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Best Vol Team Finals: 1998 vs 1997

2013-05-20T15:29:27Z

If you're looking for the apex of Tennessee Football, here it is.

The '97 Vols were actually the 7 seed in our tournament, burdened with two losses on their record and one of them a beatdown at the hands of Nebraska. But they've been quite resilient in this field, taking down the 11-1 SEC Champions from 1989, the 1967 team that won a share of the National Championship, and then squeaking past the beloved 1985 SEC Champion SugarVols with 51% of the vote in the semifinals.

A significant percentage of that love is due to their senior quarterback: this is what should've been Peyton Manning's Heisman season, and along the way he set the school record for passing yards in a game, season, and career in 1997. He also broke the SEC record for wins as a starting quarterback, which he held until David Greene took it seven years later. And Manning finally got his ring in a 30-29 thriller over Auburn in UT's first SEC Championship Game appearance, the first SEC title for Phillip Fulmer.

But this team is more than just Manning. It's the spectacular freshman campaign of Jamal Lewis, who might've made a difference in the Gainesville loss had he played in it. It's Leonard Little at his most terrifying, a hybrid DE/OLB who stood next to Al Wilson two out of three downs, which is an insane thought in hindsight. And there are a handful of guys on this team whose absence caused many to believe 1998 would be a reloading year, including Marcus Nash, Jonathan Brown, Bill Duff, and three-fourths of the secondary including Terry Fair at corner. The 1997 team is all of that talent plus a significant number of the guys who made 1998 what it was. As far as an on-paper starting lineup goes, I challenge you to find one more talented than this in the history of Tennessee Football, including the 1995 and 2001 teams that fell on the other side of the bracket:

1997

QB: Peyton Manning

RB: Jamal Lewis, Shawn Bryson

WR: Marcus Nash, Peerless Price, Andy McCullough

OL: Chad Clifton, Spencer Riley, Trey Teague, Mercedes Hamilton, Cosey Coleman

DL: Jonathan Brown, Bill Duff, Ron Green, Corey Terry

LB: Al Wilson, Leonard Little, Raynoch Thompson

DB: Dwayne Goodrich, Terry Fair, Cory Gaines, Tori Noel

The '97 Vols went to the Orange Bowl at 11-1, ranked third in the nation, and still with an outside shot at a National Championship had Michigan fallen to Washington State in the Rose Bowl. Just because they finished the year at #7 because of what eventual split-champion Nebraska did to them doesn't mean they weren't right there at the very end of the season.

Of course, if you're voting on championships and memories, this is no contest.

I won't spend time discussing the 1998 Vols in those terms, because you don't need me to. They were the one seed in our field because of their rings and because they are the most beloved Vol team of my generation. After blowing past 2003 and 1972 in the first two rounds, the 1995 Vols (which included sophomore versions of Manning, Nash, Little, etc) managed 25% of the vote against them in the semifinals. Like '97, the '95 Vols took one beating on the year. They finished #3 AP/#2 Coaches' poll, but still couldn't topple the '98 Vols.

Could anyone? Again, this is only a conversation if you consider talent and who would win on a neutral field. Will the '97 Vols fare any better?

If you're too young to remember, it's hard for me to describe how dangerous this offense was once we started giving the ball to Jamal. This was Peyton at the peak of his powers and Jamal at his most violent. And the Vols had the same championship offensive line from '98 leading the way (though without getting their butts handed to them by Nebraska to toughen them up for the last step of the journey the next year). The '97 Vols did lose at Florida, but that was without Lewis. With Lewis, this team was not threatened until the very end of the season, and Auburn needed us to turn the ball over six times to play us within a point in Atlanta.

