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 3rd 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 3rd year in college.
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| 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 4th 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 1st 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.
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| 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
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