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) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
26 of 26
Next
Tee Martin
Photo by Elsa Hasch/AllSport /

1. Tee Martin

1998 at South Carolina Gamecocks

No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers win 49-14

23-of-24 for 315 yards; 4 touchdowns

As we already mentioned, some performance stand out for how amazing they were. Others stand out for being great in big moments. Then there are those that stand out for being historically amazing in big moments. This one took it to another level for Tennessee football.

More from All for Tennessee

It wasn’t a big moment, as the Vols were facing the 1-7 South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia. But nobody in college football history could possibly play any better than Tee Martin did on this day. UT entered the game 6-0 for the first time since 1969 and was clearly going to win. Nobody expected anything less.

Martin’s play, though, was just incredible. After completing the final attempt he made the previous week against the Alabama Crimson Tide, he completed 23 straight passes for four touchdowns at South Carolina. That set an NCAA record at the time for 24 straight completions and 23 straight in a game, and it’s still an NCAA record for completion percentage in a game with at least 20 passes.

In the process of Martin’s play, the South Carolina fans began clapping. This was the same Martin who, just weeks earlier, had nearly been benched because of how much he was struggling as Peyton Manning’s replacement. After Jamal Lewis’ season-ending injury, Martin found his rhythm in the second half at the Georgia Bulldogs. This was the peak of that.

Next. Ranking Vols 10 assistant coaches for 2020 staff. dark

If not for a dropped pass by David Martin, this would have been a perfect day for the Tennessee football quarterback. He made no mistakes, which may never be said again about a quarterback in a game. As a result, it has to top the list.

Home/Vols Football