Link: Tennessee Football's 10 Most Heartbreaking Losses, 1989-2007

[LCN]

Just a thought for discussion... what would you say are our most heartbreaking losses over the same period of time?

I'll name a few off of the top of my head, in no particular order...

1989 Auburn: The simple reality was that we had a much better team, and we were right in the middle of the national championship hunt. We should have won with relative ease, and the wind completely went out of the sails. You can call me a homer if you want, but I think we would have a great chance at beating Miami had we won this one. Again, though, the wind had gone out of the sails. If we win this one, I firmly believe that Curry would have returned for 1990.

1994 Florida: Going into the SEC Championship 11-0 and in the thick of the national title race, we had the Gators beat. Tommy Johnson had an easy interception hit him right in the hands on the final drive that would have won it for us, but he dropped it and the Gators won. If he catches that ball, at the very least, we are Sugar Bowl bound.

1995 Arkansas: After needing a miracle the week before to beat Southern Miss, losing to Arkansas (controversial as though it was) really just showed me how much the team had lost from 1994, and how it was going to be a long year (relatively speaking). After Peyton and Tennessee drilled us in Legion Field to end the streak, we were robbed on the Plains, and then had to sit home during the bowl season. We still had a pretty good year, 8-3, but it was pretty a pretty depressing one.

1996 Tennessee: We went into Knoxville undefeated and soundly beat a very good UT team for three quarters before choking late. We still ended up going to Atlanta, but this loss essentially meant any hopes at a national title were over.

2000 UCLA: We all had such high expectations, and you just knew when the clock hit 0:00 that it was going to be a long and disappointing year.

2003 Tennessee: Yes we sucked, but after leading all afternoon we had that game won on so many occasions you needed a calculator to add them all up. We make one play in any of those situations and we win, but we didn't. I don't think it's possible to lose in five overtimes, at home, to arguably your biggest rival and it not be a heartbreaker for the ages.

2005 LSU: By the time LSU came to town, it was pretty obvious -- once you removed the crimson glasses -- that we weren't that good. We had been playing poorly for over a month and you knew it was only a matter of time. Still, we were 9-0, ranked third in the country, and in the heart of the national championship race. Much like 2003 Tennessee, you cannot lose a game like that at home and it not be a heartbreaker, especially in overtime. Making things even worse, we honestly probably deserved to win that game more than we did several other games that we actually did win that year.

2006 Mississippi State: We all had reservations about Shula, but hey, we all wanted to believe. Most knew it was going to be a rebuilding year anyway, and when we came in at 6-3 you had to be relatively happy, but this one changed it all. It wasn't just that we lost... it was that a truly terrible team -- one that would have easily struggled against the better Division 1-AA competition -- came into Bryant-Denny and physically manhandled us in a game that was not as close as the score indicated. We all wanted to believe in Shula, but if you could not figure out that we were royally screwed with him at the helm after this one, you were blind as a bat. After this one, you had to face the harsh truth.

I'd add .....

1995 - Tn 41 Tide 14
Freshman CB Fernando Bryant was lit up for a 70+ yard strike on the 1st possession or play of the game . At the time , it was the ugliest loss I had ever witnessed . Unfortunatley , we've had plenty more since then .

 

[BigEasyTider]

I'd add .....

1995 - Tn 41 Tide 14
Freshman CB Fernando Bryant was lit up for a 70+ yard strike on the 1st possession or play of the game . At the time , it was the ugliest loss I had ever witnessed . Unfortunatley , we've had plenty more since then .

Was that Fernando? I was wanting to say it was someone else, but it's been too many years gone by now.

That one was a painful loss, no doubt about it. They ended the streak, blew us out, and it ended with Peyton leading the band. Puke, puke, and puke. Honestly, though, I was fully expecting a loss that night, as much as it hurt to admit that. We just weren't very good, and we had struggled all year. We played poorly against Vandy, we needed a miracle to beat Southern Miss, and Arkansas beat us. By this point it was obvious that Peyton was every bit as good as the hype said, and actually better, and I just knew it was going to be a long night. It took all of one play to confirm my fears. I still remember the play where Manning scored on the goal line reverse boot leg. I swear, there wasn't an Alabama defender within 20 yards of him when he walked into the end zone.

As bad as that loss was, though, as you said, it wasn't as bad as what was to come. If anything, it was a sign of the losses to come in the following years... see the thrashing in Fayetteville circa 1998.

 

[CrimsonEyeshade]

1997 Auburn game. That was even hard to type.

Back to a couple of other Vol memories.

