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Ranking Tennessee football’s 10 years after coach’s first bowl game

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 12: General view of a Tennessee Volunteers flag during a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 12: General view of a Tennessee Volunteers flag during a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Scott Halleran /Allsport
Photo by Scott Halleran /Allsport /

3. 1993: 10-2 (6-2)

Citrus Bowl; No. 12 AP; No. 11 Coaches

Coming off Phillip Fulmer’s first bowl game

Although this was technically Phillip Fulmer’s first full season as head coach of the Tennessee football program, he did coach the Vols in their Hall of Fame bowl win over the Boston College Eagles to end the 1992 season. He actually went 4-0 that year, and the bowl win was his first without the interim tag.

Heading into 1993, there were ridiculously high expectations. The Vols had Heath Shuler returning at quarterback and a ton of weapons on offense. New offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe was set to take advantage. Two games in, he did just that, as the Vols beat the No. 22 ranked Georgia Bulldogs 38-6. They did suffer a heartbreaking 41-34 loss to the Florida Gators on the road.

After that, though, Rocky Top went on a tear. At 5-1, they visited the No. 2 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, who were defending national champions and on a 28-game winning streak. They also had a seven-year winning streak over the Vols. UT ended both by tying them at 17. They should have won, though, which is why the tie felt like a loss, but it was still impressive.

We should also note that the game would be retroactively declared a win for Fulmer and co. The Vols won out after that and then lost to the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Citrus Bowl. As a result, they finished 9-2-1, but it’s now officially 10-2 with that Alabama win, and ranked in the top 12 of both polls.

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