VTTW Board Index

I don't often read the volnation boards (though I do during camp to get practice info) but this thread starter was on there and I thought it was a great question. You can change only one play in UT history. Which play would it be, and why?

Georgia's final TD pass in '01. Just to deny that asshat Larry Munson the chance to use his hobnail boot reference.

Greg Burke's blocked FG against Alabama in 1990.

2nd would be Verron Haynes as mentioned by BOM.

Good ones. I'll be more speculative and say Ainge's injury against Notre Dame in 2004. It's hard to say what the explicit impact would be but it's fun (and perhaps sad) to speculate how things would have been different in the next few seasons if he had stayed healthy that year.

I'm going to say the David Palmer 2pt conversion to tie.

Yes, the Ainge injury is right up there.  I wouldve said the UGA loss but I wouldve started by saying "I'd like to take back the squib kick"

Take your pick of plays in the 2001 SECCG.  It denied us a shot at a NC against Miami- who at the time, I didn't think we could beat anyway.  But given the SEC's dominance in BCS games since then, I would revise that to say we would have FD'd them. :frown:

A couple more to consider -- Toss Sweep '99 and Toss Sweep '00. Successful conversions on those plays could well have meant 4 straight wins over UF.

1.  The Gaffney no catch that gave Florida their win in Neyland.

Close 2nd is the 2001 winning score by GA that allowed Munson to run his mouth. 

I thought about the Gaffney "catch" but what kept me from mentioning it was the Gators had 2 more shots at the EZ with plenty of time after that. Of course I tend to deal in absolutes with questions like this, as in "if this play turns out this way instead of that way we win" rather than the speculative.

The speculative is fun to consider though.

Gaffney no catch will always stick out as the biggest rape in Neyland stadium to me...but, the georgia 01 is the one I would call back if I could...If there was a replay, on the field, Gaffney would have never had credit as a td.

Also, Arian Foster's fumble vs. UCLA that would've otherwise put us up by two scores.   :frown:

What about the kick return by Memphis in 1996? I'd also consider the blocked FG by Cody two years ago, but I think Bama would have still reached the BCS championship game if their only loss was to UT. But since it is speculative maybe that loss would have sent them on a downward spiral and they finish 7-5. But if UT had won that game would that have increased the chance that Lane would have stayed...Too much speculation

This thread hurts my heart, lol.

I was going with the UGA TD until I read japanvol's Memphis game pick. Now I'm conflicted. The Memphis game hurt the team's overall success more. The UGA game hurt me more.

I would also mention the Jamarcus Russell "no-fumble" call but that would changing a call and not a play.  :biggrin:

Either the 1990 blocked FG against Bama or the Julian Battle interception that was dropped in the 2001 SECCG against LSU.  He catches that, he takes it to the house and we play for a second NC in 4 years.

Andy Kelly's late interception to Notre Dame in 1990.  AGONIZING.

The play where Inky Johnson was injured against Air Force.  Either that, or the injury to Chuck Webb against ... Pacific (?), who no longer even has a FB program.  As I recall, an OLineman missed his block, Webb reversed to avoid that tackler, and was hit later on the play.  :frown:

Jan 1 1968. Karl Kremser wide right.

LOL! I thought of that one but I figured that only about 5 of us would remember it.  :laugh:

This thread has made me think back, and I've come to a conclusion: to have been an SEC championship season, 1990 was one hell of a disappointing year. I still say UT was the most talented team in the country in '89 and '90 (though Notre Dame certainly makes a strong case for that title). Darn you John Majors.

An obscure play from me...  NOBODY will remember...  in 1997 the florida QB literally hit Leonard Little in the numbers on a pass play, and he had clear sailing to the endzone.  Coulda, shoulda, woulda changed the game.  Florida was driving for their first score.  That would have made a big difference in Peyton's last game against Florida.  I know nobody will remember, BUT if anybody has a recording of that game it is there bigger than shizzle!   :bawl: :frown: :powert: :patriot:

A couple more that haven't been mentioned. One is the obvious one that we're probably still too numb to — the 13 men on the field against LSU last year. The other is Cory Anderson's fumble against Alabama in '05. If he doesn't fumble, Tennessee probably wins the game and at least makes it to a bowl. We were still ranked No. 17 at the time. Who knows how that season ends if we beat Bama.

The 1st TD Tennessee scored against Auburn in 1980.
The 2nd TD Tennessee scored against Auburn in 1980.
The 3rd TD Tennessee scored against Auburn in 1980.
The 4th TD Tennessee scored against Auburn in 1980.
The 5th TD Tennessee scored against Auburn in 1980.
The 6th TD Tennessee scored against Auburn in 1980.

06 UF game pick six called back for illegal hands to the face. We score there and have 2 or 3 score lead can't remember exactly and doesn't play for a NC that year.

GO VOLS!  :powert:

This one came to mind for me as well.

Good one.  That game let the Urban-Meyer-Tim-Tebow demon out of the bottle.

I would say 1990 block by bammer in Neyland.  Another one is Ainge's first int in 2007 to cost us the SECC.  We may still lose that game, but it would have been much tougher.  Cody's second block also sucks, and I don't care if bammer wins the MNC or not, I just wanted to beat them that day.

Stoerner.   :violin: :bird:

Yeah and the PAC10 writers in dissing the SEC last couple of weeks ago were pointing to that play as Soerner was NOT TOUCHED.....he was your own plpayer stepped on his foot and tripped him......its your own dang fault so don't come a cryin on our shoulders......

