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

By Caleb Calhoun

GAINESVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 26: Antonio Callaway #81 of the Florida Gators scores the winning touchdown during a game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 26, 2015 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 26: Antonio Callaway #81 of the Florida Gators scores the winning touchdown during a game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 26, 2015 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images /

8. Sept. 16, 1967

No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers at No. 8 UCLA Bruins

Final score: UCLA wins 20-16

This game, and the last-minute drive, would prove costlier for Tennessee football than anybody could expect as the season unfolded. We’ll get to that later. But the way the game unfolded resembled what happened for the Vols in 1965.

That year, they had a game-winning drive to beat UCLA 37-34. It was a “neutral site” game in Memphis and the final one of the regular season for both teams. Well, this was a “neutral site” game in Los Angeles and the first one of the regular season for both teams.

Dewey Warren had orchestrated the Vols to a 13-3 lead. But late in the game, they were only up 16-13. Doug Dickey’s team would have to win with defense, and they pinned UCLA back on their own 27-yard line.

Bruins quarterback Gary Beban, however, ended up one-upping Warren that day. He led UCLA 46 yards down the field to the Tennessee 27-yard line. Then, on 4th and 2 and needing a first down, UCLA coach Tommy Prothro, who ironically was from Memphis, opted against the field goal and called for Beban to run the ball for the first and go for the win.

Beban did just that, but after getting the first, he didn’t stop running. The Vols had been caught off guard by the play, and Beban ran down the sideline for what would be the game-winning touchdown. This would be a crucial moment in Beban’s Heisman campaign in 1967.

UT won out the rest of the way in the regular season to finish 9-1. They finished ranked No. 2. The only team ahead of them were the USC Trojans, who also had one loss but managed to beat UCLA. So if the Vols had beaten the Bruins, they would’ve been undisputed national champions. That made the drive hurt Tennessee football even more.

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