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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Photo by Al Bello/AllSport
Photo by Al Bello/AllSport /

4. Albert Dorsey

1967 at No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide

No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers win 24-13

3 interceptions; 1 touchdown

We’ve had multiple three-interception games on here that also included a touchdown. None of those games, however, helped decide an SEC Championship against the Alabama Crimson Tide and what would become a retroactive national championship. That’s what Albert Dorsey did for Tennessee football in 1967.

Entering his fourth year on the job, Doug Dickey easily had his best team. Senior quarterback Dewey Warren had brought the Vols into the modern era with the way he managed the T-formation, and the linebacker-based defensive schemes made the team more fun to watch. This would be UT’s year.

After a season-opening loss to the UCLA Bruins, the Vols got on a roll. But it started early. UT beat the Auburn Tigers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to get to 2-1 and would then face Alabama, a team they had not beaten since 1960. In a rough offensive game, Dorsey made the difference, picking off three passes and running the final one back late for a score.

The Vols would finish the regular season 9-1 and 6-0 in the SEC, and Bear Bryant’s team would finish 8-1-1 and 5-1 in the SEC. As a result, it’s safe to say Dorsey’s play decided the SEC champion that year and potentially a share of the national title, which the Vols claim to have captured to this day. Taking that into account, this game easily belongs on the list.

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