Response to the South Carolina Fans

Dear Cock,

Thanks for playing our game this week “How to make a Cock Pissed”!

The funny thing is we like USCjr fans.  So far you win the award for the most passionate about their schools pride.  UGA fans and FU fans are the cesspool of fan bases.  You guys are much more fun to be around whether it is in Knoxville or when I have been to Columbia.  As usual the Gamecock fans around me Saturday night were some of the most respectable fans that been to our stadium.  This is the very reason why I hope you guys win the East, but I seriously doubt you will.  

To be honest I did think we would win.  When you lose a player like Lattimore in this league it is tough to survive.  Just so you know I hated like heck to hear about his injury because he is a dynamic player and may have a chance to make a lot of money.  Win or lose I would have rather seen him on the field Saturday night.   

After we turned the ball over on the goal line in the 3^rd qtr I figured many of you were beginning to write your response to my last post.  This became very clear after reading posts, tweets, and messages asking to meet me so we could fight.  I offer no apologies to anything I said.  Your program has won 4 bowl games in 100 years and that is just the plain truth.  This current UT football team is the worst team in my lifetime and we will still win 5 games.  You guys went 1-22 in two years.  That is the definition of dumpster fire. 

By no means am I attempting to live in the past.  Sports are about the “here and now”.  I just wanted to share some facts that would ruffle Gamecock feathers to create fun and entertaining conversation.  We did not “Troll” on SC or internet sites as we were accused by some of you.  As a matter of fact 90% of the post’s traffic came from USCjr sites that require membership and annual fees.  I have never met anybody as juvenile who would pay money to be members of South Carolina online sports talk so don’t blame RockyTopics!    

  

I also will not make any excuse for why we lost.  UT should never lose to USCjr.  What I completely will stand on without question is your team is average at best.  Bama and LSU are head and shoulders above everybody in this conference.  You guys did not accomplish anything Saturday by beating us.  The Eastern division is terrible and the only reason you guys may win it is because nobody else is worth talking about.

For those of you who hate me than all I can say is, your school is a joke.  For those of you who loved the trash talk and shot back with fun and friendly competition then I say, we will see you next year in Columbia!

Until then,

Go Vols

Radical

South Carolina: The Story of Conference Expansion Mediocrity

With all the talk of conference expansion and the fact this is South Carolina week I wanted to take moment to share with you a simple fact.  If your team has been average or less in the history of the program than you can only expect to be an expected win for the other SEC opponents.  Take note Texas A&M and Mizzou fans!

Each year football fans look at their schedule and count the automatic wins and then of course try and determine what kind of record they can expect.  In the SEC there are a few teams we can look at expecting them to be wins.  South Carolina is always one of those teams.  I know the USC fan base is living in some allusion right now because they won the East last year, but the fact is that is the best they will ever do is a season like last year.  How good is that?  They got beat 56-17 in the SEC Championship game and finished the season 9-5.  When Steve Spurrier was hired at USC Lee Corso said “South Carolina will never win a SEC title”, and lets face it he is right.

Assume the Position

The “Yell Leaders” and the Mizzou fans need to learn something from USC.  Expect average.  South Carolina fans probably would say “hey RockyTopics” we beat you last year.  Our response is, “sure every once in a while you guys will win, but we promise you we will beat you way more than you beat us”.  Not even close! However the Big 12 refugees can rest assure in one thing and that is their programs are not near the dumpster fire as the Gamechickens.  You guys are more like Arkansas (another team yet to win a SEC title).  So don’t expect to be relevant!

Hope

Seriously USC will not beat UT this weekend.  The spread came out Sunday night -7 for USC and was -4.5 by Lunch Monday.  Why?  Because USC is nothing more than a homecoming game each year.  They are 1-4 against the spread the last 5 times they have played UT!  Do you think I am being unreasonable?  Well I say if you think they are a serious opponent then you have no idea how bad this program has been and still is.  In 20 seasons USC not only has yet to win a SEC title they have never won more than 9 games in a season, and they only have done that twice! Did you know USC all time record is 543-539-44 (.502)? 

