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

9. Sun Bowl – Dec. 22, 1984

Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 12 Maryland Terrapins

Final score: Maryland wins 28-27

Tennessee football had developed a bit of a bowl rivalry with the Terps by this point. They had lost to them in the 1951-52 Sugar Bowl despite capturing the national title and then beat them in a close game in the 1974 Liberty Bowl and the year before this game in the 1983 Citrus Bowl the previous season.

So the Terps wanted revenge. However, the Vols entered this game with lots of excitement. After a 7-3-1 season behind Tony Robinson, a win in this game could potentially assure their first top 25 finish in the Johnny Majors era.

It didn’t happen. Maryland’s final drive was the exclamation point on a game of heartbreaks. The Vols built a 21-0 halftime lead. But the Terps were led by a familiar name who would lead the Buffalo Bills to the greatest comeback in NFL history eight years later in the playoffs after being down 35-3 against the Houston Oilers, who would ironically become the Tennessee Titans.

We’re talking, of course, about Frank Reich. And he led a comeback in this one as well. Maryland scored 22 straight points in the third quarter go to up 22-21, but the Vols countered with a kickoff return to head into the fourth still ahead 27-22.

There was no scoring until late in the fourth. Reich then got the ball on the UT 43-yard line with just over eight minutes to go. Despite needing only 43 yards, the brilliance of this drive was the fact that he milked the clock. Maryland ran 12 plays and took over five and a half minutes off before Rick Badanjek scored the game-winning touchdown.

UMD’s defense had a final stand, forcing a fumble as time expired to secure the win. But this late drive capped off a late comeback that ended Tennessee’s season in heartbreaking fashion. They did make up for it, though, with the legendary and memorable 1985 campaign.