1998

QB: Tee Martin

RB: Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, Travis Stephens, Shawn Bryson

WR: Peerless Price, Jermaine Copeland, Cedrick Wilson

OL: Spencer Riley, Chad Clifton, Cosey Coleman, Reggie Coleman, Mercedes Hamilton

DL: Shaun Ellis, Darwin Walker, Billy Ratliff, Corey Terry

LB: Al Wilson, Raynoch Thompson, Eric Westmoreland

DB: Dwayne Goodrich, Steve Johnson, Deon Grant, Fred White

The 1998 Vol offense was a trade-off: Jamal Lewis carried the load the first four games of the season, then went down with a torn ACL. Travis Henry and Travis Stephens did the rest as freshmen, but Tee Martin also progressed enough to lead the charge late. The '98 offense would have been more if Lewis had stayed healthy, but even without him it was a group that did what teams with legendary defenses need to do: take care of the football, hit a few big plays, and lean on you until you fall. Once Lewis went down the Vols won their biggest games of the season without a huge explosion: 22 points at Georgia, 28 vs Arkansas, 24 in the SEC Championship Game, 23 in the Fiesta Bowl. We didn't score a ton, but we didn't need to.

And the '98 defense is why, and it's where the talent differential between these two swings back the other way just a bit.

Let's say again how insane it is that the '97 defense had Leonard Little and Al Wilson playing together. That's crazy.

From there, '98 gets the advantage on the defensive line thanks to the arrival of Darwin Walker and the emergence of Shaun Ellis. Jonathan Brown was no slouch in '97, and was overshadowed by Little his entire career. But the '98 line had more talent and more firepower. In the secondary, the '97 team had better corners, but '98 still had one of those corners and was way better at safety with Deon Grant and Fred White.

In the end the '97 team will always come back to Manning, and the '98 team will always come back to its defense. That's the real chess match here: what would Peyton Manning have been able to do against the '98 defense? Would it have been enough?

Your heart and your gut are voting for '98, and so are mine. Will your head make a different decision?

Poll

Who wins?

Tennessee Recruiting: '16 Prospect Middleton Gives Vols Some Big, (Early) News

2013-05-20T03:55:49Z

Butch Jones and his coaching staff have wasted no time establishing relationships with players from this year's class and have the Tennessee Vols second nationally in the early rankings. UT also has three quick commitments for the 2015 class -- all from local players who are poised to be highly-coveted recruits.

On Sunday night, the Vols got some big future news from another local prospect who has the potential to be a major national recruit when 6-foot-6, 230-pound Darel Middleton of Powell High School announced via Twitter that he is poised to become UT's first pledge for the 2016 class, officially notifying coaches Monday morning. Yes, that's right -- that means he's a rising sophomore in high school.

Though he's still basically still a baby, Middleton is known as a man among boys on East Tennessee football fields. As a freshman, Middleton played wide receiver and defensive end and put up a small freshman highlight reel that will pretty much make your mouth fall open. You can check those highlights out here and here. He's a virtual lock for the state's top player in the '16 class and is poised to be one of the top players in the nation.

Picked your jaw up yet? Keep reading.

With his blend of size and athleticism, he looks like the type of player who can grow into a five-star, top-20 national player. Some analysts and high school coaches out there have thrown some comparisons around such as Jadaveon Clowney and John Henderson. [Note: Those are not my words nor comparison, so let's clear that up.] While that's really lofty praise and probably unfair expectations to heap on a kid who still has more than three years before he ever sees a college football field, the potential is obvious. Quite simply put, Middleton has unlimited potential and could grow into a superstar prospect.

What is unclear is what position Middleton will wind up playing in college. He almost assuredly won't play wide receiver, and also is unlikely to play tight end. Instead, he is expected to be a strongside defensive end or potentially even a defensive tackle. He has a massive frame that can carry plenty more weight. He finished with 14 catches for 210 yards and a touchdown and added 12 tackles, four for a loss and three sacks playing as a freshman. He said he runs a 4.7 40-yard dash.

In the past, previous Tennessee coaching staffs have been criticized for being late to offer prospects. That obviously isn't the case with Jones and crew, who identified Middleton as an important target very early and closed the deal. Having several prospects in the area over the next few years who grew up wanting to play for UT and who are good enough to be identified as players who have that caliber early has been an ideal ingredient for Jones to get commitments.

While it's difficult to get too excited about getting a commitment from a high school freshman who could change his mind more than he changes underwear, it speaks volumes about this staff that players of Middleton's ilk think enough of them and the direction of the program to end the recruiting process before it ever really starts. The Vols doubtlessly will have to fend off suitors for Middleton, but given that he grew up a UT fan and is infatuated with the coaching staff, the Vols appear to have a good shot at hanging onto him.