Realistic Expectations

Although USC has had a break-even all time history, since joining the SEC they have only got worse in the last 20 years with a record of 115-116-1.  That is not even the worst figure to consider!  To prove to you how bad South Carolina has been and is do you realize their SEC record since joining the conference is 41-71-1?  That’s pathetic and reeks of dumpster fireness!

South Carolina is a joke and they are nothing to fear.  Today they are #13 in the country and they will not finish ranked.  They have only 1 loss coming into the end of October and this Saturday will be the1^st of 4 more losses before this season ends.  There has never been a season for the Gameroosters that they have won more than 5 SEC games and this year they will do well to win 4.  South Carolina truly is nothing more than a win to most SEC teams and I look forward the win this weekend!

Go Vols

RR

Spurrier and Staff working on Gameplan Typical Carolina Football

SEC: What 2 Watch 4 - Week 8

12:00, Commonwealth Stadium

Lexington, KY

ESPNU

Record [point spread]:

Jacksonville State (5-1, 4-0 OVC)
Kentucky (2-4, 0-3 SEC)  [-9.5]

W2W4: Jacksonville State has a recent history of beating bad SEC teams.  Look no further than Ole Miss just a year ago.  JSU knows they can compete, and Jack Crowe has the team believing they are better than Kentucky.  Led by Washaun Ealey (formerly of UGA), I think Jacksonville State is definitely primed to dominate the bottom of the SEC.  Kentucky is bad, folks.  Really bad.  They're slow all over the field, and their offense is atrocious.  If Jax State gets the momentum early, this could be a runaway game.

On a side note, Kentucky spent $200,000 on Big Blue Madness last week.  Want to know how much Kentucky plans to spend on its "football team and recruiting travel" in FY12?  You guessed it, $200,000. Link.  Can we now please officially label Kentucky as a basketball school?  And perhaps ship them over the ACC?

Prediction: Jacksonville State, 20-13

12:21, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium

Oxford, MS

SEC Network

Record [point spread]:

#9 Arkansas (5-1, 1-1 SEC) [-15.5]
Ole Miss (2-4, 0-3 SEC) 

W2W4: And attempting to take the bottom spot away from Kentucky, we move on to Ole Miss.  Are these folks tired of Houston Nutt yet?  Of course they are.  And you mean to tell me those Hotty Toddy-old cotton money-plantation-owning-so's-and-so's just west of the Mississippi can't afford a $6M buyout?  Give me a break.  C'mon Ole Miss, "Nutt" up and show you care about competing in the SEC.  On the other side of the field, Arkansas is rolling right now.  They were humbled by Alabama, but came back fighting against Texas A&M.  Now Arkansas is sitting at 5-1, #9 in the nation, and Tyler Wilson is showing why he was pre-season All-SEC.

Prediction: Arkansas, 38-3

3:30, Tiger Stadium

Baton Rouge, LA

CBS

Record [point spread]:

Auburn (5-2, 3-1 SEC)

#1 LSU (7-0, 4-0 SEC) [-21]

W2W4: If there were ever a battle of two luckier teams, I'd like to see it.  The Mad Hatter was forced to suspend 3 players for this game, and two of them are starters.  Spencer Ware and Tyrann Mathieu won't play against Auburn, but John Chavis will just roll in another playmaker, and Michael Ford will probably have a career game.  Auburn's ability to simply just make plays will keep this game much closer than the experts think, and I don't expect this to a be blowout.  I think Auburn will be able to run the ball, control the clock, and ultimately shorten the game.  I wouldn't be surprised if some crazy special teams play swings the momentum one way or the other.

