Tennessee football: 10 heartbreaking game-winning TD drives Vols allowed

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1. Sept. 26, 2015

Tennessee Volunteers at Florida Gators

Final score: Florida wins 28-27

This game had everything a heartbreaker could have for Tennessee football already. That it ended with a game-winning drive for the Florida Gators only made it hurt that much worse. And it was enough for us to put it at No. 1.

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Again, for context, the Vols had lost 10 straight to Florida and blew a fourth quarter lead to the Gators the year before. But this year, Butch Jones’s team was supposed to take a step forward while Florida would rebuild under first-year head coach Jim McElwain. As a result, this was UT’s year to steal the series despite blowing a 9-0 lead the year before to lose 10-9.

Late in the game, it looked like the Vols would finally end the streak. They orchestrated a late drive to go up 26-14 in the fourth. But Butch Jones would make his second error of the day. His first was calling a timeout when Florida was kicking a field goal on fourth down earlier. After the timeout, McElwain decided to go for it, converted, and scored a touchdown on that drive.

In this instance, Jones opted not to go for two. He went for one to go up 27-14. Then Florida orchestrated not one, but two heartbreaking drives. Their next offensive possession, Will Grier converted three fourth downs en route to a touchdown to make it 27-21.

Then Jones made his third mistake, deciding to sit on the lead and let the defense win it. Well, the Vols punted, and again, it looked like the defense would pull it out. They brought up a 4th and 14 that UF had to convert.

Florida did indeed convert it thanks to Jon Jancek’s only bad call all game. Antonio Callaway caught the ball, and then two Vols defenders took bad angles, so he took it to the house. UT’s mismanagement on their final offensive drive resulted in them having to try a 55-yard field goal, which Aaron Medley barley missed, so they lost 28-27.

The heartbreak, though, was on two final drives by Florida, and that final one included all the elements of heartbreak. It wasn’t just a late touchdown, but it was on a crazy play, and it happened on 4th and long. So you couldn’t make it hurt worse.

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To add to all of this, it was Tennessee football’s 11th straight loss to Florida and second straight by one point after blowing a two-score lead late, something they had done three times overall in the losing streak. They also lost the SEC East on this game, so it proved costly. As a result, this is the most heartbreaking game-winning drive the Vols have ever allowed.

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