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

7. Sept. 16, 2017

No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers at No. 24 Florida Gators

Final score: Florida wins 26-20

Given the fact that this drive ended on a Hail Mary as time expired, you would think it would be higher on the list. But beyond the Hail Mary, Vol fans remember the series of horrendous blunders by Butch Jones throughout the game.

It was so bad that it put Jones on the hot seat by itself and set in motion a collapse throughout the season to get him fired. But this game started it all. And despite all the errors, the final drive was still devastating for Tennessee football.

For context, the Vols had fought back from fourth quarter deficits of 13-3 and 20-10, tying it up late. They had overcame Jones’s pathetic incompetence and were set to play for overtime with Quinten Dormady and John Kelly red-hot.

The Florida Gators, meanwhile, had 50 seconds in the fourth while looking to drive for a game-winner. Still, Jim McElwain was incompetent himself, and his errors left the Gators with only 9 seconds to go on their own 37-yard line after three plays. Not to be outdone with incompetence, though, Jones decided against using a dime package to defend the obvious Hail Mary.

As a result, Tyrie Cleveland got behind the Vols defense. Feleipe Franks eluded just enough pressure up front and chucked the ball downfield to Cleveland, who caught it in the end zone for a touchdown as time expired, giving the Gators a 26-20 victory despite having 10 guys suspended.

Such an embarrassing loss was indeed due to a heartbreaking drive, and you can’t leave Hail Mary passes off this list. But it was a blessing in disguise, as it exposed Jones’s insane incompetence that finally turned fans against him.