9. 1991: Rivalry draws to a close after 36 years
It was the last season the rivalry would be played annually. Tennessee football and the Auburn Tigers were set to join separate divisions, the SEC East and West respectively, as the Arkansas Razorbacks and South Carolina Gamecocks would join in 1992. Because of that, this was going to be a game to remember.
By this point, UT was the dominant program in the rivalry after Auburn had the upper hand in the early to mid-1980s. The Vols were 3-0 and ranked No. 5 with two wins already over top 25 teams, the UCLA Bruins and Mississippi State Bulldogs, while Auburn was 3-0 and ranked No. 13 but had not yet faced a ranked team.
In a battle between two top 25 teams, what was then the largest crowd in Neyland Stadium history attended this game. Carl Pickens became the star, catching four passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Still, up 27-21 late, UT had to clinch the deal. Andy Kelly engineered a long, time-consuming drive that ended in a field goal to clinch the 30-21 win.
The momentum didn’t last for Johnny Majors’ team, as they lost their next two games at the Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide, but they did finish 9-3 and ranked in the top 15. Meanwhile, Auburn collapsed. This began a string of four losses in five games, and they fell to 5-6 on the years, missing a bowl game for the first time since Pat Dye’s first season there.