Welcome home, young Darel. Now, keep eating, keep growing and anchor that defensive line -- way down the road when I'm 35 years old.

Best Vol Team Semifinals: 1985 vs 1997

2013-05-17T16:01:07Z

The power of the '85 Vols was on display in the last round, facing the more talented 1990 squad and winning easily with 69% of the vote. For those 35 and up - and we're not exactly sure what percentage of our readers are in that demographic, but we're about to find out - the '85 Vols are usually just behind (or even on par with depending on who you ask - there are some who will take the Miami Sugar Bowl over the '98 Florida, Arkansas, or Florida State games) with the '98 squad in terms of adoration. The '85 Vols are a team you remember forever.

The '97 Vols are a team that tends to be more forgotten than it should simply because of what happened the very next year, but thanks to their senior quarterback they've remained a fixture as well. They upset this tournament's #2 seed, the 1967 split National Champions, with 52% of the vote in the quarterfinals. So now we get to see if the '85 Vols can upend another team that is clearly more talented than they are - because the '97 team, on pure talent, is arguably the best in school history. Peyton, Jamal, Leonard, and Al. All on the same team. The fact that they lost to Florida (without Jamal) by 13 is astounding. We all know what happened against Nebraska, a necessary loss for the program going forward in hindsight, and that may take away from their accomplishments as well. But this team is a beast, and in the Space Jam scenario - if you had to pick one Vol team with the fate of the planet on the line - the '97 Vols are at least in the conversation, if not winning it. That's how they got this far...but will it be enough to take down the mythical '85 Vols?

1985

QB: Tony Robinson, Daryl Dickey

RB: Keith Davis, William Howard, Jeff Powell

WR: Tim McGee, Eric Swanson

OL: David Douglas, Harry Galbreath, Todd Kirk, John Bruhin, Bruce Wilkerson

DL: Robby Scott, Richard Brown, Mark Hovanic

LB: Bryan Kimbro, Dale Jones, Kelly Ziegler, Darrin Miller

DB: Tommy Sims, Terry Brown, Charles Davis, Chris White

1997

QB: Peyton Manning

RB: Jamal Lewis, Shawn Bryson

WR: Marcus Nash, Peerless Price, Andy McCullough

OL: Chad Clifton, Spencer Riley, Trey Teague, Mercedes Hamilton, Cosey Coleman

DL: Jonathan Brown, Bill Duff, Ron Green, Corey Terry

LB: Al Wilson, Leonard Little, Raynoch Thompson

DB: Dwayne Goodrich, Terry Fair, Cory Gaines, Tori Noel

Poll

Who wins?

1985 Vols - 9-1-2 SEC Champions, Final Rank #4

43 votes

1997 Vols - 11-2 SEC Champions, Final Rank #7

45 votes

88 votes | Poll has closed

Best Vol Team Semifinals: 1998 vs 1995

2013-05-17T12:20:21Z

So, we all know the 1998 team is the most beloved, is the only undefeated and unanimous National Champion in our bracket (which covered the last 50 years to limit ourselves to teams our readers could have actually seen), and would be a tough out for anyone. But as the question is not "who's your favorite?" but "who wins?", after rolling past the 2003 and 1972 Vols in the first two rounds, they could be in for a fight today.

Starting at the top, I think we'd all take sophomore Peyton Manning and his four interceptions on the year over junior Tee Martin. Jay Graham set UT's single season rushing record in 1995 before Travis Stephens broke it six years later, so he is clearly a threat in the backfield, although he's going against the Jamal Lewis, Travis & Travis combo. Joey Kent and Marcus Nash were record setters at UT, though NFL flameouts may suggest some of that had to do with who was throwing them the ball. Meanwhile Peerless Price and Cedrick Wilson made a living on NFL rosters for several seasons. And you want offensive lines like these, on both sides.

The 1995 defense was maligned early, no doubt, as Georgia and Florida both torched them. But John Chavis' first campaign was a massive success by the end of the year; if you view this team as the one with September's defense, '98 is the clear victor. But if you view this team as the one that held Alabama and Ohio State to two touchdowns each? How many points would the '98 offense score on them?

