Tennessee football vs. LSU: Wild endings, upsets, historically significant games – here are the top 15

September 26, 2005; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers Gerald Riggs Jr. drives in for the game-winning overtime touchdown against Louisiana State Tigers linebacker Cameron Vaughn (46) at Tiger Stadium Stadium. The Volunteers defeated the Tigers 30-27 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports © 2005 John David Mercer
September 26, 2005; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers Gerald Riggs Jr. drives in for the game-winning overtime touchdown against Louisiana State Tigers linebacker Cameron Vaughn (46) at Tiger Stadium Stadium. The Volunteers defeated the Tigers 30-27 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports © 2005 John David Mercer
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Tennessee head coach Johnny Majors and offensive coordinator Phillip Fulmer watch the Vols warm up before the Memphis State game Saturday, Nov. 14, 1992Majors And Fulmer 1992
Tennessee head coach Johnny Majors and offensive coordinator Phillip Fulmer watch the Vols warm up before the Memphis State game Saturday, Nov. 14, 1992Majors And Fulmer 1992

Oct. 3, 1992

Nothing is memorable about the game itself. There was no wild ending and no upset. Tennessee football entered 4-0 and ranked No. 7. LSU was 1-3 and unranked in Curley Hallman’s second season on the job. Since they had gone 5-6 the year before, everybody expected a blowout in the Vols’ favor, and that’s exactly what happened.

What nobody knew, though, was that it would be Johnny Majors’ last win as head coach of the Vols before he was fired. After this game, the Vols went on a three-game losing streak, including one-point losses to SEC newcomers Arkansas and the South Carolina Gamecocks, two bad teams, with the Alabama Crimson Tide sandwiched in between.

After the South Carolina loss, it was announced that Majors would be fired at the end of this year. Tennessee football won its next three games against the Memphis Tigers, Kentucky Wildcats and Vanderbilt Commodores, but Majors had already been fired.

Of course, this all started from Majors missing the first three games due to open-heart surgery. Phillip Fulmer went 3-0 in those games, including wins at the Georgia Bulldogs and at home against Florida. Majors returned for Game 4 against the Cincinnati Bearcats, but this was his first game coaching from the sidelines.