Tennessee-Alabama: The Third Saturday's 10 Greatest Moments
The Third Saturday in October (though it's no longer played on the third Saturday). Dixie's great football war (as coined by Tennessee radio broadcaster Bob Kesling). Border battle. Conference clash.
No matter what you call it, the Tennessee-Alabama series is one of college football's premier rivalries. Predating the Southeastern Conference by three decades, the rivalry is almost as old as the football programs themselves at these two schools.
It is a series that defined two of college football's greatest coaches: Tennessee's Robert Neyland and Alabama's Paul Bryant (The General and The Bear) and made gridiron legacies out of mere mortals who have defined this series since its inception in 1901.
The winningest coaches at each school tend to dominate the series. At Tennessee, Gen. Bob Neyland was 12-5-2 against Alabama during his 21 years as head coach, spanning parts of four decades from the 1920s through the 1952 season.
Phillip Fulmer (1993-2008) won seven straight against Alabama, and finished with an 11-5 record (including the 1993 meeting, which ended in a tie but was later forfeited to Tennessee).
At Alabama, Bear Bryant was 16-7-2 against Tennessee, including 11 straight from 1971 to 1981.
The series has been definitive for other coaches as well. Johnny Majors' Vols ended an 11-year losing streak to Alabama with a 35-28 win over the Crimson Tide in 1982, Bryant's last game against Tennessee, to start a four-year winning streak in the series.
But Majors lost his first five and last seven against 'Bama, for an overall record of 4-12. Less than two weeks after his team's 17-10 loss to the eventual national champions in 1992, Majors was fired at Tennessee.
Saturday, the Vols and the Tide will meet for the 92nd time in Tuscaloosa (3:30 p.m., CBS). In the spirit of this storied rivalry, the following are 10 of the most memorable moments in the series, as seen through the eyes of Tennessee fans.
Memorable isn't always good, of course; some of the least forgettable moments over the past 91 meetings between UT and 'Bama have been sweet, some bitter, and some, well, bittersweet.
But, when viewed through orange-tinted glasses, there is more good than bad in the series, although the Tide leads it 46-38-7.
This list isn't definitive, obviously, but with 91 games spanning for more than 100 years, what list would be? There are a number of other games that deserve consideration, such as the 1932 game in a downpour (won by Tennessee, 7-3) that featured a total of 40 punts between the two teams, or the Vols' 38-21 win in Birmingham in 1997, when Peyton Manning became the first UT quarterback to win three straight against the Tide, and in this series, "top 10" lists are bound to be as varied as those who compose them.
Whether you agree or disagree with their placement on this list, these 10 games undeniably hold their own in the lore of this century-old football rivalry.
10. Sweet as Sugar (1985)
Tennessee's 1985 meeting with Alabama had the makings of a disaster. Coming off a 17-10 loss to No. 7 Florida, the No. 20 Vols found themselves in trouble when starting quarterback Tony Robinson was lost to a season-ending broken leg early in the game.
But backup Darryl Dickey came on to write the first chapter in what UT broadcaster John Ward would later call a "storybook year."
With Dickey calling the signals, Tennessee defeated No. 15 Alabama 16-14 in Birmingham, launching a run to the SEC championship, the Vols' first since 1969 (and their first post-season Top Five ranking since 1970, after defeating No. 2 Miami 35-7 in the Sugar Bowl).
An interesting side note: Ken Donohue had served as an assistant coach at Alabama for 21 years before being fired and replaced at defensive coordinator by Joe Kines after the 1984 season.
Tennessee coach Johnny Majors hired Donohue to run the Vols' defense, and his team limited Alabama to 14 points to upset the Tide in his first year in Knoxville.
9. The First Win at Home (1914)
Tennessee's 17-7 win over Alabama at 15th and Cumberland Field in Knoxville in 1914 was significant in a variety of ways.
For starters, it was Tennessee's first home win in the series, after the first seven games were played in Birmingham, and Alabama won the 1909 game in Knoxville, 10-0.
The game also marked the first time Tennessee had scored on Alabama since a 5-0 win in 1903, a span of seven games. It also shifted the tide in the series, as Tennessee won four out of five games after losing 10 of the first 11 against the Tide.
Tennessee would go on to finish the 1914 campaign with its first undefeated season, 9-0, and won its first Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) championship.
8. Unscored Upon (1939)
The 1939 season was a magical one for Gen. Bob Neyland and Tennessee, as the Vols assembled their second consecutive undefeated regular season and were the last team in NCAA history to finish the season undefeated, untied, and unscored upon.
After defeating Chattanooga 28-0 for its 16th consecutive win, Tennessee's streak was in jeopardy when No. 8 Alabama rolled into town the following week.
It was homecoming at Shields-Watkins Field, and behind All-American halfback George Cafego and an outstanding defense, the Vols defeated the Tide 21-0, keeping their scoreless streak alive, at 36 consecutive quarters.
That streak would continue until the Rose Bowl, when Southern Cal cost Tennessee a second consecutive national championship with a 14-0 win over the Vols.
7. Field Goal Classic (1990)
After good showings against Top 10 teams in back-to-back weeks--the latter a 45-3 shelling of No. 8 Florida--Tennessee found itself ranked No. 3 in the country heading into the Third Saturday of October at Neyland Stadium. Alabama was unranked, and the Vols were widely expected to snap a three-game losing streak to the Tide.