Of course, the same is true the other way around: the 1998 defense took a beating from Donovan McNabb and Anthony Lucas, but otherwise resembled a brick wall. The '95 defense may have better corners, but '98 has better safeties. You want Leonard Little or Al Wilson? Pick your poison.

In short, if anyone was going to beat the 1998 team, the 1995 team may have the most firepower on both sides of the ball to do it. Who ya got?

1998

QB: Tee Martin

RB: Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, Travis Stephens, Shawn Bryson

WR: Peerless Price, Jermaine Copeland, Cedrick Wilson

OL: Spencer Riley, Chad Clifton, Cosey Coleman, Reggie Coleman, Mercedes Hamilton

DL: Shaun Ellis, Darwin Walker, Billy Ratliff, Corey Terry

LB: Al Wilson, Raynoch Thompson, Eric Westmoreland

DB: Dwayne Goodrich, Steve Johnson, Deon Grant, Fred White

1995

QB: Peyton Manning

RB: Jay Graham

WR: Joey Kent, Marcus Nash, Scot Pfeiffer

OL: Jason Layman, Trey Peterson, Jeff Smith, Bubba Miller, Robert Poole

DL: Leonard Little, Shane Burton, Bill Duff, Steve White

LB: Jesse Sanders, Tyrone Hines, Scott Galyon

DB: Terry Fair, DeRon Jenkins, Raymond Austin, Tori Noel

Poll

Who wins?

Butch Jones, Close Games, and The Fourth Quarter Comeback

2013-05-16T12:07:45Z

So the main reason it's been more quiet than usual around these parts is all of us are hard at work on the Rocky Top Tennessee 2013 preseason magazine. One of the stories I'm contributing this year is a narrative history of Butch Jones' tenure at Central Michigan and Cincinnati: what's the how and the why behind his 50-27 overall record?

In doing research and studying every game he coached over the last six years, two trends became evident: his teams played a lot of close games, and they loved a good fourth quarter comeback. Which is good, because those two things have been in short supply in Knoxville.

Butch Jones is 16-11 (.592) in one possession games as a head coach. For reference, Phillip Fulmer was 49-23-1 (.671) in one possession games. But Fulmer remains the loftiest of goals - the better comparison is to see what the Vols have done in one possession games since 2008: 5-13 (.277). And the five wins? Northern Illinois in 2008, Kentucky in overtime in 2009, UAB in overtime in 2010, Vanderbilt in overtime in 2011, and Troy in 2012. Not exactly a confidence booster.

And how many of those losses could've made a difference for Derek Dooley? They include both extra time heartbreakers from 2010, the Georgia loss and the backbreaker at Kentucky from 2011, and the final drive nightmares against Georgia, South Carolina, and Missouri from 2012. This doesn't even count the winnable games against South Carolina in 2010 and 2011, or the Florida and Mississippi State games from 2012. Any one of those wins could've made a huge difference in the way things went down and the direction of the program.

However, most of us seem just fine with the direction of the program at the moment with Butch Jones. Still, it's encouraging to have a guy who has gotten it done with the game on the line more often than not at both of his previous stops.

And of those 16 one possession wins, 10 happened because a Butch Jones team came from behind in the fourth quarter:

2007 at Western Michigan: down 31-27 with 1:34 to play, won 34-31
2007 at Akron: down 32-20 with 8:08 to play, won 35-32
2008 vs Buffalo: down 18-17 with 14:26 to play, won 27-25
2008 at Toledo: down 23-17 at start of 4th, won 24-23
2008 at Indiana: down 34-28 at start of 4th, won 37-34
2009 at Michigan State: down 27-20 with 7:33 to play, won 29-27
2009 vs Troy: down 31-19 with 8:01 to play, won 44-41 in 2OT
2011 at South Florida: down 34-30 with 1:27 to play, won 37-34
2011 vs Vanderbilt: down 21-17 with 14:03 to play, won 31-24
2012 vs Virginia Tech: down 24-20 with 1:49 to play, won 27-24
2012 vs Duke: down 31-27 with 12:45 to play, won 48-34

(EDIT: As I should've pointed out, the Duke win in the bowl game came with Jones already at UT, but it's still his team so to speak. It also isn't technically a one possession win thanks to a pick six in the final seconds, but you get the idea.)

Here's the best part of that list: only one of those comebacks came at home.

