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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) /
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14 Nov 1998: Members of the Tennessee Volunteers participate in a team prayer during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at the Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers defeated the Razorbacks 28-24. Mandatory Credit: Tom Hauck /Allsport
Photo by Tom Hauck /Allsport /

3. Nov. 14, 1998

No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks at No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers

Final score: Tennessee Vols win 28-24

This comeback is memorable for many reasons. Tennessee football beat an undefeated team in the top 10 at home in November with this one after reaching No. 1 the week before, they went on to win the national title, and there was an insane play to cause it all.

We’re obviously talking about that Clint Stoerner fumble. But the Arkansas Razorbacks gave a much bigger scare to the Vols in the first half. Stoerner and co. built a 14-0 lead and then later extended it to 21-3.

Heading into the game 8-0, there were questions if they were legit under first year head coach Houston Nutt. With such a lead to validate those questions, there were serious concerns about the Vols being able to come back since Tee Martin was having a rough day. But Martin made it respectable with a first half touchdown to Peerless Price, cutting it to 21-10.

In the second half, Martin scored a touchdown while the Hogs had a field goal to make it 24-17. That wouldn’t make this seem like much of a comeback. But at that point, the offense went completely cold. They got another field goal but could not completely close the gap, despite the defense coming to life and a blocked field goal returned the other way.

A safety on a bad snap during a punt wasn’t even going to be enough, as down 24-22, the Vols were stopped on four downs. So, with under two minutes to go and looking to run out the clock, Arkansas looked to be in the clear. That’s when the fumble happened, as Stoerner tripped over his own offensive lineman on a generic handoff.

Billy Ratliff recovered, the Vols were back in business. With their newfound momentum, they simply turned to Travis Henry. The power back filling in for an injured Jamal Lewis touched the ball every play on the next drive and carried UT into the end zone to get them that first lead of the game. It was a comeback that took forever, but it happened.

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