Tennessee football: Ranking all 15 Vols non-Saturday openers
3. 2017 (Chick-fil-A Kickoff)
839. Final/OT. 41. 880. 42
Monday, Sept. 4; Mercedes-Benz Stadium; Atlanta, Ga.
One year after that opener against Appalachian State, Tennessee football entered the season much more subdued. This time, the Vols were replacing a ton of talent and barely in the top 25. They were also upset about the fact that they didn’t win the SEC East the year before.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets came in with Paul Johnson’s triple-option offense, and preparing for that on Labor Day in Atlanta gave the Vols tons of trouble. Georgia Tech jumped up by two scores, and every time the Vols would come within a touchdown, the Yellow Jackets would score on another time-consuming drive.
Late in regulation, up 28-21, GT had a run inside the Tennessee 10 that hinted they’d take control for good. However, Rashaan Gaulden forced a fumble, and the Vols recovered. They then went 93 yards for a game-tying score. Both teams traded touchdowns in the first and second overtime.
However, in the second overtime, Johnson decided to try to put it away, and he went for two. Finally, UT got a stop on the option, as Darrell Taylor sold out to the side he guessed they were going, and he made the stop. In the process, the Vols were able to get the win.
It was the second straight non-Saturday season-opening overtime win for Tennessee football that they had no business winning. John Kelly Jr. had 128 yards on the ground, Marquez Callaway had 115 receiving yards and two touchdowns after Jauan Jennings got hurt, and Quinten Dormady emerged at quarterback.
None of that lasted. Just like 2016, the Vols’ opener was a thriller, which makes it so memorable and puts it up here, but it exposed issues that would plague them all season. A historically bad offense and Butch Jones’ incompetence would lead to them going 4-8 and 0-8 in the SEC.