Oh, What a Wonderful Feeling
There's not a Tennessee fan alive who needed any reminder of how long it had been since their beloved Vols got a win over the hated Florida Gators. We all knew exactly what was at stake when the T opened up and the team took the field in their flashy Smokey Gray uniforms. The atmosphere was electric, with every fan in the stadium starving for a win. We wanted this one, and as the game came to a wild conclusion, I finally understood just how much the win really meant.
The feeling inside Neyland at kickoff was one of anxiety. We all knew what was on the line. A win here, and the dreaded streak comes to an end. After seeing Georgia flounder to Ole Miss, control of the East was ripe for the taking. All of a sudden this game means that much more. And so we watched, hoping against hope that we'd see a different team than we'd seen all season. Hoping that Florida's stout defense and impressive numbers were merely a product of their cupcake schedule up to this point. Then the first half happened, and Vol fans started going to a dark place.
The first touchdown was frustrating, to say the least. It seemed to most that it was way too easy for a team with a weak offensive line and back-up QB. Not to worry, though, our offense will pull us back even...or maybe not. A few plays later, and there we were, lining up for the first punt of the day. It was a boomer that landed inside the five, with returner Antonio Callaway calling for the fair catch. Then, just like that, the ball squeezed through his grip, bounced, and was recovered at the 2-yard line by Tennessee's Dillon Bates. Now we have a game on our hands. Just punch this in and the momentum is ours. Instead we faltered, and turned the ball over on downs four plays later. I can't fault Butch for that, though. Every fan in that stadium wanted six at that moment, and a field goal would have been deemed unacceptable. I was OK with going for it on fourth down, but I'd be a liar if I didn't wonder what a field goal may have meant come the fourth quarter.
The rest of the first half is a bit of a blur. It all seemed to happen at once. With each drive, Florida seemed to gain more and more confidence, while Tennessee just looked stunned at what was happening. After writing a lengthy piece urging the fans not to give up on this team no matter what, I found myself digging as deeply as I could to remain positive. Last year's come from behind win against Georgia kept coming to mind, and as long as the lead didn't eclipse 21, I remained steadfast in my belief we still had a chance. A field goal before the half was small consolation for how the game had been played up to that point, but it was something positive to be had, none the less. The other positive I took, was that although they could have been better, a good majority of Dobbs' passes were finding their targets, they just weren't being pulled in. I look at the uncharacteristic drop running back Alvin Kamara had late in the 2nd quarter. Was the pass low and behind him? Yes, it was. It's a difficult catch to make, but at the end of the day he got both hands under it, but simply couldn't haul it in. If he does, it's an easy six points. We were seeing what we needed from Dobbs in the air, but our receivers just weren't executing.
Halftime came and went, and I re-entered the stands to see how we handled our first possession of the half. A quick start and all would be well. Instead we got a decent drive capped with an interception. At this moment, I was at my lowest of the day. The stadium was restless, to say the least. Though I heard talk of an exodus from the stadium at halftime, the place definitely still seemed packed to the gills. There were no visible signs of empty seats anywhere, and most fans were probably in the same boat as me; wait and see what the defense does before making any rash decisions. They didn't disappoint. That may have been the last time Neyland didn't give their all. After a defensive stop, the offense came alive, and with it awoke Vol Nation.
Jalen Hurd catches a 23-yard touchdown pass from Quarterback, Josh Dobbs. The first on the day.
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
The second half of this game showed me something I haven't seen in my days at Neyland Stadium. I'm knocking on the door of 28, so most of my adult life has seen Tennessee at its absolute worst. I had been to some crazy games in the past, but they were so long ago, and I was so young, that the memories oft escape me. Even in the past few seasons I have witnesses some electric atmospheres, but all in games that saw us neck and neck with our opponents. In the past 10 years, after a showing we displayed in the first half, I'd likely have been back at the garage already, cracking a beer and going over all the reasons we were terrible. But not this time.
In my post before this game, I urged Tennessee fans to remain invested in this game. No matter what happened, I begged for us to remain loud, and to remain disruptive. It was hard at times in the first half, to be sure. In my article before the game, I pointed to a single play in the 2012 Florida game. Up seven points in the 3rd, Tennessee gave up an 80-yard touchdown to tie the game. At that moment, every fan in the stadium quit on the team. The stench of defeat was palpable. In this one I saw the exact opposite. Hurd's touchdown sparked that crowd in a way I have never before witnessed. Just as we gave up on our team in 2012 after a big play from Florida, we got fully invested after this touchdown to Hurd. It was almost as if every fan in the stadium knew in that moment that we had a chance. Oh how little did we know just how big it would prove to be.
What happened next was one of the most savage beat downs I've ever witnessed. After Hurd scored, the proverbial giant that is Neyland Stadium (and its fans), woke the hell up. For the first time all day, the Florida offense, and quarterback Justin Appleby, found out just what it meant to play in front of a hostile crowd. The noise was deafening, and it didn't end until after the game. As the crowd emerged as a constant threat, so surged the Orange Swarm that is the Tennessee defense. As they continued to make stop after stop, completely stifling the Florida offense, the crowd got louder and louder. As the team fed off the crowd, the crowd fed off the team. It reached a fever pitch when Juan Jennings bobbled the ball while tightroping down the sideline. The play lasted an eternity, and when he pulled it in and waltzed into the endzone practically untouched, Neyland was rocking at full force. Then, like a volcano at it's absolute peak, Todd Kelly Jr. came away with a huge interception only moments later, and the place exploded. The man next to me literally fell to his knees in what could only be defined as indescribable ecstasy.
It was like living a dream. I may have even pinched myself to make sure I was really living in the now. My joy in that moment was like nothing I could have imagined. Words would not give credence to the feelings and thoughts coursing through my brain. It was a feeling I will never forget. In scanning the sidelines, I saw a Florida team that couldn't wait to get out of there. Their resolve was crushed, their spirit broken. I almost felt bad...almost. But 11 years of pain and agony came flooding back, and smile that would have put the Cheshire cat to shame crossed my lips.
When the final whistle sounded, and the teams took the field, I was living on cloud 9. For a moment it all seemed so surreal. After a decade of futility, it seemed almost magical. It was a feeling I was elated to share with 102,455 of my closest friends. The sight was incredible to behold, as not a single Vol fan left their seat for a good 15 minutes. The joy was too unbelievable to leave. We were basking in the moment, determined never to forget. I certainly won't. It will be a game I remember as long as my heart continues to beat, and one that will live on as one of the greatest in program history. It may have taken 12 years to topple the Gators once more, but now that it's happened, a weight has been lifted. The so-called curse is no more. Though he wasn't speaking about football, I think Bob Dylan said it best: "Oh, what a wonderful feeling."
