Tennessee Vols Top 30 Memorable Moments of the Adidas Era

Oct 19, 2013; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers kicker Michael Palardy (1) celebrates after kicking a field goal to defeat the South Carolina Gamecocks 23-21 with teammate Tennessee wide receiver Tyler Drummer (3) during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

29. Tennessee Beats South Carolina 23-21

It was a small brick in the process as Butch Jones was still in his first year leading a greatly wounded Tennessee Vols football program, but the significance of the victory at the time was huge.

Tennessee had not had a Top 25 victory since 2009, and Jones had put the country on notice two weeks before with a close loss to Georgia that showed the program was back on the way up.

This win was a huge win for all Vols fans in the moment as Michael Palardy nailed a chip shot field goal to win the game 23-21 after an amazing third down catch by Marquez North to set that up. But after they stumbled to lose their next four games and finish the year 5-7, it seemed forgettable.

However, that win made a huge impact in the grand scheme of things and was a big step forward in terms of building the new Tennessee brand, particularly when you consider that the game ende up costing South Carolina a shot at the national title. If the Vols return to form as a legitimate national power under Butch Jones, this will be the first signature game we refer back to.

If not, well, it was still great in the moment.

Next: #28: The End of the 2014 Football Season