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Top 10 Memorable Games Between Steve Spurrier and the Tennessee Vols

By Caleb Calhoun

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Nov 22, 2014; Knoxville, TN, USA; A general view of Neyland Stadium home of theTennessee Volunteers following the game against the Missouri Tigers. Missouri won 29-21. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

3. 1998: Tennessee Beats Florida 20-17 in Overtime

Phillip Fulmer and the Tennessee Vols did everything wrong here.

After losing to Florida for a fifth straight year in 1997, they were supposed to be rebuilding in 1998 due to the losses of Peyton Manning, Leonard Little, and four other star performers.

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    • The weapons would all have to be replaced. There was no way the Vols would win this year.

    But what nobody took into account was how the team changed overall. In previous years, they had terrible offensive line play, no running game, and gave away the games due to turnovers.

    This year, behind a much-improved offensive line and Jamal Lewis, they would play it close to the vest and focus on running the ball. The result worked to perfection, as this time it was Florida, not Tennessee, making the mistakes.

    Spurrier alternated quarterbacks play-by-play in this game between Doug Johnson and Jesse Palmer, a tactic that worked the year before when he beat No. 1 Florida State in the best game ever played in The Swamp.

    And quite honestly, it actually worked in this game. Unfortunately for them, however, Al Wilson was on the other side and had other goals in mind.

    Wilson forced three fumbles in the first half, one on a running back, the other on the quarterback, and the other on a receiver. Meanwhile, Tennessee played everything close and patiently waited for the big play, which came on a fullback handoff to Shawn Bryson who took it in for the first touchdown.

    After the Gators and Vols were tied at 10 at halftime, Fulmer turned to big play Peerless Price in the second half. Tee Martin threw a pass up for grabs that Price came down with. After Florida tied it up, the Vols forced two more turnovers, including an interception by Deon Grant in the fourth quarter, to go to overtime tied at 17.

    Tennessee was almost held scoreless in overtime after a series of mistakes, but a 14-yard scramble by Tee Martin set up a 41-yard clutch Jeff Hall field goal. The defense made its final stand, and Collins Cooper missed a tying field goal for Florida.

    The game set the Vols in motion to win the National Championship that year, and the Vols fans tore down the goal posts at Neyland Stadium as No. 6 Tennessee beat No. 2 Florida for the first time in five years.

    Next: #2: South Carolina Beats Tennessee 16-15 in 2005

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