Favorite Season Opener Memories?

#1
MAD

MAD

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#1
Tell us some of your favorite memories from past season openers?
Also which is the first season opener that you remember watching or attending?
 
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#2
#2
mad4vols said:
Tell us some of your favorite memories from past season openers?
Also which is the first season opener that you remember watching or attending?
Click to expand...
Cal 2006 is definitely my favorite opening day memory. Neyland was the way it is supposed to be that afternoon. We were out for blood after that disappointing 2005 season.
 
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#4
#4
There is something so exciting and nostalgic going to Neyland for the home opener, walking to the stadium with my dad, stopping to get a steamed sandwich on the strip first. “They Like That Soft Bread” — THE BITTER SOUTHERNER

This wasn’t the first year of watching the Vols but the first season opener I remember watching(On TV), 1972 34-3 over Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
Favorite, probably Syracuse 1998.
Least favorite has to be Georgia in Knoxville 1980(The Herschel Walker game)
 
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#6
#6
RDU VOL#14 said:
Cal 2006 is definitely my favorite opening day memory. Neyland was the way it is supposed to be that afternoon. We were out for blood after that disappointing 2005 season.
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VFLEatinFresh said:
Definitely Cal 2006
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Daniel_Lincolns_Foot said:
We were in the fourth row of section J and Robert Meachem took that 40 yard TD down the sideline RIGHT at us. So great.
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That’s sounding like it’s one of the favorite season openers for a lot fans.
 
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#7
#7
Daniel_Lincolns_Foot said:
We were in the fourth row of section J and Robert Meachem took that 40 yard TD down the sideline RIGHT at us. So great.
Click to expand...
That’s awesome. I was in section D I think. That place was rolling. I remember we knocked out their starting tight end on the opening kick and set the tone.

Side note: I knew the bartender at Calhouns and she Hooked us up w/ Vellas Helles in those plastic footballs all day before the game. We were ready to go!
 
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#9
#9
mad4vols said:
There is something so exciting and nostalgic going to Neyland for the home opener, walking to the stadium with my dad, stopping to get a steamed sandwich on the strip first. “They Like That Soft Bread” — THE BITTER SOUTHERNER

This wasn’t the first year of watching the Vols but the first season opener I remember watching(On TV), 1972 34-3 over Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
Favorite, probably Syracuse 1998.
Least favorite has to be Georgia in Knoxville 1980(The Herschel Walker game)
Click to expand...

Would likely agree on the favorite being Syracuse in 1998, but that one is kind of retrospective - we didn't know then what we learned 4 short months later what that last second field goal by Mr. Hall would mean.

Least favorite, I would have to disagree...the debacle of Georgia State. For me, it was the game that I realized that Pruitt was not the guy to lead us back to the promised land, Fulmer was way out of his depth, and that things would get worse before they got better. Not even the eventual 'longest winning streak in football' would help to dissuade the feelings I got that day.
 
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#10
#10
mad4vols said:
Tell us some of your favorite memories from past season openers?
Also which is the first season opener that you remember watching or attending?
Click to expand...

Most of our openers have been forgetable, if only for the fact we usually open against a patsy. One of the worst I recall was the agonizing loss to UCLA on the road to open Fulmer's last season.
 
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#11
#11
RDU VOL#14 said:
Cal 2006 is definitely my favorite opening day memory. Neyland was the way it is supposed to be that afternoon. We were out for blood after that disappointing 2005 season.
Click to expand...

Yes, 2006 Cal game. I can't remember who it was, but one of the good guys blew up the wedge on kick off and hurt, I think, their starting TE. Neyland was a rocking..........
 
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#13
#13
Jimmy Streater’s 80 yard TD vs Cal
unfortunately, UT lost in Majors first game as HC
 
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#14
#14
I wish I could remember but, I seem to think it was 1993 against Louisiana Tech? 1st play of the was "the bomb" down the sideline...touchdown. Shuler to (someone). Seems like Fulmer called that play in several openers. (Feel free to remind me if this is wrong)
I was sitting in a field, dove hunting and listening on some old school headphones.
(And just now, I reminisced of how much I miss hearing John Ward)
 
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#15
#15
Agree that '98 on the road vs. Donavan McNabb-led Syracuse is memorable -- and the most meaningful.

Another notable win was vs. Iowa in the '87 Kickoff Classic, which was the first time for us playing in this game that was meant to match-up two preseason-ranked teams from different conferences. Our Vols and the Hawkeyes would both go on to win 10 games. Unfortunately, our two losses that year were really hard to take, making it a classic "what could have been" season.
 
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#17
#17
Syracuse Game - No doubt about it. Drove over from Boston with a buddy. Sat at the top of the Dome and had to classic UT plastic seat cushions. I beat the HELL outta them the first half and UT was up. At halftime, two very large and very drunk Cuse fans pay me a visit and basically threaten me my life if I keep cracking those cushions (and no lie here gang - those cushions sounded like shotguns going off - esp w me sitting in the last and top most row of the Carrier Dome) Anyway, most of you know this was the first game of our undefeated 98 Championship season and for fear of my life, I sat on the cushions the second half except for the last play of the game when Jeff Hall kicked the winning field goal for the Vols. I moved down behind the goal posts and pounded those puppies and got the UT crowd fired up - then ran like a son of a bitch for about 6 blocks! m(also attended Arkansas game that year in the rain)
 
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#18
#18
I appreciated the grit and mettle shown against Georgia Tech in rallying from a two-TD deficit with under twelve minutes left to stopping the two-point conversion in double OT to secure the win.

It should have given a lot of pause for the impending worst season of Tennessee football in history, sure, but at that moment down in Atlanta it was pretty awesome.
 
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#19
#19
I Love Lamp said:
The most recent one that I recall is 2012 vs NC State. NC State was supposed to be really good that year and it was our first glimpse of Cordarrelle Patterson. I remember watching that game and thinking “Holy crap we are good again”. That was short lived.
Click to expand...

Ah i remember that well. NC State fans were certain that David Amerson was going to lock down the field completely. We came out of the gates throwing right at him. He got burned many times that game. Shut their holes.
 
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#20
#20
mad4vols said:
Tell us some of your favorite memories from past season openers?
Also which is the first season opener that you remember watching or attending?
Click to expand...
1968 vs. Georgia. Two young coaches, Dickey and Dooley, both getting their Mediocre programs on the rise. 1st game on that awful tartan turf(Doug’s rug). Hotter than heck. I believe 1st game with upper deck on east side.Vols comeback late to tie. Sure seemed like a win.
 
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#21
#21
IndianaVol said:
Would likely agree on the favorite being Syracuse in 1998, but that one is kind of retrospective - we didn't know then what we learned 4 short months later what that last second field goal by Mr. Hall would mean.

Least favorite, I would have to disagree...the debacle of Georgia State. For me, it was the game that I realized that Pruitt was not the guy to lead us back to the promised land, Fulmer was way out of his depth, and that things would get worse before they got better. Not even the eventual 'longest winning streak in football' would help to dissuade the feelings I got that day.
Click to expand...
Yep, you are 100% correct on the Syracuse game. Didn’t think about it like that. Forgot about that nightmare Georgia State game, must have blocked it out.
 
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#23
#23
I Love Lamp said:
The most recent one that I recall is 2012 vs NC State. NC State was supposed to be really good that year and it was our first glimpse of Cordarrelle Patterson. I remember watching that game and thinking “Holy crap we are good again”. That was short lived.
Click to expand...
That’s when we were worried Georgia was gonna poach Dooley from us.
 
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