Top 10 single seasons by Tennessee football players of all time

All-American; All-SEC

Part of this is due to talent, and part of this is due to David Cutcliffe. Robert Meachem was a five-star recruit and the top receiver in the nation who committed to Tennessee football in 2003. However, he suffered a season-ending injury that year, so he spent 2004 trying to come back from that while the Vols broke in two freshman quarterbacks.

In 2005, the quarterback saga of Erik Ainge and Rick Clausen limited Meachem’s production. When Cutcliffe took back over as offensive coordinator, though, he made a huge difference. The story in Knoxville is how Cutcliffe turned Ainge around that year, and he certainly did. But another key decision was to shorten the receiver rotation, and Meachem would be the go-to guy.

With a struggling rushing attack, Meachem became a star. He had 182 yards and two touchdowns in the Vols’ season-opening win over the No. 9 ranked Cal Golden Bears. Then he went over 100 again in a 31-30 win over the Air Force Falcons. Meachem ended up going over 100 yards six times on the year and 95 in another game, and he had at least one touchdown in eight games.

This all came despite no running game and Ainge being hurt for two games. In fact, in one of those games, against an LSU Tigers team that would finish in the top five, Meachem had 121 yards and two touchdowns. He finished with 71 receptions for 11 touchdowns and a school-record 1,298 yards. His play also helped Ainge set the completion percentage record.