Five memorable Tennessee football defensive stands

2. Auburn Tigers – 1998

This wasn’t a stop at the end of the game, and it didn’t come against a typical Auburn Tigers team. In fact, Auburn would fall to 3-8 this year, and it would be Terry Bowden’s last year. They weren’t even close to the team that faced the Vols in the 1998 SEC Championship game.

More from Vols Football

• How to Win a GUARANTEED $200 Bonus Betting Just $5 on the Vols vs. Florida!
• Tennessee Football at Florida: Five Keys to a Vols Victory
• Week 3 SEC Power Rankings: Did Tennessee Football’s Win Help At All?
• Week 3 AP Polls: Why Did Tennessee Football Drop in the Polls?
• Tennessee Football: Top Five Performers in 30-13 Win vs. Austin Peay

However, the stop here was so incredibly impressive that it still had to make the list. For context, Tennessee football was 3-0 and ranked No. 3. The Vols had built a lead from their defense, as Shaun Ellis returned a fumble for a touchdown when Auburn was driving early. A Jamal Lewis touchdown and Jeff Hall field goal would be the final points, and UT was up 17-0.

Then the Vols’ offense went completely cold. Lewis would eventually go out for what would be a season-ending injury, making it worse. But the real twist was what happened before then. Up 17-3 in the second quarter, a Tee Martin fumble gave the Tigers the ball on the six-inch line.

Auburn literally had four plays to make six inches. Oh, and the Vols’ best defender and overall player, linebacker Al Wilson, was out with an injury. So what happened? The defense stepped up anyway in a huge way. UT stopped two quarterback sneaks and two running plays. Yes, they kept Auburn from getting six inches on four tries, proving this was a national championship team.

That proved crucial as well because Auburn made it 17-9 and was in field goal range on the final drive. Had they scored, they could have gone for a game-winning field goal. So this was a crucial stop that should go down in history.