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Tennessee football’s five wins vs. Georgia with both teams undefeated

By Caleb Calhoun

Travis Stephens #25, Running Back for the University of Tennessee Volunteers is tackled by the University of Georgia Bulldogs defence during their NCAA Southeastern Conference college football game on 10 October 1998 at the Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, United States. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 35 - 34. (Photo by Vincent Laforet/Allsport/Getty Images)
Travis Stephens #25, Running Back for the University of Tennessee Volunteers is tackled by the University of Georgia Bulldogs defence during their NCAA Southeastern Conference college football game on 10 October 1998 at the Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, United States. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 35 - 34. (Photo by Vincent Laforet/Allsport/Getty Images) /
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10 Oct 1998: Cedrick Wilson #14 of the Tennessee Volunteers grips the the football and pushes Cory Robinson #26 who is trying to strip the ball from him during the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at the Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. The Volunteers defeated the Bulldogs 22-3.
10 Oct 1998: Cedrick Wilson #14 of the Tennessee Volunteers grips the the football and pushes Cory Robinson #26 who is trying to strip the ball from him during the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at the Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. The Volunteers defeated the Bulldogs 22-3. /

Final. 22. 839. 3. 814

October 10, 1998; Sanford Stadium; Athens, Ga.

Welcome to the turning point game for Tennessee football’s 1998 national championship run. The Vols were 4-0 and ranked No. 4, having beaten eventual Big East champion Syracuse and then ending a five-game losing streak to the Florida Gators.

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With Tee Martin replacing Peyton Manning, it was shocking that they were in such a great position that Manning never had them in after Florida, but they were there because of defense and Jamal Lewis. Well, Lewis had suffered a season-ending injury the week before this game, a hideous 17-9 win over the Auburn Tigers. Against three Power Five schools, Martin had looked horrible.

Meanwhile, the Georgia Bulldogs were coming off a 10-2 season and were 4-0 under Jim Donnan. They had a freshman phenom in quarterback Quincy Carter and had just beaten the No. 6 ranked LSU Tigers 28-27. With all that momentum and Lewis hurt, UGA was favored in this game.

An ugly first half saw the Vols take a 9-3 lead into the locker room. All 12 points were off field goals, and Martin had already thrown an interception to Champ Bailey, who ironically with current UGA head coach Kirby Smart, were giving UT’s passing game a terrible time. The saving grace was Travis Henry and Travis Stephens, who proved they could step in at running back without Lewis.

Reportedly, there were threats of benching Martin at halftime. Well, he finally came alive in the second half, throwing two touchdown passes to Cedrick Wilson and Peerless Price, and the underdog Vols won 22-3.

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Depth at running back and now the arrival of Martin made Tennessee football a complete team, and the offense began rolling the rest of the way. They still had a couple of close games, but this game proved this team’s depth, as it went 13-0 and won the national title. Georgia went 9-3, losing to the Vols, Florida Gators and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

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