The Tennessee Volunteers’ 2014 matchup with Alabama has a little extra juice this year as former Vols head coach Lane Kiffin returns to Knoxville for the first time since he bolted for Southern Cal.
Adding to the intense environment will the fact that Kiffin, now Alabama’s offensive coordinator, has been coaching from the sidelines this season.
On Monday, the SEC announced that Tennessee’s annual rivalry game against the Crimson Tide will kickoff at either 7:15 PM ET on ESPN or at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN 2 or SEC Network.
The Vols haven’t beat Alabama since the 2006 season, when Phillip Fulmer was still in town.
In fact, Tennessee hasn’t even came close to beating Bama since 2009 when Lane Kiffin was the head coach of the Vols.
That game will forever be remembered by Alabama and Tennessee fans as the “Mount Cody” game.
Defensive lineman Terrence Cody blocked two field goals in the game, including a 44-yard attempt in the game’s final moments that preserved the 12-10 win for Alabama.
This will be the 96th meeting between the two storied programs. Alabama holds a 50-38-7 lead in the series.