Tennessee football: 4 biggest upsets in Vols series vs. Georgia Bulldogs

2. 2001: Georgia upsets Tennessee 26-24

This was the seminole moment that marked the game officially becoming a rivalry. After all, the teams didn’t begin annual play until 1992. And Tennessee football won the first eight from 1992 to 1999 of the annual series, nine straight overall when you include the 1989 game.

Georgia finally ended the streak in 2000, but that was considered a one-off with the Vols undergoing a rebuilding season and playing a veteran team on the road. They were supposed to be back to their usual selves in 2001. Unfortunately for them, Mark Richt was ushering in a new era in his first season, and nobody knew it.

Entering the game, the Vols were once again 11-point favorites. They had just handled an LSU Tigers team and found a new weapon with Kelley Washington, who combined with their rushing attack and defense made them look invincible.

By building a 14-3 first quarter lead, that seemed to be the case. But then Tennessee’s offense went stale. Georgia, meanwhile, found itself with two touchdowns, including a punt return, to take a 17-14 lead. The teams were tied at 17 in the fourth, and another field goal gave Georgia a 20-17 lead.

Late in the game, though, the Vols seemingly won after Travis Stephens took a screen pass to the house for a touchdown. With less than a minute left, the Vols were up 24-20. But then Richt and David Greene had their coming out party, helped by an inexplicable squib kick call from Phillip Fulmer.

Greene led the Dawgs into the UT red zone and then threw a touchdown to the fullback with six seconds left, securing a 26-24 win for the Dawgs. It sparked the memorable hobnail boot call from the late Larry Munson.

The upset alone was huge. But what it really meant was that Georgia was arriving as a program and ready to break up the power struggle between Tennessee football and Florida for SEC East dominance. Since that time, they have done just that. And it all came back to this game.