The wins over Troy, Vanderbilt, and Duke came in bowl games, and the Virginia Tech win came at a neutral site. Butch's teams - especially at Central Michigan - were masters of pulling out huge fourth quarter wins in the opponent's building. A big chunk of that credit goes to Dan LeFevour, to be sure...but do you know how many fourth quarter comebacks the Vols have in the same span?

Tennessee came from 15 down in the fourth quarter to beat Vanderbilt in 2007. After that? The Vols came from behind and beat Vanderbilt in overtime in 2011, and came from behind to beat Troy in 2012. That's it.

For a team with no proven winners wearing orange jerseys, it's very encouraging to me that the guys wearing headsets on the sideline have been there and done that, numerous times and often away from home. Confidence and experience are a Catch 22, but if Butch Jones and company can instill the confidence they've already earned into these Vols on Fall Saturdays, Tennessee can turn an important mental hurdle early. This team may not have the talent to compete for championships, but it can play close games. Derek Dooley not only failed to inspire confidence on the sideline, but probably openly took it from his players with some of his comments and his general attitude. This is where Butch Jones is already making his mark on the current roster; confidence and optimism can go a long, long way.

We'll need all the help we can get this fall. But the sooner these Vols learn that they don't always have to lose close games and can make the plays to win in the fourth quarter, the better it will be for 2013 and the future. And their coaching staff has been there before and come out on top more often than not. For whatever percentage of this game is played in the minds and hearts of the young men on the field, Butch Jones appears to be an excellent choice for getting the Vols to believe in themselves when the game is on the line, because both of his former teams built an identity around finishing strong.

NCAA Tennis Tourney: Vols Take Out Clemson, Advance to Round of 16

2013-05-14T14:00:06Z

Because it's been quite some time since I've written about UT tennis, I thought it appropriate to give a brief overview of where we were, where we are now, and what happened in between. This information will be presented in FAQ format because this is what KidB does when he writes about tennis. And also because FAQs are awesome.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1) KidB, you used to frequently write about UT tennis. Weren't they pretty much amazing?

Indeed they were. On the strength of three players -- JP Smith, Rhyne Williams, and Tennys Sandgren -- who are presently battling in the pro ranks of tennis (and who continue to climb up the rankings), the University of Tennessee Men's Tennis Team was one of the nation's best in both 2010 and 2011. In 2010, the Vols lost in the NCAA Finals to USC. In 2011, the Vols were ousted in the NCAA quarterfinals in a major upset loss to Georgia, but still ended the year ranked #4 in the country. Both squads won the SEC.

2) Why is it that you didn't write much about them last year?

Because I'm a bit of a fair-weather fan, I guess. You see, following the 2011 season, JP Smith graduated, and both Williams and Sandgren turned pro. This left significant holes in the 2012 roster, and the results bore this out. The extremely young 2012 Vols were ousted in the second round of the NCAAs and finished the year ranked #20 in the country. Not a bad showing for some schools, but a significant letdown for a Tennessee program that was establishing itself as nationally elite. And if I wanted to write about mediocrity, I'd contribute to a Clemson blog.

3) But those great players didn't land at UT by accident. I imagine the coach is an excellent recruiter, yes?

You said it man. Head Coach Sam Winterbotham ain't playing around, y'all. He went all the way to Latvia to snag certifiable stud Mikelis Libietis. Mikelis, who is only a sophomore, is the top ranked player in college tennis in both singles and doubles. And the 2013 Vols have slowly but surely crept up the rankings to their current spot at #6 in the land. Let me reiterate: Sam Winterbotham don't play around.

4) Does this year's squad have any chance of winning the NCAAs?

Not a great chance, but stranger things have happened. Here is the draw, so you can follow along. The Vols just took out Clemson -- this was a very exciting match -- in the second round of the NCAAs. Next up for the Vols is Mississippi State. We've already played MSU this season, and we beat them at their place, so I like our chances against them at a neutral site.

Assuming we get by MSU and into the quarterfinals, we'll likely be up against UVA, who is currently ranked #3. If I'm being completely candid, this is a match that we are more likely to lose than to win. But keep in mind that in 2011, UGA was ranked #6, we were ranked #3, and they beat us in the quarterfinals.* They play the matches for a reason.

