All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football’s top 25 single-game performances in history

By Caleb Calhoun

Peyton Manning #16, Quarterback for the University of Tennessee Volunteers during the NCAA Pac 10 college football game against the University of California, Los Angeles UCLA Bruins on 6th September 1997 at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California, United States. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 30 - 24. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Allsport/Getty Images)
Peyton Manning #16, Quarterback for the University of Tennessee Volunteers during the NCAA Pac 10 college football game against the University of California, Los Angeles UCLA Bruins on 6th September 1997 at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California, United States. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 30 - 24. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Allsport/Getty Images) /
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17. Deon Grant

1999 vs. Auburn Tigers

Tennessee Volunteers win 24-0

3 interceptions; 1 touchdown

Three interceptions and a touchdown always makes for a legendary performance, and 11 years after Preston Warren did it, Deon Grant managed to do the same thing. It was the perfect time for him to come through with Tennessee football as well.

Although the Auburn Tigers entered this game struggling under first-year head coach Tommy Tuberville, the Vols were also reeling here. They were 2-1, but in their last two games, they had lost to the Florida Gators and then barely beaten the Memphis Tigers, 17-16, at home.

Adding to the chaos, an academic fraud investigation was launched into Phillip Fulmer’s program the week of this game. Those fraud charges, by the way, led to the deal Fulmer made with the NCAA to turn in the Alabama Crimson Tide over the Logan Young-Albert Means saga.

Still, the distractions were there, and as Alabama had beaten Florida earlier in the day, UT had to figure out a way to put those issues aside in order to get back into the race. Well, Grant made sure that happened immediately.

On the first play of the game, Grant intercepted a pass and ran it into the end zone for a touchdown. That propelled a three-interception game, leading the Vols to shut out Auburn 24-0. It got them back on track, as they got on a roll and back into the title hunt. This was part of an All-American campaign by Grant, and it was the best game of the season for him.

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