Prediction: LSU, 27-20

7:00,  Vanderbilt Stadium

Nashville, TN

ESPNU

Record [point spread]:

Army (2-4)
Vanderbilt (3-3, 1-3 SEC) [-11]

W2W4: Vanderbilt surprised me last week against Georgia, in more ways than one.  First, they actually had a shot to win the game.  Second, Logan Stewart's RIDICULOUS chop block against Kwame Geathers.  SportsByBrooks has a nice summary here.  After the game, James Franklin stated he was changing the view of Vanderbilt forever.  He sure is.  And the SEC seems all for it, by suspending both Stewart and Geathers for half a game.  No way Geathers should have been suspended for his reaction.  No.  Way.

I don't expect the game to be close.  Vanderbilt's a little iffy stopping the run, but Army just isn't very good.  They'll play hard, but in the end, I think Vanderbilt probably scores on defense to pull away.

Prediction: Vanderbilt, 24-10

7:15, Bryant-Denny Stadium

Tuscaloosa, AL

ESPN2

Record [point spread]:

Tennessee (3-3, 0-3 SEC)

#2 Alabama (7-0, 4-0 SEC) [-29.5]

W2W4: Another week, another "sure loss" predicted from the experts in regard to Tennessee.  Sure, things look bad, but you never say never.  Stranger things have happened, and even stranger things have happened during the 3rd (4th) Saturday in October.  Sure, Trent Richardson runs in beast mode, and Alabama's defense is NFL-esque.  If Tennessee can run the ball effectively, avoid turnovers, and win special teams, I believe they have a chance.  Will it be easy?  Hell no, and it'll take a near-perfect game.  But this rivalry seems to have an effect on both teams, and only God knows what the effect will be.  Maybe Alabama overlooks Tennessee?  Maybe the confidence gained in the first half of the LSU game is enough to have Tennessee believing they can compete?  Maybe Devrin Young becomes the first Tennessee player to house a kick return in 8 years?  Who knows.  One thing I know for sure, I'm guaranteed to say "Buck Fama" at least 200 times on Saturday, and by the end of the night, I'll probably be saying it without the filter engaged.

If you're going to the game down in Tuscaloosa, be sure to stop by T-Town MensWear.  I hear they've got some great discounts.

Go Vols.  Buck Fama.

Prediction: Tennessee, 20-17

Third Saturday in October Part 3

Alabama………….. Do you know how many times that name has made me sick to my stomach?  During the 90’s through mid 2000 era many Vol fans thought that Florida was the big game.  As far as divisional play they are because of their success and the fact that they are the first SEC game of the year, but on many occasions I tried to explain to fans that Alabama is the game that matters.  If you are a UT coach and you want to keep your job then beat Alabama.  Alabama coaches who lose to Tennessee don’t last long either.  Now there is no need to explain how big this game is now, but it is not because of tradition as much as it is the success of Nick Saban and the Tide in the last five years.  To me it is all about tradition.

Before the SEC went to divisional play they had to play Auburn and Alabama every year.  Auburn was in the Florida spot of the schedule and Bama was the same place, “Third Saturday in October”.  In order to win the SEC then we had to beat both of these teams and to just have a chance you had to beat at least one of them.  As I wrote in my last post on this subject in 1985 we beat them both and I was in 3^rd grade.  What I had no idea was that the next time we would beat these two teams again in the same year would not come until 1997, my 3^rd year in college. 

One of three Bobby Humphrey's TDs 1986 Alabama 56 Tennessee 28

The Misery

In 1986 the #2 ranked and 6-0 Alabama Crimson Tide came to Knoxville to take on a 2-3 Tennessee team.  Alabama’s team was stout and led by QB Mike Shula, RB Bobby Humphrey, and Lombardi Trophy Winner Cornelius Bennet.  I was very confident that we were going to get our season on track by beating Alabama.  Shula threw only six passes and completed 3 of them and they beat us 56-28.  Have you ever seen your team give up 56 points to a team who only completed 3passes?  Humphrey ran for 217 yards and had 3 TDs. We were whipped from the moment we stepped on the field in those terrible orange cleats.  What I did not realize though is this was the only beginning.  When I was in school everybody ragged on me because they knew how much I loved UT.  Kids love a winner and they easily jumped on the Bama bandwagon.  Every year I was so confident that we are going to beat Bama, and then year after year it was nothing but defeat.

