Sept. 26, 2005
We opened this post by talking about how this series has historical significance, wild endings and upsets. How about all three? It’s not the most in any category, but having all three makes it No. 1. This also just so happens to be the last time Tennessee football beat LSU.
A month earlier, the worst hurricane in U.S. history devastated Louisiana and destroyed New Orleans. Then, just as Hurricane Katrina subsided, the Vols and LSU had to postpone their Saturday, Sept. 24 game in Baton Rouge, La., due to Hurricane Rita, which also devastated the area. The game was postponed until Monday.
UT entered the stadium 1-1 after a loss to Florida and ranked No. 10. LSU, dealing with chaos, was No. 4. They had beaten the No. 15 ranked Arizona State Sun Devils on the road, a game that had to be moved from Louisiana due to the devastation from Katrina, and had to delay their first game. As a result, this was their home opener.
It was also their first game in 16 days, and adding to the chaos, it was their second game under new head coach Les Miles. Amidst all the drama, everybody was rooting for LSU, and it made sense. Phillip Fulmer, meanwhile, was mismanaging a quarterback controversy and named Erik Ainge the starter for this game.
Rick Clausen, an LSU transfer, was the other quarterback, who wasn’t as talented but played smarter and had the respect of the players. In the first half, Ainge was strip-sacked to set up LSU’s first touchdown. A flea flicker set up their second touchdown. Then Ainge threw an awful pick-six in the end zone.
Just like that, the Vols were trailing 21-0 at halftime and had three first-half turnovers. They made the switch to Clausen, and in the second half, Clausen methodically led a comeback. He mounted two long touchdown drives in the third and fourth quarters, cutting it to 21-7 and 24-14.
Midway through the fourth, Jamarcus Russell threw an interception to Jonathan Hefney, which he returned to the one. That set up another touchdown, and down 24-21, the Vols were back in it. A field goal then sent the game into overtime.
In overtime, Tennessee football held LSU to a field goal. Then the Vols drove down the field and won it with a one-yard Gerald Riggs Jr. touchdown run. This game had everything crazy: history, a comeback, a wild finish, an upset, and a narrative, that being a backup quarterback coming in to beat the team he once played for.
Of course, as everybody knows, this joy for Tennessee football didn’t last. The Vols eventually suffered through a four-game losing streak because of internal issues, and they stumbled to 5-6, their first losing season since 2005. LSU won every other regular season game. However, on this night, the Vols enjoyed the weirdest of victories.