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Tennessee football’s top 10 upset wins one week after bad loss

ByCaleb Calhoun|
Tennessee players Jalen Hurd, left, Alvin Kamara, and Joshua Dobbs celebrate following the Vols' 38-31 win over Georgia Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, at Neyland Stadium. Utvsugathroughtheyears28
Tennessee players Jalen Hurd, left, Alvin Kamara, and Joshua Dobbs celebrate following the Vols' 38-31 win over Georgia Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, at Neyland Stadium. Utvsugathroughtheyears28
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Tennessee quarterback Jimmy Streater, with the ball, runs into the end zone for the Vols first touchdown of the game in the first period against Notre Dame. Streater hurt his knee in the second period and sat out rest of the game, but Tennessee won a resounding upset of Notre Dame 40-18 before a record throng of 86,489 at Neyland Stadium Nov. 10, 1979.79then11 020
Tennessee quarterback Jimmy Streater, with the ball, runs into the end zone for the Vols first touchdown of the game in the first period against Notre Dame. Streater hurt his knee in the second period and sat out rest of the game, but Tennessee won a resounding upset of Notre Dame 40-18 before a record throng of 86,489 at Neyland Stadium Nov. 10, 1979.79then11 020

1. 1979: Upset No. 13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 40-18

Previous week: Lost to Rutgers Scarlet Knights 13-7

Similar to 1958, Tennessee football was wildly inconsistent in 1979. Johnny Majors was in the midst of rebuilding the Vols and in his third year on the job with Jimmy Streater at quarterback, he was looking to take them to their first bowl game under him.

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Here’s the stat of the year for this team in the regular season. They were 0-4 playing games while ranked in the top 25 and 7-0 playing games unranked. After a 3-0 start, they lost to the Mississippi State Bulldogs while ranked No. 19. Then they beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to get back in the polls before losing to the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Alabama loss did not knock them out of the top 25, so at 4-2 and ranked No. 17, they hosted the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, who were 5-2 but hadn’t beaten anybody of substance. Rutgers pulled off one of a huge upset at Neyland Stadium, spoiling UT’s homecoming with a 13-7 win.

How did the Vols respond? The next week, the 6-2 and No. 13 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish came to town, and UT destroyed them, winning 44-20. It was Rocky Top’s first win ever over Notre Dame and a satisfying one at that. Of course, they got back into the top 20 only to lose to the Ole Miss Rebels the next week, but this was a great win for them.

Many people have compared Jeremy Pruitt’s rebuilding project to what Majors did with Tennessee football in the late 1970s. That’s what he appears to be facing. Well, he’s in his third year now, just like Majors was in 1979. Could that be a sign for something big this season? It might be.

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