols went on to upset the Crimson Tide, 15-13.

The 1970 Alabama game was another impressive performance. Talent discrepancies were more pronounced, however, as Alabama was down just a bit at that time, which was just before the Bear installed his wishbone offense. In a stifling defensive performance, UT shut out Alabama 24-0 and intercepted eight passes. The Big Orange would go on to lead the nation with 36 pass interceptions that year.
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i agree. I think we all remember the happiness that ran through our hearts after that 1928 win.
 
#49
#49
The saddest part is that if you are about 13 years old, you don't remember any of these.

I'm hoping we can make some more notable games happen soon.
 
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