2002 team

[Orange And Garnet]

I have seen a few people starting threads about teams of old asking questions of what happened. I was going through YouTube looking at Reggie White highlights and stumbled upon the 2002 game day broadcast in Knoxville for the Florida game. I was fairly young at the time and just remember the '02 season being a disappointment. What happened? Started ranked in the top five and finished 8-5 after the bowl. Thanks in advance for discussion and answers.

 

[GAVol]

Casey Clausen getting hurt and being out for the middle of the season didn't help matters. Then they showed up completely uninspired at the Peach Bowl and got boat raced.

 

[Orange And Garnet]

Casey Clausen getting hurt and being out for the middle of the season didn't help matters. Then they showed up completely uninspired at the Peach Bowl and got boat raced.

See I had forgotten all about that.

 

[Christian Lowe]

Clemson waxing us the next year in 2003 sucked too. Tennessee had beaten USCe 10 years in a row at that point, and I was ready to say "Tennessee owns this state" to all my friends. So much for that.

I was in 3rd grade that year, and somehow still cared that much about football. Daddy raised me right.

 

[BigOrangeFanatic]

The same can be asked about the 05 season. IIRC we started the season ranked 3rd, and we finished 5-7.

 

[JRVFL]

I have seen a few people starting threads about teams of old asking questions of what happened. I was going through YouTube looking at Reggie White highlights and stumbled upon the 2002 game day broadcast in Knoxville for the Florida game. I was fairly young at the time and just remember the '02 season being a disappointment. What happened? Started ranked in the top five and finished 8-5 after the bowl. Thanks in advance for discussion and answers.

No Donte Stallworth... Losing John Henderson and Albert Haynesworth... Cedric Houston/Jabari Davis were not exactly Travis Stephens good...

 

[ajvol01]

lots of injuries

Kelley Washington declared himself "The Future" when it should have been "The Cancer"

Florida game was a disaster - 7 fumbles in the rain

Georgia beat us with Clausen on sideline and CJ Leak & James Banks at QB

Bama whipped us in Neyland

Miami destroyed us 26-3 I think

Maryland dropped a massive beatdown in Peach Bowl

 

[Orange And Garnet]

Clemson waxing us the next year in 2003 sucked too. Tennessee had beaten USCe 10 years in a row at that point, and I was ready to say "Tennessee owns this state" to all my friends. So much for that.

I was in 3rd grade that year, and somehow still cared that much about football. Daddy raised me right.

Yep. I was only in 4th grade in 2002.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

8-0 against unranked teams
0-5 against ranked teams

2002 Tennessee Volunteers football team - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Orange And Garnet]

8-0 against unranked teams
0-5 against ranked teams

2002 Tennessee Volunteers football team - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I feel like eight unranked teams is a lot compared to the past few years

 

[PennVol]

2 things killed that season: early draft entries and The injuries that season were enormous. As bad as I can remember. A few factors really became clear...
1) "no Cutcliffe" really started to take its affect. Our Offense was as bad as it had ever been in the Fulmer era. We were painfully vanilla and uncreative on offense.

2) we had really missed on recruiting the past few years, especially at RB. We had no downfield threat. Kelly Washington played safe and then missed the 2nd half of the year. Our best athletes were Mark Jones and James Banks and neither were on the field getting the ball much; when they moved to WR the next year, it made a huge difference.

Also, Fulmer did a lousy coaching job. Florida loss was inexcusably embarrassing.

 

[shelbyvillevol]

Quick summary of that season:

A lot of injuries and a ridiculously tough schedule.

 

[dduncan4163]

lots of injuries

Kelley Washington declared himself "The Future" when it should have been "The Cancer"

Florida game was a disaster - 7 fumbles in the rain

Georgia beat us with Clausen on sideline and CJ Leak & James Banks at QB

Bama whipped us in Neyland

Miami destroyed us 26-3 I think

Maryland dropped a massive beatdown in Peach Bowl

This

We were bitten by the injury bug that year like I'd never seen before or since. The commentators during the CBS broadcast of the Miami game pointed out our wounded bench many times during that game

 

[dduncan4163]

Quick summary of that season:

A lot of injuries and a ridiculously tough schedule.

Yup it was a mixture for disaster.

 

[Titans Fan]

The Bama game started with the screen pass for a Bama TD.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Was it the Florida game that year that Clausen couldn't execute a center snap on 3 or 4 consecutive plays?

 

[dduncan4163]

Was it the Florida game that year that Clausen couldn't execute a center snap on 3 or 4 consecutive plays?

Yup

It was in a downpour

 

[dduncan4163]

Thinking back that was just a really weird season in general.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Yup

It was in a downpour

Didn't it end with a 90 yard pick 6? Might have been just before the half too.

Edit: I might be mixing that series up with one against Georgia a few years later that ended with a 90 yard pick 6. Lots of forgettable moments since the 1998 NC.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

24-0 at the half.

TN fumbled 7 times in the first half. 4 consecutive times in the 2nd quarter.

Florida Gators vs Tennessee Volunteers - Recap

 

[secfanclub]

lots of injuries

Kelley Washington declared himself "The Future" when it should have been "The Cancer"

Florida game was a disaster - 7 fumbles in the rain

Georgia beat us with Clausen on sideline and CJ Leak & James Banks at QB

Bama whipped us in Neyland

Miami destroyed us 26-3 I think

Maryland dropped a massive beatdown in Peach Bowl

What ever happened to Kelley "the future" Washington ? Did he get stuck in the past ?

 

[Boca Vol]

Wasn't that the "Unfinished Business" season?

 

[GLDunlap]

lots of injuries

Kelley Washington declared himself "The Future" when it should have been "The Cancer"

Florida game was a disaster - 7 fumbles in the rain

Georgia beat us with Clausen on sideline and CJ Leak & James Banks at QB

Bama whipped us in Neyland

Miami destroyed us 26-3 I think

Maryland dropped a massive beatdown in Peach Bowl

Georgia had a great team that year. Banks played great in the second half and came close to pulling off the upset.

CJ Leak started but was pulled after handing off a few times. Chris Leak was at the game and was not happy with Fulmer benching CJ and decommitted. Leak went on to say he had always dreamed of running through the T but that he could never trust Fulmer. Truth is CJ Leak sucked and had no business playing quarterback.

Florida game in 2002 is stillone of my worst memories ever in Neyland. Well top 10 anyway.

 

[GLDunlap]

One of my favorite plays ever probably because we beat Florida in the swamp for the second time in a row. This from 2003 Tennessee/Florida game in the swamp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NeXh54BWDc

Hail Mary
Clausen to Banks

 

[Boca Vol]

One of my favorite plays ever probably because we beat Florida in the swamp for the second time in a row. This from 2003 Tennessee/Florida game in the swamp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NeXh54BWDc

Hail Mary
Clausen to Banks

It was so freaking hot in that stadium that day. I remember that play very well....thinking, "Huh. These are the plays that always go UF's way....Maybe we have a shot!"