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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 Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images
Photo by Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images /

22. 888. 23. 839. Final

6. 1990-91: Vols rally from 16-0 Sugar Bowl halftime deficit to win

Andy Kelly was famous during his two and a half years as Tennessee football’s starting quarterback for his ability to lead the Vols back. The Sugar Bowl to end the 1990 season was one of the best examples of that.

With an 8-2-2 record and second straight SEC title against what was arguably the toughest schedule in history that year, the Vols were set to face the Virginia Cavaliers. UVA started 7-0 and had reached No. 1 but lost three of its final four, including its final two regular season games, so it entered this one at 8-3.

Down in New Orleans, the Cavs jumped out to a 16-0 halftime lead. It was 16-0 because their first touchdown resulted in a blocked extra point. That proved key later. Still, Virginia had forced three turnovers, so the Vols were really the ones making the mistakes. A Greg Burke field goal in the third got the Vols on the board, but they still entered the fourth trailing 16-3.

That’s when the fun started. UT turned a UVA turnover into a 94-yard touchdown drive to cut it to 16-10. Another UVA field goal made it 19-10, but Kelly found Carl Pickens for a touchdown to make it 19-17. Trading touchdowns and field goals, the Cavs hit another field goal.

Then, with two and a half minutes left and trailing 22-17, the Vols went 79 yards under Kelly, culminating with Tony Thompson scoring his second touchdown of the day to win the game 23-22. UT had a thrilling comeback and a late drive to win the Sugar Bowl and finish 9-2-2. Of course this game makes the list with that storyline.

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