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Peyton Manning’s Five Greatest College Performances With Tennessee Vols

By Caleb Calhoun

Feb 9, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning waves to the crowd during the Super Bowl 50 championship parade at Civic Center Park. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 9, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning waves to the crowd during the Super Bowl 50 championship parade at Civic Center Park. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 5, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; The Southeastern Conference trophy is seen during a press conference with Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel and Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban at the Georgia Dome. Missouri plays Alabama in the SEC Championship Saturday. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; The Southeastern Conference trophy is seen during a press conference with Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel and Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban at the Georgia Dome. Missouri plays Alabama in the SEC Championship Saturday. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

1. 1997 SEC Championship

Tennessee Beats Auburn 30-29

Peyton Manning’s Stats: 25-of-43, 373 Yards, 4 Touchdowns

This game is for everybody who says Peyton Manning is not clutch. He and the Vols finally made their way into the SEC Championship game his senior year and faced an old rival in the Auburn Tigers. Ranked No. 3, his Heisman stock and a potential national championship were still in play.

Those two things plus the chance to win an SEC Championship made this a huge game, and in his senior year, this was Manning’s last big game. And it was his greatest performance.

After connecting with Peerless Price on a 50-yard bomb to take a 7-0 lead for the Vols, Manning and Tennessee all of a sudden suffered a series of mental mistakes and turnovers. Thanks to four fumbles and two interceptions, the Vols went down 20-10 at halftime and were down 27-17 in the third quarter. Add in a blocked extra point returned for two points by Auburn, and it just seemed like this wasn’t Tennessee’s night.

But Manning’s turnovers were never his fault, including his interceptions, which were both the result of drops by receivers. Still, even after the blocked extra point, he never panicked and kept the team together.

The result was possibly the greatest performance in SEC Championship game history. Manning threw three second-half touchdown passes, the final one being an 80-yard touchdown bomb to Marcus Nash, to finish the game with 373 yards and four touchdowns, sealing a 30-29 victory for the Vols in Atlanta.

This was the equivalent of his epic AFC Championship game comeback against the New England Patriots eight years later en route to winning his first Super Bowl. It was what led Tennessee to an SEC Championship, which is always the goal, and Manning was the sole reason for it.

As a result, this is his most memorable performance.

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