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Tennessee football: Ranking all 15 Vols non-Saturday openers

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 4, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back John Kelly (4) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during overtime at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Tennessee won 42-41 in two overtimes. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 4, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back John Kelly (4) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during overtime at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Tennessee won 42-41 in two overtimes. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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An aerial view of Cardinal Stadium, showing the newly constructed endzone addition, on right of the structure. Aug. 31, 2018.Aj4t1177
An aerial view of Cardinal Stadium, showing the newly constructed endzone addition, on right of the structure. Aug. 31, 2018.Aj4t1177 /

6. 1991

28. 839. 11. 849. Final

Thursday, Sept. 5; Cardinal Stadium; Louisville, Ky.

A year after the Pigskin Classic, Tennessee football actually didn’t open the season Labor Day weekend. The opened it the following Thursday. Howard Schnellenberger appeared to be building the Louisville Cardinals the way he had built the Miami Hurricanes a decade earlier, as he had just gotten them to a 10-1-1 season and top 15 finish his sixth year on the job in 1990.

As a result, they entered this year with a ton of hype. The Vols had to visit them, and while they returned Andy Kelly and Carl Pickens, they had lost a ton of talent, and they started the year ranked No. 11. Playing on the road on a Thursday night made them a trendy upset pick.

Pickens made sure that didn’t happen. He caught a 75-yard touchdown pass and returned a punt 67 yards for a score to steal the show. Adding to his efforts, though, the Vols entered a new era at running back with two freshmen, Aaron Hayden and James Stewart. Both scored touchdowns in this game to make sure UT was in control.

Louisville ended up stumbling to a 2-9 season this year, and the Vols finished the Kelly era going 9-3. The highlight was their comeback from 31-7 down to beat Notre Dame on the road, but they lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida Gators and Penn State Nittany Lions.

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