5. 2003 (Tenn wins 51-43 in 5ot)
This was not by any means the best bama team. They finished the season 4-9 and were on probation. However, tenn came into this game desperately needing a win. The 03 season started out promising, with wins over Florida and scjr. The Vols climbed to 7th in the polls after the scjr win. Then things went south. Tenn lost to an unranked auburn team, and then got hammered by uga at home. The Vols had slipped to 22 in the polls. Lose this and your 4-3, unranked and still have to play Miami on the road. Vols were already coming off a disappointing season on 2002.
This particular game was special for how it played out. Robert Peace had a big stop on the goal line that resulted in no points for bama. Bama was literally inched from putting the game away when they couldn’t convert on 3rd and short. Mike Shula rushed the punt team on the field after apparently contemplating going for it. Tenn took over at their own 14 with less than two minutes and no timeouts. Casey Clauesn led an 86 yard drive for a Td to tie the game. Bama still had a chance to win in regulation. But a last minute fg was partially blocked. In the second OT, tenn needed a 4th and 19, clausen completed a pass to CJ Fayton for a first down to keep the game going. Tenn wins when Jason Allen knocks away a bama pass in the end zone on 4th down in the fifth OT.
If tenn loses this, the wheels could have come off the 03 season. I doubt we go on the beat Miami.
4. 1982 (tenn wins 35-28)
This was Bears last season at bama. It was also Johnny Majors first signature win. Johnny had bigs wins against notre dame and auburn before this. But this his first win against a top 10 team, and it was a second ranked bama team. Further, tenn had not beat bama since 1970. This game in many ways set the stage for what was around the corner.
3. 1985 (tenn wins 16-14)
Imagine this program without the 85 sec championship and sugar bowl. It doesn’t happen without this game. This was at legion field. This was also no slouch bama team. They finished 9-2-1 and in the top 15. You also had the amazing Dale Jones interception. This would be the last time tenn would beat bama until 1995.
2. 1996 (tenn wins 20-13)
1995 was the first time we beat bama in ten years. But this was the first time in forever bama gave it its best effort and it still wasn’t enough. This was a top ten matchup. Bama actually came in undefeated. Midway through the third quarter, two scary realities set in. Tenn was not moving the ball, and bama was staring to chew a lot of clock with the running game. At the start of the third quarter, bama led 13-0. Bama runs an all out blitz, and Peyton gets it away just in time for a finger tip catch by by Joey Kent, who races in for a td. Then an interception by terry fair to set up a td to tie the game. This board knows what happens next. Fulmer was trying to run the clock out for OT. Cut admittedly runs the the same play twice in a row to see if he can catch them off guard. A gaping hole opens up for jay graham to 80 yards for a td. But it wasn’t over. Bama proceed to march deep into tenn territory before Lenord Little forces a Freddie kitchens to fumble, which sealed the game. This could arguably be number 1 on the list if not the Memphis loss two weeks later. The run in 90s doesn’t look as impressive without this win.
1. 1995 (tenn wins 41-14 )
Tenn had not beaten bama in 10 years. Peyton throws a td to Joey Kent on the first play of the game. Then you have the Peyton bootleg and tenn has exploded to a 21-0 led. Bama scores to cut it to 21-7. When that happened, most tenn fans probably thought, “here we go again.” Tenn pushes the led back to 28-7, but then bama cuts it back to 28-14. Most probably still thought, “yeah, bama always finds a way.” Then jay graham put bama away for good. Beating bama in this fashion at legion field was literally the first signature win for Peyton, and the beginning of a phenomenal run that lasted until the 2001 sec championship game
This was not by any means the best bama team. They finished the season 4-9 and were on probation. However, tenn came into this game desperately needing a win. The 03 season started out promising, with wins over Florida and scjr. The Vols climbed to 7th in the polls after the scjr win. Then things went south. Tenn lost to an unranked auburn team, and then got hammered by uga at home. The Vols had slipped to 22 in the polls. Lose this and your 4-3, unranked and still have to play Miami on the road. Vols were already coming off a disappointing season on 2002.
This particular game was special for how it played out. Robert Peace had a big stop on the goal line that resulted in no points for bama. Bama was literally inched from putting the game away when they couldn’t convert on 3rd and short. Mike Shula rushed the punt team on the field after apparently contemplating going for it. Tenn took over at their own 14 with less than two minutes and no timeouts. Casey Clauesn led an 86 yard drive for a Td to tie the game. Bama still had a chance to win in regulation. But a last minute fg was partially blocked. In the second OT, tenn needed a 4th and 19, clausen completed a pass to CJ Fayton for a first down to keep the game going. Tenn wins when Jason Allen knocks away a bama pass in the end zone on 4th down in the fifth OT.
If tenn loses this, the wheels could have come off the 03 season. I doubt we go on the beat Miami.
4. 1982 (tenn wins 35-28)
This was Bears last season at bama. It was also Johnny Majors first signature win. Johnny had bigs wins against notre dame and auburn before this. But this his first win against a top 10 team, and it was a second ranked bama team. Further, tenn had not beat bama since 1970. This game in many ways set the stage for what was around the corner.
3. 1985 (tenn wins 16-14)
Imagine this program without the 85 sec championship and sugar bowl. It doesn’t happen without this game. This was at legion field. This was also no slouch bama team. They finished 9-2-1 and in the top 15. You also had the amazing Dale Jones interception. This would be the last time tenn would beat bama until 1995.
2. 1996 (tenn wins 20-13)
1995 was the first time we beat bama in ten years. But this was the first time in forever bama gave it its best effort and it still wasn’t enough. This was a top ten matchup. Bama actually came in undefeated. Midway through the third quarter, two scary realities set in. Tenn was not moving the ball, and bama was staring to chew a lot of clock with the running game. At the start of the third quarter, bama led 13-0. Bama runs an all out blitz, and Peyton gets it away just in time for a finger tip catch by by Joey Kent, who races in for a td. Then an interception by terry fair to set up a td to tie the game. This board knows what happens next. Fulmer was trying to run the clock out for OT. Cut admittedly runs the the same play twice in a row to see if he can catch them off guard. A gaping hole opens up for jay graham to 80 yards for a td. But it wasn’t over. Bama proceed to march deep into tenn territory before Lenord Little forces a Freddie kitchens to fumble, which sealed the game. This could arguably be number 1 on the list if not the Memphis loss two weeks later. The run in 90s doesn’t look as impressive without this win.
1. 1995 (tenn wins 41-14 )
Tenn had not beaten bama in 10 years. Peyton throws a td to Joey Kent on the first play of the game. Then you have the Peyton bootleg and tenn has exploded to a 21-0 led. Bama scores to cut it to 21-7. When that happened, most tenn fans probably thought, “here we go again.” Tenn pushes the led back to 28-7, but then bama cuts it back to 28-14. Most probably still thought, “yeah, bama always finds a way.” Then jay graham put bama away for good. Beating bama in this fashion at legion field was literally the first signature win for Peyton, and the beginning of a phenomenal run that lasted until the 2001 sec championship game
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