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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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August 31, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Tyler Bray (8) drops back to pass in the second half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at the Georgia Dome. Tennessee beat NC State 35-21. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
August 31, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Tyler Bray (8) drops back to pass in the second half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at the Georgia Dome. Tennessee beat NC State 35-21. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports /

8. 2012 (Chick-fil-A Kickoff)

Friday, Aug. 31; Georgia Dome; Atlanta, Ga.

One of the most exciting openers in recent Tennessee football history was followed by a catastrophe of a season. The Vols were set to begin Derek Dooley’s third year as head coach on a Friday night against the N.C. State Wolfpack. After a 6-7 campaign in 2010 and a 5-7 season in 2011, one that saw a shocking loss to the Kentucky Wildcats, this was their chance to emerge.

At the time, Dooley was on an extremely hot seat, but the mess he inherited from Lane Kiffin allowed it to be forgivable. Despite tons of new staff members, he reshaped the offense in the offseason with Jim Chaney and said at SEC Media Days that the Vols would not be kicked around anymore. It was because of those offensive weapons.

UT had an elite offensive line, a strong-armed quarterback in Tyler Bray, the return of star receiver Justin Hunter, who got hurt in 2011, and a new junior college addition in Cordarrelle Patterson. These guys put on a show in the opener. Bray threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns, Patterson and Hunter combined for 166 receiving yards.

In the process, Tennessee football dominated, winning 35-21. Not only was that a great win to start the season, it broke their Georgia Dome curse, as the program had lost six straight there and hadn’t won in the stadium since 1998. None of this mattered, though.

Two weeks later, UT lost to the Florida Gators. Then began a brutal losing streak in October where the offense remained elite but the defense couldn’t stop anybody. Rocky Top collapsed to 4-7 and 0-7 in the SEC, and Dooley was fired. That was a far cry from what we saw in this game.

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