In 1990 the role was reversed.  A 2-3 Alabama team came to Knoxville to play the #3 ranked Tennessee Volunteers.  There was no doubt that this was the year that UT turned the streak back around on the Tide.  We were loaded with maybe the most talented team in school history.

The game was a slugfest and going into the 4th qtr both teams had yet to score a TD.  Early in the 4^th Tennessee FG kicker Greg Burke kicked a career long 51 yard FG to take the lead 6-3.  Not much time would pass and Phillip Doyle would tie the game for Alabama.  Andy Kelly had struggled to move the ball that day at QB so Johnny Majors put in back-up QB Sterling Hinton, and he gave Alabama a fit.  Late in the game Hinton was using his legs to move the ball and on a run up the middle he got hit and as he landed he broke his wrist.  After Hinton went out UT could not move the ball.  With 1:37 left in the game UT attempted what could be a game winning 50-yard FG.  I clearly remember this play.  I knew he would miss it, but I had no idea what was about to happen.  It was one of those moments that you never think of worse getting worse.  You see before that kick I remember thinking this is terrible we are going to tie these bunch of clowns 6-6.  I knew after he missed it they would not be able to move the ball on us.  However what I did not know is that we were about to lose the game.  When Burke Kicked the ball it sounded like somebody shot a gun.  The ball hit some Bama player and went flying back towards the Alabama goal line.  Now Burke kicked the ball from the Bama 40 yard-line.  The ball went flying in the air and it looked like somebody was throwing a Hail Mary towards the other goal line.  The ball landed out of bounds on the UT 37 yard line.  It may have only went 23 yards but considering they

could barely get a 1^st down on us and Phillip Doyle was one of the best Kickers in the country it might has well landed on the 1 yard line.  Bama ran three plays and gained six yards.  Phillip Doyle came in and kicked a 48-yard FG with no time on the clock and UT lost to Bama again.

Phillip Doyle 48 yard game winner 1990 Alabama 9 Tennessee 6

In 25 games UT had only lost 3 times.  All 3 times were to Alabama.  That game did something to me that I will never forget.  It was the first time I ever believed as a fan that UT would never beat somebody again.  I was 13 years old and I knew we would lose to them for the rest of my life, and as I walked out of that stadium and saw the Alabama fans laughing and celebrating I developed a relentless hatred for Alabama Football.

Go Vols

RR

DY19

For years, Tennessee's special teams has been one of the weakest areas on the field.  Between punt/kick coverage, punt/kick returns, kick-offs, punts, and field goals, you would be hard pressed to find a more disappointing or non-improving area of Tennessee football.

Even as late as the Florida game, Tennessee fans would wait with bated breath on every kick.  At times last year, Derek Dooley wouldn't even send a returner back to field the punt.  When the head coach doesn't trust anyone to even field a punt, how can a team even generate a positive outcome from a 3rd down stop?  A touchback is an accomplishment.  Oh what a difference a single player can make.  In just three games this year (Buffalo, Georgia, LSU), Devrin Young has rejuvenated kick-off and punt returns.

Now fans get excited when the opposing team trots out the punt team.  Now fans have a glimmer of hope after the opponent scores.  All DY needs is a seam, and we can re-take the momentum of this game!  He seems to have the perfect combination of quickness, elusiveness, acceleration, and vision to be a special, special player.  Against LSU, DY broke off a 60-yard return, and the stadium erupted like we'd just scored a go-ahead touchdown against the #1 team in the nation.

