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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 Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images /

3. Kelley Washington

2001 vs. No. 14 LSU Tigers

No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers win 26-18

11 catches for 256 yards; 1 touchdown

One of Tennessee football’s most dominant passing attacks helped to get the Vols back in a rhythm after a long layoff. In 2001, UT got off to a 2-0 start. However, the Sept. 11 attacks happened postponing their third game at the Florida Gators until the end of the season, and then they had a bye week after that.

So the Vols did not play for 21 days. During that time, they worked with 22-year-old walk-on freshman Kelley Washington to get him acclimated to the offense. Washington had played baseball for four years and was going to be eased along, but an injury to Donte Stallworth forced them to make him the No. 1 receiver earlier than expected.

Washington showed promise at the Arkansas Razorbacks. After that layoff, though, this was his chance to burst onto the scene. He did just that. UT had an ugly first half, as LSU jumped out to a 7-0 lead and led 7-6 going into halftime. But in the second half, Phillip Fulmer, Randy Sanders and Casey Clausen turned solely to Washington.

Numerous passes to him got the Vols down the field on a long drive to open the second half with a score and spot them a 12-7 lead. Then the Vols got the ball back, and on 2nd and 17 late in the third quarter, Clausen found Washington for a 70-yard touchdown to break the game open. He finished with a school-record 256 yards receiving and immediately burst onto the scene as a star.

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