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Tennessee football: Vols 5 most thrilling victories over Florida Gators

By Caleb Calhoun

19 Sep 1998: General view of fans taking down the goalposts following a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Florida Gators at the Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers defeated the Gators 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /
19 Sep 1998: General view of fans taking down the goalposts following a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Florida Gators at the Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers defeated the Gators 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons / /
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3. 1971: Tennessee beats Florida 20-13

While there was more excitement in the magnitude of the 2001 win over the Florida Gators, Tennessee football’s previous win in The Swamp was actually more of a thrilling game. It dated back to Phillip Fulmer’s playing days.

The Vols had just come off a heartbreaking 10-9 loss to the Auburn Tigers and were 1-1 heading to Gainesville. They were facing a Florida team led by their former coach, Doug Dickey. This had all the makings of a thriller already.

And the game became just that. Led by quarterback Phil Pierce, the Vols and Gators were going back and forth all day. Midway into the third quarter, the game was tied at 13 when an a amazing Florida punt pinned the Vols on their own half-yard line.

That’s when Pierce, a third-string quarterback by the way, led arguably the most famous drive in Tennessee football history. The Vols went 99.5 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 20-yard pass from Pierce to Stan Trott .

Up 20-13, the defense then came through. The Gators twice drove into Vols territory and had a chance to win, but UT legend Jackie Walker stopped them the first time with an interception. Then they turned it over on downs their final drive, allowing the Vols to secure the victory.

There was no magnitude in this win, as Tennessee football didn’t win any division, conference or national title. The loss dropped the Gators to 0-5 on the season en route to a 4-7 1971 record overall. And coming off a 38-7 win over Florida at home the year before, Vols fans actually could have been concerned about struggling like that to the Gators.

However, the win by itself was beyond thrilling, and in the moment it was definitely worth celebrating. Nobody on Rocky Top knew at the time that it would be the Vol’s last win in Gainesville against the Gators for 30 years.

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