What followed was one of the biggest upsets in the history of the series. With Alabama's defense dominating the game, Tennessee replaced quarterback Andy Kelly with Sterling Henton.
The change didn't produce many points, but Greg Burke nailed a 51-yard field goal with 10 minutes remaining to tie the game, 6-6.
With 1:35 remaining, Burke lined up for what appeared to be the game-winner, from 50 yards. But the kick was blocked by Alabama's Stacy Harrison.
That allowed Philip Doyle an opportunity to win the game for the Tide. As time expired, Doyle's 48-yard attempt sailed true, as Alabama won its fourth straight against the Vols.
Despite the loss, Tennessee would go on to win the SEC championship, with an overall conference record of 5-1-1.
6. Why Not Run it Every Time? (1996)
In the first non-Third Saturday Tennessee-Alabama meeting at Neyland Stadium, the No. 6 Vols and No. 7 Tide were tied at 13 late in the game, when Phil Fulmer's traditional conservative style paid off in a big way.
Two big plays in the fourth quarter allowed Tennessee to come from behind to defeat the undefeated Tide before a series-record 106,700.
With three minutes remaining and facing 2nd and 12 at the Alabama 21, Tennessee turned to Jay Graham.
Graham had broken Alabama's back with a long touchdown the year before, and was about to do it again. Held to 49 yards rushing for much of the game, Graham found a seam and raced 79 yards for the score.
Alabama was able to drive back down the field with an opportunity to tie the game in the waning seconds. But defensive end Leonard Little put a big hit on Tide quarterback Freddie Kitchens, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Tennessee.
5. Tie or Die (1993)
In Phil Fulmer's first year as head coach, Tennessee rolled through the regular season, scoring at least 28 points in every game; except Alabama.
The second-ranked and defending national champions Tide held the No. 10 Vols to 17 points. Still, that looked to be enough to end Tennessee's seven-year losing streak in the series.
Jay Barker and David Palmer had other plans. Trailing 17-9 with 1:44 remaining, Barker directed the Alabama offense 80 yards for its first touchdown with 21 seconds remaining.
Palmer lined up at quarterback on the two-point conversion, scored, and the game ended in a 17-17 tie.
The game was later forfeited to Tennessee after Alabama was slapped with NCAA sanctions.
4. The Longest Game (2003)
After back-to-back losses to Auburn and Georgia, the latter a humiliating 41-14 defeat at the hands of the No. 7 Bulldogs, Tennessee was anxious for something good to happen. It happened, but it wasn't easy.
The No. 22 Vols battled Alabama through five overtimes before finally winning 51-43 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
Senior quarterback Casey Clausen scored a one-yard touchdown run in the fifth overtime and connected with James Banks for the two-point conversion, and James Allen batted away a fourth-down pass into the end zone to preserve the win.
With the victory, Tennessee became the first team to win three consecutive games at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
3. Interception After Interception (1970)
A Neyland Stadium record crowd of 64,947 watched as No. 12 Tennessee's secondary turned in one of the most brilliant displays of pass defense in the history of the college game. The Vols intercepted an NCAA record eight passes, and defeated Alabama 24-0.
The win was the Vols' fourth straight against Bear Bryant's Crimson Tide. Tennessee would go on to finish the season 11-1 and ranked No. 4 in the AP Top 25, defeating No. 11 Air Force 34-13 in the Sugar Bowl.
#2: Touchdown on Play No. 1 (1995)
When No. 12 Alabama and No. 6 Tennessee met at Birmingham's Legion Field in 1995, the Vols hadn't beaten the Tide in nine years. That was the second-longest streak in the series, dating back to 1901.
Tennessee featured a sophomore sensation at quarterback, Peyton Manning.
On the first play from scrimmage, Manning found wide receiver Joey Kent across the middle, and Kent did the rest, outrunning Alabama's secondary for an 80-yard touchdown. Just 11 seconds in, and Tennessee led 7-0.
Alabama would never seriously challenge, as the Vols' added memorable touchdowns from Manning (on a naked bootleg) and Jay Graham, routing the Tide 41-14.
The 1995 game started a seven-year Tennessee winning streak in the series. It was the highlight of an 11-1 season that saw the Vols lose only to Florida and defeat Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George and Ohio State 20-14 in the Citrus Bowl.
No. 1: The Crowd Goes Berzerk (1982)
Long-time Voice of the Vols John Ward pronounced it "bee-zerk," but few of his listeners probably noticed.
Berzerk, bee-zerk or bor-zerk, it mattered little. Mike Terry intercepted a Walter Lewis pass in the end zone with 17 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, preserving a 35-28 come-from-behind victory for the Vols and handing No. 2 Alabama its first loss of the season.
Moments later, many of the mostly-partisan 95,342 in attendance at Neyland Stadium rushed the field, snapping off the goal posts and carting them down Cumberland Avenue in celebration.
The win snapped Alabama's 11-year winning streak over Tennessee, as the Vols defeated the Tide for the first time since 1970. UT Coach John Majors was carried onto the field by his players, where he shook the hand of Bear Bryant for the final time.