1. 1971 at Legion Field: The first real SEC test of the wishbone. Our first drive. Third and 7 or 8, and we run fullback Ellis Beck on the dive. He picks up the first down against a great Tennessee defense and the congregation say "Ah-ooo. Looky here at what we got."

2. '72: Windy, cold and we do nothing except Bobby McKinney's interception just before half. Late in the game, we get the ball back, and Rooster Rutledge hits Wheeler across the middle on first down for 15 or 20. Then we run the fullback again. It hadn't worked all day. This time, it did. I remember John Forney's call. "And STEVE BISCEGLIA BREAKS IT." You could hear the Alabama coaches screaming in the booth. Wilbur scores on the next play. We pin UT back. I think it was actually Dubose who clobbered Holloway on the quarterback draw. Mitchell recovered and we scored on the next play.

That night, the Coach was the guest commentator on the ABC broadcast of some primetime game. He looked and sounded as if he had been celebrating all afternoon. He had company. What a day.

 

[bamachile]

1989 Auburn: The simple reality was that we had a much better team, and we were right in the middle of the national championship hunt. We should have won with relative ease, and the wind completely went out of the sails. You can call me a homer if you want, but I think we would have a great chance at beating Miami had we won this one. Again, though, the wind had gone out of the sails. If we win this one, I firmly believe that Curry would have returned for 1990.

That one will always stick in my mind.

The 1986 loss to Penn State is one I can't forget, either. We had already handled Ohio State and Notre Dame that year, and had just whipped the orange off Tennessee the week before. We were undefeated and I was feeling good. For some reason I skipped the game to go dove hunting. When my cousin and I got in, we turned on the radio and heard the score--we were crushed.

The 1993 loss to LSU messed up what had been looking like a good season as well. They weren't even that good of a team that year, for Pete's sake.

The 1980 loss to Notre Dame still hurts. Fortunately, I got to see Herchel run all over that same ND team in the Sugar that year, which helped a little. Still, I hate the idea of losing to ND.

 

[Vinny]

We were at the 6-3 win in 05. Prior to that I had never seen Bama defeat Tennessee in person. Bama lost in 03, 99, and the tie of 93. That was some finish by Bama to tie the game.

 

[Tennessee]

I agree with numbers 1-5 and #8. The rest, I think are just stupid picks...

A 62-37 loss is not heartbreaking, it's humiliating...2000 UF and 2002 UF, I don't see as heartbreaking either...The '92 Arky game, eh, not really

If they want a UF game, I'd say both the '97 game and '99 games would be higher on the list than any of the Florida games listed...The '99 loss kept us out of the SECCG (and possibly, depending on the BCS computers, and rematch with FSU for the NC)...The '97 loss kept us from an undefeated regular season, and although I still don't think we would have beat Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, the fact that we'd have been playing for an NC would have made a difference, IMO

The '05 Bama game was the most heartbreaking loss I've ever been a part of, especially in person, but I'm not sure it would make the list just bc the '05 season was so bad, that while that loss sucked, it really didn't make a difference in the grand scheme of things

 

[LCN]

Was that Fernando? I was wanting to say it was someone else, but it's been too many years gone by now.

That one was a painful loss, no doubt about it. They ended the streak, blew us out, and it ended with Peyton leading the band. Puke, puke, and puke. Honestly, though, I was fully expecting a loss that night, as much as it hurt to admit that. We just weren't very good, and we had struggled all year. We played poorly against Vandy, we needed a miracle to beat Southern Miss, and Arkansas beat us. By this point it was obvious that Peyton was every bit as good as the hype said, and actually better, and I just knew it was going to be a long night. It took all of one play to confirm my fears. I still remember the play where Manning scored on the goal line reverse boot leg. I swear, there wasn't an Alabama defender within 20 yards of him when he walked into the end zone.

As bad as that loss was, though, as you said, it wasn't as bad as what was to come. If anything, it was a sign of the losses to come in the following years... see the thrashing in Fayetteville circa 1998.

Yeah . He was playing the nickle on that play & Fatty put his best WR in the slot to the right of Manning then , a quick little slant & off to the races . I wish I could remember the receivers name :conf3: . He was All-SEC at the minimum .

Anyhow , they could've hung 60 or more on us that night had Fatville not let up on us in the 3rd qtr . :mad2:

 

[silentsam74]

I wish I could remember the receivers name :conf3: . He was All-SEC at the minimum.

