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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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28. 829. 35. 839. Final

4. 1982: Alabama’s 11-game losing streak over Vols ends

Tennessee football’s most memorable win ever against the Alabama Crimson Tide came in Bear Bryant’s last year. At 5-0, ranked No. 2 in the nation and coming off a win over the No. 3 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, Alabama was firmly in the national title race for this game. They had also won 11 straight over the Vols, meaning they were heavy favorites against a .500 UT team.

Meanwhile, Johnny Majors only made two bowls in four years on Rocky Top and started 1-2 this season, losing to the Duke Blue Devils and Auburn Tigers. Close wins over the Iowa State Cyclones, Majors’ former team, and the Washington State Cougars got them to 2-2. A week before this game, UT tied the No. 18 LSU Tigers. That gave them much-needed momentum.

Although the Tide looked to be in control early, jumping out to a 14-3 lead,  UT cut it to 14-13 with help from an Alan Cockrell touchdown pass to Willie Gault Alabama scored again to make it 21-13 at halftime, but the Vols then took control in the second half, scoring 22 straight points.

Those points included a field goal, a second Cockrell touchdown pass and then two-point conversion after forcing a fumble, another field goal and then a 34-yard touchdown run by Chuck Coleman on a drive after an Alabama missed field goal. UT was shockingly up 35-21 in the fourth.

Alabama cut it to a touchdown and got the ball back, but as they were driving late, Walter Lewis intercepted a pass in the end zone to secure the win. En route to a 6-5-1 season, the Vols finally got that elusive win in upset fashion. Meanwhile, the Tide fell apart, finishing 8-4.

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