*And, to this day, I have no idea what happened in that match. I suspect that agents working for UGA may have dropped some quaaludes in our Gatorade. Let's just say we haven't ruled that out as a possibility.

Mikelis Libietis does have an excellent chance of winning the NCAA singles tournament. And him and his doubles partner, Hunter Reese, have an excellent chance of winning the NCAA doubles tournament. So we've got that going for us, which is nice.

5) What are the prospects for UT tennis going forward?

Strong to quite strong.

Next year's squad will be even better than this year's squad: (a) our homeboy from Latvia has already gone on record that he'll be returning next year, (b) the remaining of our top four players will be returning, (c) we recently picked up an excellent prospect out of Argentina, and (d) Sean Karl, the former blue-chip recruit who was diagnosed with cancer before he ever arrived on campus is ready to make his return to the team.*

*Seriously, go to that link. It's an awesome story.

And, also, Sam Winterbotham will still be our coach. And Sam Winterbotham simply does not play around.

6) I'm sick of reading. Do you have any videos I could watch?

You got it.

Our tough win against Clemson:

Our first round match against South Carolina State:

Our new homeboy from Latvia:

Best Vol Team Quarterfinals: 1967 vs 1997

2013-05-14T12:00:08Z

The '67 Vols won a share of the National Championship, easily dispatching 2007 in the first round. Meanwhile the '97 Vols took down 1989 in the first round, led by Peyton Manning in his senior season. Who advances to the final four?

1967: 9-2, SEC Champions, National Champions (Litkenhous), Final AP Rank #2

QB: Dewey Warren

RB: Walter Chadwick

WR: Richmond Flowers, Terry Dalton, Ken DeLong

OL: Elliot Gammage, Joe Graham, Bob Johnson, Charles Rosenfelder, John Boynton

DL: Neal McMeans, Dick Williams, Rick Marino, Derrick Weatherford, Jim McDonald

LB: Steve Kiner, Jack Reynolds

DB: Jim Weatherford, Albert Dorsey, Jimmy Glover, Mike Jones

The '67 Vols under Doug Dickey lost the season opener, with #9 Tennessee falling to #8 UCLA in California 20-16. The Vols would not allow more than 14 points in any game the rest of the regular season, running the table in the SEC. The Vols beat Georgia Tech 24-13 in a nationally televised contest (a huge deal at the time), then beat #6 Alabama in Birmingham 27-13. Those wins helped propel the Vols to #2 in the polls by November, where they stayed throughout the rest of the regular season. Litkenhous declared the Vols National Champions at the end of the regular season. #2 Tennessee faced #3 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, and the Sooners stole a 26-24 victory. The Vols missed perfection by six points.

1997: 11-2, SEC Champions, Final AP Rank #7

QB: Peyton Manning

RB: Jamal Lewis, Shawn Bryson

WR: Marcus Nash, Peerless Price, Andy McCullough

OL: Chad Clifton, Spencer Riley, Trey Teague, Mercedes Hamilton, Cosey Coleman

DL: Jonathan Brown, Bill Duff, Ron Green, Corey Terry

LB: Al Wilson, Leonard Little, Raynoch Thompson

DB: Dwayne Goodrich, Terry Fair, Cory Gaines, Tori Noel

Peyton's last hurrah started 2-0 with a blowout over Texas Tech and a 30-24 escape in Pasadena against the Bruins. That set up the old familiar disappointment in Gainesville, as Manning was sacked five times and Florida beat Tennessee again, 33-20. One of the biggest reasons the Vols fell to the Gators: freshman Jamal Lewis was on the bench. But no longer.

It started with 155 yards in a win over Ole Miss. With #13 Georgia in Knoxville, Lewis exploded against his home state for 232 yards on just 22 carries in a 38-13 total beatdown. Throw in Manning's 31 of 40 for 343 and 4 TDs, and I dare you to find a better run/pass day in school history.