 :naughty:

1994 Little Man fumble vs Bammer on the 5(?) yd line.

This is mine.  Was watching on a battery operated portable TV in Atlanta while my wife drove us to a wedding of a friend of hers.  It was pouring the rain outside but I had to have the window cracked to get the antenna to get a signal.  Anyway, they score when she pulls up to the church.  She is like "get out of the car!!!"  I said, "no way, not until I see this play...... "

Who didn't know he was going to lkeep the ball and go right?? 

1985 if the VOLS make the field goal against gatech and win the game, and everything else remains the same, we win the NC that year (a good chance anyway).  That tie and the tie against UCLA that year were totally inexcusable, and did cost an NC.

yeah we knew, that was Burlsworth that stepped on him.  Shoulda gone shotgun, that's all i'm sayin

Let's not forget that Burlsworth was pushed.  Can't recall who, but he was from Mississippi and later got injured, I think.

Everybody always forgets that UT should have been up 27-20
instead of down 24-22 with 2 minutes left in that game.
The refs blew the call when the Arkansas punter kicked the
ball through the end zone from the 2 yard line after the ball
was snapped over his head. Should have been UT's ball on
the Arkansas 2 yard line with just under 3 minutes left.

Billy Ratliffe from Magnolia Mississippi.

Jerry Colquit blowing out his knee on the first play of the first game of the season at ucla.  After working for 5 years to get the start it was all taken from him.  I also think that team could of been a national contender if not for that.  Of course it ushered in the Peyton years so it wasn't a total loss.

This is a good one. I have no doubt that we would've won the SEC in '94 with a healthy Colquitt.

I'm not so sure. Tennessee would've been better in '94 with Colquitt, no doubt...at least early on. By the end of the season, the offense was firing on all cylinders. I'm sure that UT would've beaten UCLA, Mississippi State and probably Alabama if Colquitt had been healthy. But I'm not sure Colquitt could've provided enough offensive spark to get UT by Florida. That was a pretty sound butt-kicking that UF provided at Neyland that year. And because their only other loss was to Auburn, a win over UF would've been a necessity to reach the SECCG.

It's funny, though, that '94 was always looked at as being a down year for UT. We stomped UGA, upset a ranked Washington State team, beat UK and Vandy like a drum, to the tune of 117-0 combined, and crushed VaTech in the Gator Bowl. But we "only" won 8 games. Now look at us.  :frown:

Another one that stands out, even though it doesn't rank anywhere towards the top, really, is Greg Burke's missed FG against Auburn in '90. We still tied them, so I guess that was something. But they were ranked No. 3 at the time and beating them would've been big. With no losses (and the tie to Colorado), UT was still very much in the national championship hunt at that point. As I recall, it was an easily makable field goal and he just missed it. I remember someone pelting him with a paper Gatorade cup as he walked back to the sideline. :biggrin:

That '90 team may have been the most disappointing nine-win team in UT history. Anytime you beat the No. 9 team in the country 45-3 you know you are good, and that team was good. Tied (and should've beaten) Colorado, then was a goal line interception away from beating Notre Dame...and Notre Dame went on to narrowly lose to Colorado in the bowl game for the MNC. That's the one time I felt like Tennessee had the MNC firmly within their grasp and shot themselves in the foot. You gotta wonder how differently the end of the Majors era would've turned out if it hadn't been for a missed FG, a blocked FG, and an end zone interception.

I've mentioned this before, but what about Fulmer's decision to burn Tee Martin's redshirt in a blowout of Arkansas late in the '96 season?  

I know this is assuming a lot, but bear with me:

If Tee redshirts in '96, he still here in 2000.  We probably would've contended  for an SEC title with an experienced QB that year.  That also means Casey Clausen would've redshirted, which means...

Erik Ainge redshirts in 2004, isn't on the field to tear up his knee against ND, never gets hooked on painkillers, and doesn't suffer a sophomore slump in 2005.  He's also around for 2008, which means...

The Crompton disaster never happens.  Fulmer keeps his job in all likelyhood, which means...

The Kiffin disaster never happens.  We don't suffer the crippling attrition of the past few years, and we're not in hot water with the NCAA today (in football, anyway).  

All because of a horrible decision to get Tee some meaningless reps 15 years ago.  Is your mind now sufficiently blown? :cool:

Wow.. all I have to say is... Ainge tore up his shoulder, not his knee.   :angel:

I KNEW there was a reason I don't like Fulmer.  :biggrin:

Yep.  What a great heart he had.  I still remember him on the sidelines in crutches with his helmet on, after the injury.

One that should have occured to me earlier...in 2006 we stuff the CRAP out of Tebow on the fourth down conversion.  Not only does UF lose the game as a result, and not make the MNC, but Tebow's confidence suffers a blow and he mostly rides the pine the rest of the season.  He still has a great career, but UF falls short again in 2008 and we don't have to listen to three years of endless hype. 

The butt kicking worse worse on paper than it was on the field. Our offense couldn't do anything and our D got worn down. I think it would've been a really close game with Colquitt. Based on your post I am adjusting my statement to "we would've been in the hunt" though... For some reason I always thought UF lost 2 SEC games that year, not 1.

 hiring lame kitten would be a big takeback!!

Speaking of Greg Burke, he not only had the kick against bammer blocked in 1990, AND missed a chip shot against Auburn, both leading to ties, but he also missed a FG against Colorado in the opener.  Make those three and we are unbeaten facing no. 1 Notre Dame later in the year, although we did lose that game 35-31.  Notre Dame lost to Colorado of all teams in the Orange Bowl, and Colorado with one loss and one tie ended up splitting the MNC with a one-loss Ga Tech that year.   If only....