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Tennessee football: Johnny Majors’ top five games as a player

By Caleb Calhoun

PITTSBURGH - SEPTEMBER 5: Johnny Majors, former head football coach of the Iowa State University Cyclones, the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the University of Tennessee Volunteers, looks on from the sideline before a college football game between the Pitt Panthers and Youngstown State Penguins at Heinz Field on September 5, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt Panthers defeated Youngstown 38-3. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH - SEPTEMBER 5: Johnny Majors, former head football coach of the Iowa State University Cyclones, the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the University of Tennessee Volunteers, looks on from the sideline before a college football game between the Pitt Panthers and Youngstown State Penguins at Heinz Field on September 5, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt Panthers defeated Youngstown 38-3. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /
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14. 887. 20. 839. Final

4. Johnny Majors passing ruins Vanderbilt bowl hopes

This was the game that set the tone for Tennessee football early on under Bowden Wyatt. This was Wyatt’s first year, and he had fallen to an 0-2 start. However, the Vols then reeled off four straight, and thanks to a Johnny Majors touchdown, they shockingly tied the No. 8 ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets before beating the Florida Gators.

At 5-2-1, they got to No. 17 and could win the SEC title Majors’ first year. However, they suffered a shocking loss at the Kentucky Wildcats. Because of that, at 5-3-1, they entered this final week playing for pride. The Vanderbilt Commodores were in the midst of a magical season, ranked No. 19 with a 7-2 record and a chance at the Sugar Bowl.

Majors had other goals in mind, and he did his part to make sure the Vols played spoiler and gave Bowden his signature win. He always had a response to Vandy. The Commodores took a 7-0 lead, but Majors tied it up with a touchdown pass the next drive. Then Vandy went up 14-7 and held that lead going into the fourth quarter.

However, in the fourth, Majors threw a game-tying touchdown pass. He then helped direct a game-winning drive, getting UT down to the 43-yard line before another back finished it off, scoring a touchdown to secure a 20-14 upset win for the Vols. Despite not finishing that drive, Majors was the player of the game. And this win set the tone for UT’s 1956 campaign.

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