All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football: Vols 10 greatest comeback wins in school history

By Caleb Calhoun

Aaron Hayden #24, Running Back for the University of Tennessee Volunteers runs the ball during the NCAA Southeastern Conference college football game against the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish on 9 November 1991 at the Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 35 - 34. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Images)
Aaron Hayden #24, Running Back for the University of Tennessee Volunteers runs the ball during the NCAA Southeastern Conference college football game against the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish on 9 November 1991 at the Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 35 - 34. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 12
Next
Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images
Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images /

10. Oct. 1, 2016

No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers at No. 25 Georgia Bulldogs

Final score: Tennessee Vols win 34-31

The game is more remembered for the Hail Mary. However, it was part of an overall comeback, which the Vols had a habit of doing that year. Going into the game, they were 4-0 and had come back from two scores down or more in three of those games, two scores down or more in the second half of two of those games and three scores down in the second half of one of the games.

An untimely red zone turnover and sluggish first half built the Georgia Bulldogs a 17-0 lead in this one. And it was different because it was the Vols’ first road game. So there was some panic, but Joshua Dobbs converted a 3rd and 15 on a 17-yard run and then the greatest four-yard run ever for a touchdown on 3rd and goal to make it 17-7 at halftime.

After cutting it to 17-14 with a touchdown to open the second half, UT punted on the next two possessions, and UGA had a 50-yard TD in between to build a two-score lead going into the fourth. The Vols responded with a touchdown and got the ball back but still couldn’t take the lead.

So after a punt that pinned the Dawgs inside the five-yard line, the defense finally completed the comeback. Derek Barnett got a strip-sack in the end zone that Corey Vereen recovered. UT was up and seemingly won 28-24.But that’s when the drama really started. Jacob Eason hit Riley Ridley for a 47-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass with 10 seconds left to go up 31-28.

Eason was only outdone by Dobbs to Jauan Jennings on the final play of the game, a 43-yard Hail Mary to win 34-31. At that point, the Vols had gotten to 5-0 and 2-0 in the SEC East. They collapsed after that with three straight losses, but this game itself was special, and they had to come back from 17-0 and 24-14 in the fourth to set up the Hail Mary.

Home/Vols Football