The Original Fade
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This is how I remember the 99 season. 99 was supposed to be our year, but we peaked a year early and won the national championship. I recall Darwin Walker saying something along the lines of not wanting to ruin his NFL career. The upperclassmen, many of them, checked out after winning their championship ring. Not all though, I remember Raynoch Thompson jumping offsides....trying to do something to save the Arkansas game.The Vols had almost everyone back for 1999. Should have been a repeat of undefeated seasons. I personally think there were several stars on that 99 team who were thinking about draft status and making the big $$$. Although the score was fairly close Tennessee dominated the line of scrimmage against Bama in Tuscaloosa that year. The Florida game baffles me. I think we had more talent than the Gators. If that games in Knoxville we win which brings up a good point. Our tough games were all away in 99. They were at home in 98. Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl was a bad matchup and we were uninspired to win playing in the same bowl game 2 years in a row. It’s hard to believe that was the last year we played in a major bowl.
Alex BrownI'm just wanting to pick the brain of some older folks here. I was five then.
I'm watching the Wyoming game and seeing all these NFL players all over the field. Tee Martin dropping dimes. Jamal Lewis and Travis Henry look ridiculous. Defense has unreal speed and talent.
How did we screw that up and lose three games?
This is how I remember the 99 season. 99 was supposed to be our year, but we peaked a year early and won the national championship. I recall Darwin Walker saying something along the lines of not wanting to ruin his NFL career. The upperclassmen, many of them, checked out after winning their championship ring. Not all though, I remember Raynoch Thompson jumping offsides....trying to do something to save the Arkansas game.
We were lucky to win in 98. The team was talented but no one thought we’d win it all. I remember that feeling of “it’s just our time” as the season rolled along. It was just destiny. Every team that wins a title has a little luck somewhere along the way. We had so many breaks—the football Gods were just on our side.
Pass interference at Syracuse
FL misses a FG
Auburn goal line stand at 1 yd line
The Stoener fumble
Weinke gets hurt
John Wards last season as VoV’s (what a way to ride off into the sunset!)
99 was 1st full season w/Sanders as OC and TN was the team to beat. As good as the 99 team was on paper, the chemistry just wasn’t there, and it’s awfully hard to just win the SEC. The Arky loss was the back breaker for 3 SEC titles in a row which would have been amazing in its own right. As bad as that AR loss hurt—they deserved their revenge. The score was the exact same as 98 too—crazy.
Haha...yeah I guess. No BVS here though—I’m always an optimist when it comes to UT. I have nothing but fond memories being a 15 yr old at the time. I’ve always heard you make your own luck—and in 99 I guess we weren’t as hungry and perhaps a bit complacent as other commenters have said. Losing Cutt was obviously huge.Your second paragraph almost negates the first. In 98 we were lucky, so not justified, in 99 we were better but unlucky so that justifies not winning? BVS is strong even in good times...even in memories of good times...
Haha...yeah I guess. No BVS here though—I’m always an optimist when it comes to UT. I have nothing but fond memories being a 15 yr old at the time. I’ve always heard you make your own luck—and in 99 I guess we weren’t as hungry and perhaps a bit complacent as other commenters have said. Losing Cutt was obviously huge.
Beat me to it . Still pisses me off thinking about it . Didn’t Brown later say that they had some sort of info relative to the snap count that allowed him to run wild over and around the Vols OL?
I didn't either. I distinctly remember the glasses he wore while he was playing. It took me a moment to connect the dots. I obviously had no idea about the circumstances surrounding his life. Tragic end to an incredible story.I actually watched that in the last month or so. I had no idea a player from that 98 team had tied.
We were lucky to win in 98. The team was talented but no one thought we’d win it all. I remember that feeling of “it’s just our time” as the season rolled along. It was just destiny. Every team that wins a title has a little luck somewhere along the way. We had so many breaks—the football Gods were just on our side.
Pass interference at Syracuse
FL misses a FG
Auburn goal line stand at 1 yd line
The Stoener fumble
Weinke gets hurt
John Wards last season as VoV’s (what a way to ride off into the sunset!)
99 was 1st full season w/Sanders as OC and TN was the team to beat. As good as the 99 team was on paper, the chemistry just wasn’t there, and it’s awfully hard to just win the SEC. The Arky loss was the back breaker for 3 SEC titles in a row which would have been amazing in its own right. As bad as that AR loss hurt—they deserved their revenge. The score was the exact same as 98 too—crazy.
Nothing personal but that's a lot of gorgonzola. Since when is having better players, other teams committing penalties, capitalizing on the mistakes of your opponents and your players making great plays lucky? Tennessee didn't get a 5th down like Colorado or any other blatantly "lucky" break like that.
Syracuse - It was pass interference and while maybe it doesn't get called every time, that's the nature of pass interference. Plus if it doesn't get called and UT loses by 2 on the road to a quality non-conference opponent, they still likely are in the championship game at 11-1 and SEC champions. After all, FSU lost to NCSU by 17 points in week 2 and still got there.
Florida - Spurrier didn't believe in giving scholarships to kickers so while Tennessee had a future NFL draft pick as a kicker in Jeff Hall, UF had a kid who was second team all city in high school. Plus if he did make it, the game goes into another OT. Better talent at kicker was the final thing that decided that game.
Auburn - Tennessee lost Jamal Lewis in that game, not a lucky break. Tee Martin was hurt and had to come out for sometime, not a lucky break. The only reason Auburn had the ball inside the one was Tee got crushed and fumbled the ball there. Stopping a team four times from inside the one is players making plays not luck.
Arkansas - The fumble occurred at the 43 yard line. When UT recovered it all Arkansas had to do was stop UT four times and they win. Instead they totally folded and gave up over 40 yards on 4 consecutive rushing plays. And the fumble occurred because Billy Ratliff completely blew up his man and drove him two yards backward into Stoerner. Players making plays for UT and not making plays for Arkansas was the difference.
FSU - See Auburn where Jamal Lewis is lost for the season. Also FSU was able to win out the season including beating #4 UF without Weinke so it's not like they didn't have some talent at backup QB.