The Vols then won their third straight over Alabama, and Manning finished his Heisman campaign with a school record 523 yards against Kentucky in a duel over Tim Couch, a record that stood until Tyler Bray got it against Troy this season. Thanks to two Florida losses, the #3 Vols won the SEC East for the first time, and went to Atlanta to face #11 Auburn still alive in the hunt for the National Championship. In a crazed environment with both teams in Atlanta for the first time, the Vols overcame six turnovers to beat Auburn 30-29 thanks to what I believe to be Manning's best overall performance: 373 yards and four touchdowns to beat the Tigers and get Peyton his ring. Jamal Lewis finished the year averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

The Vols got steamrolled by Nebraska in the Orange Bowl 42-17, but the loss really helped propel this team forward into 1998, knowing what it took to become National Champions...

Poll

Who wins?

1967 Vols

54 votes

1997 Vols

60 votes

114 votes | Poll has closed

Best Vol Team Quarterfinals: 1985 vs 1990

2013-05-14T12:00:08Z

Two SEC Champions square off here: the beloved '85 SugarVols face the '90 Vols, kings of strength of schedule.

1985: 9-1-2, SEC Champions, Final AP Rank #4

Johnny Majors came to Rocky Top as head coach in 1977, and it started like this: 4-7, 5-5-1, 7-5, 5-6, 8-4, 6-5-1, 9-3, 7-4-1. The Vols hadn't won the SEC since 1969, hadn't finished a season ranked since 1974, and hadn't even been in the poll since a one week stay in 1979 after beating Notre Dame in Knoxville. This is why those older than me are slower to speak of the present day as the worst of times.

The Vols lost 12 starters from a seven win team in 1984, putting expectations at zero the way the story has been told to me. The season opened with #10 UCLA coming to Knoxville, and the Vols managed a 26-26 tie. But the real stunner came the following week: Bo Jackson and #1 Auburn came to Knoxville, and left on the business end of a 38-20 beating. Bo Knows 80 yards. Sports Illustrated's cover got to know Vol quarterback Tony Robinson.

The Vols returned to the polls at #16, survived against Wake Forest 31-29 the following week, then lost in Gainesville to #7 Florida 17-10. But Tennessee recaptured the SEC lead with a thrilling 16-14 win over #15 Alabama in Birmingham, the last of four straight in the series for the Vols. Dale Jones - who was to 1985 what Al Wilson was to 1998 if you're unfamiliar - helped save the day with a spectacular batted ball interception. But the Vols would lose Tony Robinson for the season to a knee injury in the game, forcing backup Daryl Dickey - son of the former coach and now AD - to take control.

It was a rough start for Dickey - a 6-6 tie with Georgia Tech followed - but Tennessee then began to roll. The Vols finished their usual November run by beating Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt by a combined 106-14 to wrap up the conference title.

The Vols moved to #8 in the polls, but standing in the way in New Orleans was #2 Miami. This was The U at its most powerful - Miami lost to #5 Florida in the opener, but beat #3 Oklahoma, #10 Florida State, and was last seen destroying Notre Dame 58-7. The Canes had Vinny Testeverde, Michael Irvin, and Jimmy Johnson. Miami scored first to make it 7-0 and it looked like the Vols would have to submit to what everyone thought was coming anyway.

Then Tennessee scored the next 35 points.

The Vols made it 14-7 at halftime and then rolled in the third quarter, including a 60 yard Jeff Powell touchdown run to make it 28-7 and seal the deal. The 35-7 win was the best of all exclamation points, and made the '85 Vols one for the record books. McGee and Wilkerson went on to have successful NFL careers.

QB: Tony Robinson, Daryl Dickey

RB: Keith Davis, William Howard, Jeff Powell

WR: Tim McGee, Eric Swanson

OL: David Douglas, Harry Galbreath, Todd Kirk, John Bruhin, Bruce Wilkerson

DL: Robby Scott, Richard Brown, Mark Hovanic

LB: Bryan Kimbro, Dale Jones, Kelly Ziegler, Darrin Miller

DB: Tommy Sims, Terry Brown, Charles Davis, Chris White

1990: 9-2-2, SEC Champions, Final AP Rank #8

If you're too young to remember this season, you are missing out. The 1990 Vols played what is far and away the most difficult schedule in the history of the program, and that's really saying something considering our history of aggressive non-conference scheduling and the strength of this conference. I would put the narrative of this season with all its roller coaster glory against any season in the history of Tennessee Football.

