If You Could Change the Outcome of One Play.........

Great thread. A couple things that haven't been mentioned yet.

In the 2001 SECCG, the Stallworth fumble hurt, but on the following series, Julian Battle had a ball hit him in the numbers that he might have run back for 6. After that LSU hit a couple passes and got a big PI call and went down and iced the game. It's at about the 12:00 mark in this video. ‪LSU vs. Tennessee 2001 - SEC Championship Game Highlights‬‏ - YouTube

Also, I'm surprised no one has mentioned the long touchdown UF scored on 4th and short on their opening drive of the '96 game. If we hold them there, it's a much different game. It was like the wheels came off after that play. Even with the awful start we almost made it all the way back in that game, but just kind of ran out of time.
 
Great thread. A couple things that haven't been mentioned yet.

In the 2001 SECCG, the Stallworth fumble hurt, but on the following series, Julian Battle had a ball hit him in the numbers that he might have run back for 6. After that LSU hit a couple passes and got a big PI call and went down and iced the game. It's at about the 12:00 mark in this video. ‪LSU vs. Tennessee 2001 - SEC Championship Game Highlights‬‏ - YouTube

Also, I'm surprised no one has mentioned the long touchdown UF scored on 4th and short on their opening drive of the '96 game. If we hold them there, it's a much different game. It was like the wheels came off after that play. Even with the awful start we almost made it all the way back in that game, but just kind of ran out of time.

It was 4th and 10 or 15 from the UT 40 or so. In Spurrier's mind it was worth a 20 yard gamble (punting into endzone) to go for the TD right off the bat.
 
At Alabama about to put the nail in the coffin and our fullback Anderson fumbles out of the endzone and allows bama to come down field to hit game winning fieldgoal. 2005 I believe
 
At Alabama about to put the nail in the coffin and our fullback Anderson fumbles out of the endzone and allows bama to come down field to hit game winning fieldgoal. 2005 I believe

That just put another coat of turd polish on the "Perfect Storm" season.
 
At Alabama about to put the nail in the coffin and our fullback Anderson fumbles out of the endzone and allows bama to come down field to hit game winning fieldgoal. 2005 I believe

Putting the "nail in the coffin" is a bit presumptuous. There was absolutely zero guarantee we score with that team. We were down even closer a few moments earlier on a play that ended Riggs' career as a Vol, but two terrible penalties had us backed up.

Even if we had scored, Bama probably just throws a TD to DJ Hall, who Chavis refused to cover for three straight years.
 
I can't remember the one play that turned that game though. I think there was a Stallworth fumble in the 4th quarter, which is a solid candidate.

Another solid candidate is the Memphis TD return (that shouldn't have been) in 1996. We very well could've been in the national championship game if that's called correctly.

edit: There was indeed a Stallworth fumble in the 4th. We were down by 4 and inside their 35 yard line. That and the Memphis play are #1 and #2 in my eyes because they both denied us a shot at the national championship, but the '06 Mapu penalty against Florida, the '06 un-called fumble by Jamarcus Russell, and the last plays of the '09 Bama game and '10 LSU game are all fine options.

Those are all great answers. The one that sticks in my mind is the interception against Notre Dame in 1990.
 
Didn't we lose the Orange Bowl to Oklahoma in 1967 on a missed field goal from chip shot range? If he hits that we have a more legit claim on that National Championship.
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It would still be a pretty weak claim.

Maybe change a play from the UCLA game that year? Then Tennessee would have had an actual national title.
 
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One I haven't seen mentioned at the beginning of the 2nd half of the 95 uf game our wussified coaching staff deciding to kick a fg instead of going for it on 4th and 2 feet from the uf 4 yd line Hall misses it and we know how it goes we go in for a td there and who knows how that game turns out.
Also the 4th down uf scored on in the 1st series of 96 was 4th and 11 from around our 38 yardline.
 
if i could only pick one play it would have to be a play that had a pretty certain outcome of affecting a major change.

for example, while the gaffney non-catch really pizzes me off, i think that it was on 2nd down from inside the 5 yard line with adequate time left. 3rd and chavis had just let the 'turds drive 90 yards -- very likely that even if the correct call had been made, the 'turds win anyway.

my pick would be the play that took out chuck webb in '90. if ever CJM had championship material, it was in '90, with two O linemen taken in the first round of the NFL draft. webb may have been a big enough difference maker that even playing johnny ball we could have won it all.
 
The should have been interception by Julian Battle in the 2001 SEC Championship game. Ball hit him right in the numbers. He makes that pick, Tennessee is playing Miami in the Rose Bowl.
 
It was 4th and 10 or 15 from the UT 40 or so. In Spurrier's mind it was worth a 20 yard gamble (punting into endzone) to go for the TD right off the bat.

Once saw an interview with Bob Stoops (who was the DC at the time), he said that play shaped his coaching career. Not seminars, camps, books, or the other hundreds of games. That damn play.
 
That just put another coat of turd polish on the "Perfect Storm" season.

I think that play solidified our team throwing in the towel. We gave all we had that day, and wanted to turn around the season. That play ripped the heart out of our team.
 
One I haven't seen mentioned at the beginning of the 2nd half of the 95 uf game our wussified coaching staff deciding to kick a fg instead of going for it on 4th and 2 feet from the uf 4 yd line Hall misses it and we know how it goes we go in for a td there and who knows how that game turns out.
Also the 4th down uf scored on in the 1st series of 96 was 4th and 11 from around our 38 yardline.

On 3rd down, Maurice Staley dropped a TD...sigh
 
if i could only pick one play it would have to be a play that had a pretty certain outcome of affecting a major change.

for example, while the gaffney non-catch really pizzes me off, i think that it was on 2nd down from inside the 5 yard line with adequate time left. 3rd and chavis had just let the 'turds drive 90 yards -- very likely that even if the correct call had been made, the 'turds win anyway.

my pick would be the play that took out chuck webb in '90. if ever CJM had championship material, it was in '90, with two O linemen taken in the first round of the NFL draft. webb may have been a big enough difference maker that even playing johnny ball we could have won it all.


Didn't read the thread. I wholeheartedly agree! That play was bad for the sport, not just UT.
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