Tennessee has not returned a punt for a touchdown since 2003.  Mark Jones went 58 yards against Vanderbilt.  Tennessee hasn't returned a (non-on-side) kick-off for a touchdown since 2002.  Also Mark Jones, but this was 82 yards against Alabama.  Holy Johnny Majors, Vol fans!  Are you kidding me?  9 and 8 years between kickoff and punt returns, respectively??  I don't have any data to back it up, but I doubt you'll find any longer period of time between returns in any Division 1 football program.

Sure, we've seen flashes.  Nu'Keese Richardson and David Oku recently gave us hope.  Neither are still on the team.  Da'Rick Rogers had a really nice return last year against Kentucky, but he couldn't make it to the end zone.  DY hasn't gotten there yet, but I'm convinced he will.  Maybe he houses one this weekend against Alabama?  How awesome would it be?  It'd be like pulling down the orang-colored sun shade on the memory of Javier Arenas.

So many times Tennessee fans are left scratching their heads at players Tennessee doesn't sign.  Especially those from this area, who go play at other SEC schools, become All-SEC and All-America, and even make an impact in the NFL.  Randall Cobb should immediately come to mind.  DY may not be the offensive machine Randall Cobb was, but he's still an exciting player, and he definitely has big-play potential.  Derek Dooley took a chance on the little fella from Bearden High, and he's come in and made an immediate impact.  He basically walked in the door being proclaimed the savior of UT return specialists, and he's lived up to the hype.  He's even had an impact in the offense.  He's a small, quick, and elusive scat back who runs with a purpose.  He's not afraid of contact, and it's really exciting when he gets the ball.

Devrin Young is a high-energy player who didn't get away.  Tennessee went out an found a return specialist, and even though he was a 3-star recruit per rivals, Derek Dooley was confident DY could be the guy Tennessee needed.  Aside from dropping a weight bar on his chest, fracturing his clavicle, and missing 3 games, I see no reason to think he won't be a special player wearing the Orange for several years to come.

Recruiting Spotlight 10-19-11

This week’s recruiting spotlight athlete is UT’s most recent commit Trent Taylor.  Trent Taylor is a 6’3” 245lb DE senior at Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland Florida.  Taylor was initially committed to the University of Miami, but when the news of the Nevin Shapiro scandal broke Taylor started looking at other possibilities.  Trent Taylor took an official visit with UT on 9/3/11 during our game against Montana.  Trent Taylor stated that he felt right at home while visiting UT and committed to UT the following Wednesday 9/7/11.

Trent Taylor’s scouting report states that he is a power rusher who can ball rush, and a speed rusher.  Taylor has shown ability to quickly avoid pass blockers and get to the QB in a hurry.  He has good ability to get under the blocker’s pads and pushes them into the backfield or the QB.  Trent Taylor is a true hustler and never lets up or gives up.  Taylor is smart enough to stay in position and rarely gets caught in misdirection and can tackle with the best of them. 

Trent Taylor averages 5.3 tackles per game and .9 sacks per game.  He ranks 632^nd in sack rankings, 6883 in national tackling, 540th in state tackling, 141^st in state division, and 8^th in the league.  Taylor frame will easily hold 275lbs and with his hustle style of play he will make an excellent SEC DE.

Trent Taylor was recruited by Lance Thompson and Darin Hinshaw from the UT coaching staff.  Taylor established a very good relationship with Hinshaw and that relationship is believed to be the reason for the quick commit from Taylor.      

All VFLs know that we could use some help on the defensive side of the ball and a little pressure on the opposing QB is never a bad thing!  RockyTopics is excited to see what Trent Taylor will bring to UT!

Neyland and the Bear: Then and Now

The Tennessee and Alabama rivalry has plenty of traits to make it a storied tradition.  One characteristic which stands out is the coaches who have been involved in the rivalry.  There are not any two bigger names in College Football than Paul "Bear" Bryant and General Robert Neyland.  Now most people will agree with me on the Bear, but the Neyland part would most likely be viewed as a “homer’s” point-of-view.  However, if you look at the facts and consider Neyland never lost to the Bear, and basically taught him a lot about coaching, then he has to be one of the biggest legends in College Football.  Still not convinced?  Wait until you see the data.  Unfortunately for Neyland, he did not live long enough to see football evolve into the American iconic sport it is today;  therefore, he was never known personally by the media the way coaches are these days.   

