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Ranking Tennessee football’s top 10 wins under Johnny Majors

By Caleb Calhoun

Johnny Majors, Head Coach for the University of Tennessee Volunteers stands with his team during the NCAA Southeastern Conference college football game against the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish on 9 November 1991 at the Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 35 - 34. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Images)
Johnny Majors, Head Coach for the University of Tennessee Volunteers stands with his team during the NCAA Southeastern Conference college football game against the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish on 9 November 1991 at the Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 35 - 34. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Al Bello/AllSport
Photo by Al Bello/AllSport /

34. 829. Final. 41. 839

9. 1983: Unranked Vols rally from 10 down to upset Tide again

One year after a shocking upset over the Alabama Crimson Tide, Tennessee football once again appeared to be struggling. The Vols had gotten off to a 1-2 start, losing to the Pittsburgh Panthers and Auburn Tigers. They had gotten to 3-2 by beating The Citadel, behind four sacks from Reggie White, and then a terrible LSU Tigers team.

Meanwhile, the Alabama Crimson Tide, in their first year without Bear Bryant, had gotten all the way up to No. 3 under new head coach Ray Perkins, but they were entering this game 4-1 coming off a close loss at the Penn State Nittany Lions. Still, they were ranked No. 11, so all the expectations were for them to pull out the win.

Well, the Tide looked to be in control in the third quarter, taking a 27-17 lead and then a 34-24 lead. But the first half was a shootout, and a wild second half was already underway. After hitting Clyde Duncan for an 80-yard screen pass earlier, Alan Cockrell found Duncan for a 57-yard touchdown pass to cut it to 34-31. After a defensive stop, Fuad Reveiz tied it up in the fourth.

UT got the ball again with a second straight defensive stop, and then it was Johnnie Jones’ turn to shine. On 3rd and 3, Jones took a misdirection pitch 66 yards to the house for a score. UT was up 41-34. The Vols then forced a punt and ran out the clock. This win got them on track, and they would finish 9-3, their best record by far under Johnny Majors to that point.

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