Three Tennessee football wins that made November momentous | Mike Strange

Leaf raking is upon us. We’re checking the price of turkeys at the grocery. And I’m hearing the echo of basketballs dribbling at Thompson-Boling Arena. But there’s something different about November this year.

Tennessee football has more on its agenda than trying to get bowl eligible. A lot more.

Full disclosure, I’m writing this before the Georgia game. That’s my deadline gig. Win or lose, however, the Vols are still relevant nationally.

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Which set me thinking about some past years when the Vols were relevant at this stage of the season.

The two most recent occasions in which Tennessee made it to at least 8-0 were 1998 and 1956. In each case, the second week of November produced storied victories. And so did another season in the Power '90s.

A few columns ago, I brought up two disastrous losses, both of which happened in this time slot − the Memphis upset in 1996 and the riot-triggering Chattanooga debacle in 1958.

Today, I’m remembering iconic early- to mid-November wins.

A fumble we'll never forget

The 1998 national championship season was ripe with dramatic moments. On Nov. 14, the Vols played their first game as the No. 1-ranked team. Arkansas was No. 10, also unbeaten.

And I was flying home from New Mexico, no idea what was going on.

The Vols opened basketball season the night before, in Albuquerque. That was my main beat. Saturday was travel day. I probably had some kind of mobile phone but not one with internet connection. (Was there internet in ’98?)

Albuquerque to Dallas; layover; Dallas to Knoxville. As we landed at McGhee Tyson, I still had no clue but figured the game ought to be winding up.

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Walking up the jetway into the terminal – Gate 1 – I looked up at a TV. The Vols were celebrating in the end zone. A touchdown (Travis Henry), and a big one judging from the reaction.

Then I saw the score. The PAT made it Tennessee 28, Arkansas 24. And the clock: 0:31. Holy cow.

Later I would learn of Clint Stoerner’s fumble and the drive that saved the season. I guess we’ve all seen that replay 100 times by now.

Once when I was a panelist on “The Sports Source” TV show, we staged a “playoff” bracket of the most important plays in Tennessee football history. The winner was, ironically, a fumble by an Arkansas quarterback.

1956 classic vs. Georgia Tech

Now, skip way, way back to 1956.

Unbeatens Tennessee and Georgia Tech met in Atlanta on Nov. 10. The Vols were ranked No. 3, the Yellow Jackets No. 2.

Tennessee, led by Heisman candidate Johnny Majors, prevailed 6-0 in what was deemed a classic game of its generation. The only score was a second-half Tommy Bronson touchdown.

The win moved the Vols to No. 1. Even though they beat Ole Miss, Kentucky and Vanderbilt to finish the regular season 10-0, they were dropped to No. 2 behind Oklahoma. Then, they lost to Baylor in the Sugar Bowl.

Miracle at South Bend

Finally, I can’t talk about iconic wins in the second week of November without mentioning a miracle. The Miracle in South Bend in 1991. This one, I was there.

By the time they got to Notre Dame on Nov. 9, the Vols had already lost to Florida and Alabama. Thus, any championship considerations were gone.

And trailing the No. 5 Irish 31-7 late in the first half, that particular Saturday was pretty much gone.

You know the story, chapter, and verse. “Good. No, it is no good. It is NO GOOD!” John Ward’s call and the 35-34 Tennessee victory live forever.

Mike Strange is a former writer for the News Sentinel. He currently writes a weekly sports column for Shopper News.