Joey Kent, from Huntsville, ironically. :mad2:

Joey Kent, WR - Huntsville, Ala. (Lettered 1993, 94, 95, 96)
All-SEC - 1995, 1996

Receiving
Year .G .No Yds ..Avg TD
1993 11 10 209 ..20.9 5
1994 11 36 470 ..13.1 4
1995 11 69 1055 15.3 9
1996 11 68 1080 15.9 7
+-----------------------------------------------------+
Totals 44 183 2814 15.4 25

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3vsfUZV_4o&feature=related"]YouTube - 1995 UT-Bama first play[/ame]

 

[bamanut_aj]

By this point it was obvious that Peyton was every bit as good as the hype said, and actually better, and I just knew it was going to be a long night. It took all of one play to confirm my fears. I still remember the play where Manning scored on the goal line reverse boot leg. I swear, there wasn't an Alabama defender within 20 yards of him when he walked into the end zone.

speaking of plays that everyone knew (or should have known) was coming.....

He made a good living off that play a few times in college.

 

[GrayTide]

It was 1972. I was there and enjoyed the win tremendously.

It was the 1972 game in Knoxville and we won 17-10. Was the QB Gary Rutledge or Terry Davis? I think it was Terry Davis. And I do recall that Mike Dubose caused the fumble and we scored on the next play.

 

[bamabryan]

It was the 1972 game in Knoxville and we won 17-10. Was the QB Gary Rutledge or Terry Davis? I think it was Terry Davis. And I do recall that Mike Dubose caused the fumble and we scored on the next play.

Terry Davis was the QB in '72.

 

[Tidetwin]

1997 Auburn game. That was even hard to type.

Back to a couple of other Vol memories.

1. 1971 at Legion Field: The first real SEC test of the wishbone. Our first drive. Third and 7 or 8, and we run fullback Ellis Beck on the dive. He picks up the first down against a great Tennessee defense and the congregation say "Ah-ooo. Looky here at what we got."

2. '72: Windy, cold and we do nothing except Bobby McKinney's interception just before half. Late in the game, we get the ball back, and Rooster Rutledge hits Wheeler across the middle on first down for 15 or 20. Then we run the fullback again. It hadn't worked all day. This time, it did. I remember John Forney's call. "And STEVE BISCEGLIA BREAKS IT." You could hear the Alabama coaches screaming in the booth. Wilbur scores on the next play. We pin UT back. I think it was actually Dubose who clobbered Holloway on the quarterback draw. Mitchell recovered and we scored on the next play.

That night, the Coach was the guest commentator on the ABC broadcast of some primetime game. He looked and sounded as if he had been celebrating all afternoon. He had company. What a day.

That was and still in my memory one of the greatest runs in Alabama history. No one had any idea how extraordinary it was until Sunday when we watched the replay on the Bear Bryant Show. Bisceglia broke at least 5 or more tackles and took the ball down inside the 5 yard line.

The 1973 game was not a blow-out by any means. It was 21-21 in the 4th quarter. We couldn't stop, touch, or tackle Condredge Holloway. We broke a punt, Wilbur Jackson took a pitch 80 yards and then the crimson dam broke on our friends from them thar hills.

 

[MasterShake]

Add the '02 Oklahoma loss to the list. Oklahoma was sitting at #1 in the nation and we were a fallen power acting as an early season sacrificial lamb to the king of college football at the time. Our constant trickery and deception and probably the second best coaching job of Coach Fran's career ('01 Iron Bowl being his best) put us in a position to win the game. Our defensive broke down in the final minutes of the fourth quarter and an untimely mis-gripped football by Tyler Watts cost us a chance at a monumental upset.

 

[red55]

Ahh, yes. Knocking Tennesee out of the NC game by winning the SECCG with a backup quarterback and tailback. Great stuff. Glad they remember LSU. And it's the game that gave us Junior and Lulu.

 

[tuck]

There is no such thing as a heartbreaking Tennessee loss. The thread title needs to be changed to Tennessee Football's 10 Most Heartwarming Losses:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

 

[LCN]

Joey Kent, from Huntsville, ironically. :mad2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3vsfUZV_4o&feature=related

Sam , good find but , that had to have been some painful research :redface:


.

 

[BamaBoy3684]

I had a friend at the '93 17-17 tie who had the pleasure of sitting in the Tennessee section and he said it felt like a win. He said the UT fans were extremely mad and that it must have felt like a loss to them.

 

[BamaJama17]

This one was not listed but I like when Nebraska destroyed them 42-17 in 1997 National Championship game!!!