Tennessee football vs. LSU: Wild endings, upsets, historically significant games – here are the top 15
14. 839. 16. 817. Final
Oct. 2, 2010
Think wild finishes were crazy in 1959? Try 2010. This matchup between Tennessee football and LSU is arguably the wildest finish in college football history. For context, the Vols were a disaster of a program. They went 5-7 in 2008 and hired Lane Kiffin in 2009 only to get hit with tons of NCAA investigations before he left after a year for USC.
Kiffin decimated previous recruiting class to make room for his guys, then he took some of those guys with him to USC, and half his one class that did stay was a major bust. This is all that Derek Dooley was dealing with in his first year on Rocky Top. Things started out ugly too, as the Vols were 2-2 and coming off an overtime win against UAB.
However, a decade earlier, LSU upset the Vols after a UAB game. Could the reverse happen in Death Valley? LSU was undefeated, ranked No. 12 and heavy favorites. In what was the greatest coaching job of Dooley’s tenure for 59 minutes and 40 seconds, the Vols played disciplined football and built a 14-10 lead.
UT forced four LSU turnovers. However, late in the game, LSU drove down to the Tennessee two-yard line with 23 seconds left and no timeouts. Les Miles, ever the incompetent but lucky coach, stupidly called a run with Jordan Jefferson to try to win the game and had no second call, as he had no idea they would need another play.
After Jefferson was stopped, clock kept running, and LSU decided to try to sub. It created mass chaos, and then Jefferson wasn’t ready for the snap, so it sailed over his head as time expired, seemingly securing a win for Tennessee football.
However, in the subbing confusion, the Vols had their own issues, and they ended up with 13-men on the field, two extra defensive linemen. That resulted in a penalty, giving LSU one last shot with no time on the clock. They scored on that last chance.
The score saved Miles’ job, as he should’ve been fired there. It derailed Dooley, as a win there could’ve resulted in a much better season overall and given him selling points in recruiting. Incompetency on both sides was the story.