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Tennessee football: Vols 10 greatest seasons without top 25 finish

By Caleb Calhoun

JACKSONVILLE, FL - JANUARY 02: Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates after a 16-yard touchdown run to give his team the lead in the fourth quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against the Indiana Hoosiers at TIAA Bank Field on January 2, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. Tennessee defeated Indiana 23-22. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL - JANUARY 02: Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates after a 16-yard touchdown run to give his team the lead in the fourth quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against the Indiana Hoosiers at TIAA Bank Field on January 2, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. Tennessee defeated Indiana 23-22. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images /

6. 2002

8-5 (5-3)

Peach Bowl

We continue with our stretch of seasons that ended up being major disappointments relative to their expectations. It was also the worst season in the 17-year run of consecutive bowl games by Tennessee football from 1989 to 2004, a run that included four SEC titles and a national title. This was the only one in which they didn’t finish in the top 25.

Anyway, after an 11-2 season and top five finish, the Vols lots 11 players to the NFL. However, a top five recruiting class and the return of Casey Clausen and Kelley Washington along with Steve Spurrier’s departure to the NFL made them the SEC Championship favorites. Two things cost them, though. One was losing all four starting defensive linemen. The other was injuries.

UT had 17 starters miss at least one game due to injury, including kicker in Alex Walls. A rain-soaked game that involved multiple fumbled snaps cost them in a loss to the Florida Gators. Clausen being hurt at the Georgia Bulldogs cost them there. Six turnovers ender their seven-game losing streak to the Alabama Crimson Tide, and then they got beat down by the Miami Hurricanes.

A thrilling six-overtime win over the Arkansas Razorbacks and Phillip Fulmer’s 100th victory at the South Carolina Gamecocks were the highlights of the year. With an 8-4 finish, they got to face the Maryland Terrapins in the Peach Bowl. With all the injuries, though, they suffered a brutal beatdown in a 30-3 loss. Nowadays, though, Vol fans are thrilled about an 8-5 finish.

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