4. Oct. 21, 2000; Vols record: 2-3 (0-3)
Neyland Stadium; Knoxville Tenn.
Tennessee Volunteers beat Alabama Crimson Tide 20-10
Once upon a time, Tennessee football had a losing record, and they were still in the midst of their peak as a program. Way back in 2000, the Vols were expecting to rebuild after an epic five-year run to end the 1990s with so much talent gone. And behind Joey Mathews and A.J. Suggs at quarterback the first five games, they lost to the Florida Gators, LSU Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs.
But again, everybody knew this was a rebuilding year. So during the bye week, with a 2-3 record, Phillip Fulmer made the switch to true freshman Casey Clausen, a highly touted prospect out of California, to become his starting quarterback. Alabama, meanwhile, was in the midst of a disappointing year.
They started the season off ranked No. 3 after winning the SEC title in 1999 but fell to an 0-2 start. However, they entered this game at 3-3, on a two-game winning streak, and in control of their own destiny to win the SEC again. Simply put, this was a crucial game for both teams. And at the time, the Vols were dominating the series, winning the previous five.
Clausen set the tone with a first down pass to Donte Stallworth on the first play of the game. The Vols controlled the tempo and won 20-10 thanks to defense and key plays. It was the turnaround they needed, as they would win out in the regular season to finish 8-3. Alabama would do the opposite and stumble to 3-8, resulting in Mike DuBose’s firing at the end of the year.