Tennessee Football: 10 Best Quarterbacks in Vols History
Nov 14, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view of Neyland Stadium during the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the North Texas Mean Green. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Ainge set the record for completion percentage in a season in 2006 and helped carry the Vols under David Cutcliffe to a 9-4 season that year despite no help from a running game. And in 2007, with no help at receiver, he led the Vols to an SEC East championship and a 10-4 record.
Part of that title was helping the Vols pull off three close victories down the stretch, first needing a final drive to force overtime to beat South Carolina, then leading his team back from a 24-9 deficit against Vanderbilt, then throwing for seven touchdowns in a 52-50 four-overtime shootout against the Kentucky Wildcats.
Those two impressive seasons came on the heels, however, of a 2005 year in which he struggled mentally and on the field as then-offensive coordinator Randy Sanders and Phil Fulmer kept alternating him and Rick Clausen, struggling to find any consistency at quarterback.
The result that year was a 5-6 season despite a No. 3 preseason ranking. That preseason ranking was a result of Ainge’s performance in 2004, helping lead the Vols to a 30-28 victory over Florida, their last in the series, and scoring a huge road upset against Georgia.
Throughout his inconsistency, Ainge was still clutch, still a winner, and evolved into a leader, so he belongs on this list with 8,700 career passing yards, a 60.6 completion rate, 72 touchdowns, and 35 interceptions along with a 35-11 career record as a starter.
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7
Erik Ainge
Quarterback, 2004-2007
One of the most up and down careers a player ever could have had in Knoxville, the inconsistencies in Erik Ainge became better explained with the revelation of the drug addictions he secretly suffered while on campus in Knoxville.
He never lived up to the promise of his freshman season, but he did put together a lot of impressive performances and enough to be on this list.
Ainge set the record for completion percentage in a season in 2006 and helped carry the Vols under David Cutcliffe to a 9-4 season that year despite no help from a running game. And in 2007, with no help at receiver, he led the Vols to an SEC East championship and a 10-4 record.
Part of that title was helping the Vols pull off three close victories down the stretch, first needing a final drive to force overtime to beat South Carolina, then leading his team back from a 24-9 deficit against Vanderbilt, then throwing for seven touchdowns in a 52-50 four-overtime shootout against the Kentucky Wildcats.
Those two impressive seasons came on the heels, however, of a 2005 year in which he struggled mentally and on the field as then-offensive coordinator Randy Sanders and Phil Fulmer kept alternating him and Rick Clausen, struggling to find any consistency at quarterback.
The result that year was a 5-6 season despite a No. 3 preseason ranking. That preseason ranking was a result of Ainge’s performance in 2004, helping lead the Vols to a 30-28 victory over Florida, their last in the series, and scoring a huge road upset against Georgia.
Throughout his inconsistency, Ainge was still clutch, still a winner, and evolved into a leader, so he belongs on this list with 8,700 career passing yards, a 60.6 completion rate, 72 touchdowns, and 35 interceptions along with a 35-11 career record as a starter.
Next: #6: The Best Dual-Threat