The 1989 Vols, who you'll see later this week, bounced back from a disastrous 1988 season to go 11-1 and split the SEC Championship. Tennessee was ranked 8th in the preseason and traveled to Anaheim to face #5 Colorado in the old Pigskin Classic. The Vols mounted a furious fourth quarter rally using what is certainly in the conversation for the most talented set of skill players ever at UT: Chuck Webb in the backfield, Carl Pickens and Alvin Harper at wide receiver. With Andy Kelly leading the charge at quarterback, the Vols rallied to tie Colorado 31-31. The Buffaloes would go on to win the National Championship.

The next week, Tennessee hammered Pacific but lost Chuck Webb to a torn ACL...and the sophomore would leave the program. Webb is one of the most talented and most mysterious players to ever wear the orange and white. Without him, serious questions arose about the Vols' ability to run the football. Enter the diminutive Tony Thompson, a senior who had been buried on the depth chart his entire career behind Reggie Cobb and Chuck Webb but was still elected team captain. The little guy immediately made an impact with an incredible should-be-on-youtube run against Mississippi State in a win at Starkville. At 3-0-1 after a win over UTEP, the #5 Vols traveled to Auburn to face the #3 Tigers. This time Tennessee allowed the fourth quarter comeback as Auburn rallied to tie it 26-26. The Vols had played five games and tied twice against two of the nation's best.

Up next were Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators, with The Visor making his first appearance in this rivalry as a head coach. The Gators were ranked #9 and hungry to make their mark in the SEC. Instead, they got the business end of a 45-3 beatdown that many believe is part of the reason Spurrier always ran the score up on the Vols whenever he could. This game was 7-3 at halftime, then Dale Carter ran the second half kickoff back for six and the floodgates engaged. Truly one of the most joyous nights in Neyland Stadium history. It was then followed by what we called the most heartbreaking loss in Neyland Stadium history. Unranked Alabama came in with the #3 Vols looking to end four years of misery against the Tide. Instead Alabama frustrated Tennessee all day, and with the game tied 6-6 and Tennessee finally looking to win on a 50 yard field goal in the final minute. Instead, the kick was blocked, bounced 30 yards downfield, Alabama got the ball there and kicked their own field goal to win 9-6. Only the 2001 loss to LSU was more costly.

Two weeks later the Vols hosted #1 Notre Dame in Knoxville and suffered another heartbreaking loss. The Vols led late in the game but Rocket Ishmail came alive and Notre Dame used big plays to take a two possession lead. But the Vols didn't quit, scoring on a Kelly to Harper TD and then actually recovering the onside kick. Tennessee drove to the red zone but Kelly was intercepted in the end zone, and the Irish escaped.

Tennessee then had to play #15 Ole Miss in Memphis, winner takes the lead in the SEC title race. And the Vols bounced back beautifully in a hard fought 22-13 victory. Taking care of business against Kentucky and Vanderbilt made the Vols your SEC Champion in back-to-back years, and put Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl. The Vols faced Virginia, who was ranked #1 in mid-October before their quarterback went down with an injury. Virginia led 16-0 at halftime, but Andy Kelly turned in one of the greatest fourth quarters in school history, leading three touchdown drives while the defense forced Virginia to kick field goals. Tony Thompson punched it in from the one yard line in the final minute to give the Vols a 23-22 storybook finish. Thompson would lead the SEC in rushing in 1990.

Nine Vols were taken in the 1991 NFL Draft, including the best first round run in school history: offensive tackles Antone Davis and Charles McRae went at 7 and 8, and Alvin Harper was chosen 12th. Every season tells a story, and 1990 remains one of my favorites.

QB: Andy Kelly

RB: Chuck Webb, Tony Thompson, Greg Amsler

WR: Carl Pickens, Alvin Harper, Mark Adams

OL: Charles McRae, Tom Myslinski, Doug Baird, John Fisher, Antone Davis

DL: Chuck Smith, Kacy Rodgers, Vince Moore, Carey Bailey

LB: Darryl Hardy, Earnest Fields, Shon Walker

DB: Floyd Miley, Jeremy Lincoln, Dale Carter, Mark Fletcher

Poll

Who wins?

1985 Vols

69 votes

1990 Vols

31 votes

100 votes | Poll has closed