Considering the history of the two schools, I want to look at the facts about how good these coaches were, and also compare them to two modern coaches.

The table below shows the careers of the Bear, General Neyland, Phil Fulmer, and Nick Saban currently to date.  Saban and the Bear have had HC positions at different schools, so I included a column for conference championships to reflect whichever conference they were in.  As you can see, the General finished with the highest winning percentage.  Even though Saban comes in last, he still has a very impressive record.  

Coach	Overall Winning Percentage	Years Coaching	Total Record	National Champs	Conference Champs
General Neyland	0.800	21	173-31-12	4	7
Paul Bear Bryant	0.760	38	323-85-17	6	15
Phil Fulmer	0.745	16.5	152-52	1	2
Nick Saban	0.723	16	141-53-1	2	4

Before I go any further, let me be very clear.  I despise Alabama, and I think Nick Saban is pond scum on the best of days.  Would I like him to coach my team? Absolutely!  But he is a perfect example of what is wrong with the game.  He does not care about Alabama.  I know Bama fans thinks he cares, but he doesn’t care about them or anybody else except for the guy signing his check.  He made it clear this week the Tennessee and Alabama game didn’t mean anything to him when he was asked about the possibility of the rivalry ending due to conference realignment.  The Bear played for Alabama and he hated Tennessee.  Phil Fulmer played for Tennessee and he hates Alabama.  Now we have two coaches, who are friends, with no ties to the school other than a contract.  Another point I want to make: I am NOT a Fulmerite.  I am simply sharing data to show how good these coaches are. 

So how good were these coaches?  Well, the record speaks for itself.  Let's look at one more data set.  In my lifetime, I don't know of any other coach who is clearly recognized as the very best at what he does besides Nick Saban.  Since becoming the head coach at Alabama, Alabama has been nearly unstoppable, and had it not been for Tim Tebow, Nick Saban would have another SEC and NCAA title.  You may have asked why is Phil Fulmer in the same category as these guys?  Glad you asked.  I chose about seven SEC coaches to compare to get a feel for the Bear and General Neyland.  This is when I noticed how successful all these coaches were.  If you asked anybody how good of a coach has Nick Saban been at Alabama, they would say "the best."  Did you know, as of this week, Nick Saban and Phil Fulmer have the exact same overall record?

Coach	First 5 Years	Record	National Champs	SEC Champs	Notes
General Neyland	0.895	52-2-3	0	1*	Southern Conference
Nick Saban	0.820	50-11*	1	1	Saban still has a possible 7 games left in his 5th year
Phil Fulmer	0.820	50-11*	0	1	Not included are the 4 games that Fulmer coached as the Interim HC during the 1992 Season which would have made him 54-11 (0.830)
Paul "Bear" Bryant	0.808	41-8-5	1	1	1st 5yrs at Alabama

What I find most interesting is none of the coaches accomplished, in their first five years at Bama or Tennessee, what General Neyland accomplished when he was hired at Tennessee.  In five years he lost only 2 games.  Could you imagine if he was living and coaching today?  How much money he would be worth?

When we look at these numbers, there are all kinds of intangibles which may have affected some of the records.  It is hard to say who is the best sometimes, but here is what I believe to be a fact: you are only as good today as you were in your last game if you are still coaching  .Once you have retired or have left this world, then you may get much better.  It kind of speaks to how sick sports have become.  With that said, I would warn fans today of wanting to get rid of your coach just because you are not #1.  After all, only one team can finish first, and I would not be surprised if one day Nick Saban wakes up and he is not #1 anymore.   

