The world must be turning backwards or something because Steve Spurrier, a notorious Tennessee hater, has said something nice, again, about the Volunteers. After the heartbreaking loss to Georgia in Week 3, Spurrier went on Another Dooley Noted Podcast and spoke about the game, even saying he felt sorry for the Volunteers.
"The Georgia-Tennessee matchup was a heck of a game," Spurrier said. "I felt sorry for the Tennessee guys; they played their hearts out."
Not only did Spurrier say he felt bad for the Volunteers, but gave them a compliment in the same sentence, talking about how great they played. This all comes after earlier in the season, when Spurrier spoke highly of Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar and his success early in the season.
Former Florida HC Steve Spurrier, known for sideways comments towards Tennessee, gave positive remarks about the Vols again:
— FOX Sports Knoxville (@FOXSportsKnox) September 16, 2025
“The Georgia-Tennessee matchup was a heck of a game. I felt sorry for the Tennessee guys. They played their hearts out,” said Spurrier on “Another Dooley… pic.twitter.com/JDGoPBWDFv
Even though Spurrier grew up not too far from the University of Tennessee, he has always seemed to have something against the Volunteers. A lot of it comes from his time coaching for the Florida Gators, a team Tennessee plays just about every season. These two teams certainly are not fans of each other, and Spurrier held an impressive 8-4 record against the Volunteers when he was at Florida.
Spurrier certainly has made his frequent jabs at the Volunteers, but it seems lately, maybe Tennessee is beginning to earn his respect. That Georgia-Tennessee game certainly was a heartbreaking one for the Volunteers, as they could taste the feeling of that losing streak breaking.
However, Georgia had just enough luck at the end to pull away with the win, but there is still hope for the future. Plus, this counts as a very significant quality loss for the Volunteers and in no way takes them out of the running for the 12-team College Football Playoff at the end of the season.
Tennessee, however, doesn't have time to lick its wounds as they are set to take on UAB this weekend. While this shouldn't be too tough a task for the Volunteers, they still need to win big to get them back on track for the rest of SEC play, starting with Mississippi State in Week 5.