In closing, I just want to add this: no matter what kind of record a coach finishes with, in order for him to finish as a legend, he must embrace the tradition.  The General and the Bear are the type of men who made this sport the number one sport in America.  We need to keep this in mind when ESPN and Conference committees attempt to decide what is best for the game.  Hopefully we will have more guys to come along who love the School they work for and hate the one across the field.

Go Vols

RR

Third Saturday in October Part 2

I am a third generation Tennessee fan and although that may not be uncommon I believe what is uncommon about my experience is the time span in which it falls.  For Example the first Tennessee and Alabama game was played in 1901 (Final Score 6-6).  My grandfather was born that same year.  He was an outdoorsman and a sports fan.  He begin going to Tennessee games back when you could walk on the sidelines at the game.  He told my dad that he remembered when General Neyland was hired.  At that time he wasn’t a General, and he was hired to beat Vanderbilt.  He raised my father to love Tennessee athletics and they listened on the radio together to Lindsey Nelson call the Alabama and Tennessee games and they would go to the game when they played in Knoxville. 

My grandfather called the Tennessee and Alabama game “The Pride of Dixie”.  People who are not from the south do not understand the significance of College Football on the lives of southerners.  Today southerners do not carry the burden of defeat they way that folks did during the depression.  In those days southerners were the sons and grandsons of the defeated Confederacy following the War Between the States.  When my father was growing up southerners had no industry and men would leave their families and go north to work.  My Grandfather worked for a $1 a day during the depression on a farm in Indiana while my dad and his family lived in a two room house nestled in Little Sycamore Valley.  This type of story reflects many southerners, and schools like Tennessee and Alabama gave common folks a sense of pride when they went and beat other teams especially from the North.  When Tennessee and Alabama played then it was to settle who the best in the South was.  No wonder Paul “Bear” Bryant played and led Alabama to victory in the 1935 game with a broken leg.  It was about pride.   

Laying the Foundation for Me

If I had to give you one name that was synonymous with this series then it would be Tony Robinson.  Not many people who watched football prior to 1985 know who he was, but I remember him well.  He was way before his time.  He had a NFL arm and could run out of the pocket and make things happen.  The first Tennessee and Alabama game I ever saw in person was in 1984.  That day I set with my mom.  My dad had two sets of tickets, and he and one of his friends set together in the upper deck while my mom and I were in the end zone in section P.  It was late in the fourth quarter and Tennessee was down 27-20 and they got the ball in Alabama Territory then all of a sudden my mom said she couldn’t watch anymore because she was to nervous.  So she said we had to leave.  I told her I wanted to see the end so she had me stand with an usher while she went into concourse and stood in the tunnel.  Tony Robinson led the team down field and we scored a touchdown with very little time in the game and we were down by two.  Johnny Majors kept the offense on the field and Tennessee lined up to go for two.  Robinson rolled out like he was going to pitch the ball and then darted into the end zone and he landed on his back.  He laid there in the end zone holding the ball in the air and the stadium went wild.  It was the first time I ever saw goal post torn down.

The following year Tennessee would play at Alabama and this time both teams were ranked and the winner would be in the driver seat to win the SEC.  Alabama was ranked 15^th and Tennessee was 20^th.  UT was led by Tony Robinson who had beaten the #1 Auburn Tigers led by Bo Jackson a few weeks prior to this game and made the cover of Sports Illustrated.  Robinson was the first UT player in years to be mentioned as a possible Heisman winner.  The game was battle from start to finish.  Tennessee had the lead late in the game and Tony Robinson got tackled and he did not get up.  I remember my dad said “Oh Know it’s his Knee”.  On that play Tony Robinson’s career ended.  The Tennessee defense was now left in charge of preserving a 16-14 lead.  Dale Jones intercepted a pass that he deflected and UT went on to win the SEC and beat Miami in the Sugar Bowl.  It was another great Alabama and Tennessee game, and I lived and breathed every minute of it.  We had now beaten them four years in a row.  I was hooked on the series, but I had no idea the misery of the next several years would be like.  

Check back for more of my thought of what this game means to me.

Go Vols

RR