Woody McCorvey talks 2001 SEC Championship

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XtennesseeX

XtennesseeX

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#1
Ivan Maisel has a good article on the front page of ESPN about the dangers of the last weekend in college football for teams like Auburn and Oregon. Unfortunately, it features the UT-LSU game in '01.

As a boy growing up in Atmore, Ala., in the 1960s, Woody McCorvey watched the Rose Bowl and dreamed.

"Daddy was calling us in the house," McCorvey said. "'Hey, the Rose Bowl is getting ready to come on.' That was the game. That was the game."

College football has been good to McCorvey. He won a national championship ring on Gene Stallings' staff at Alabama in 1992. He can tell all sorts of stories about that team. McCorvey had one good chance to win a second ring. It came at Tennessee in 2001.

He's got a story about that team, too.....
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Auburn Tigers, Oregon Ducks should beware on championship Saturday - ESPN
 
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#2
USC has not gotten that close to playing for the crystal football again. Of the six upset victims, only Texas has reached the BCS title game since its loss. UCLA, Tennessee and West Virginia haven't been back to a BCS bowl since those seasons.

"Looking back at it," McCorvey said of the 2001 Vols, "that's one of the most talented football teams I've ever been a part of."

Three Tennessee players would be selected in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft, 18 in the 2002 and 2003 drafts combined.
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sigh.
 
#3
#3
Dan Brooks still calls the 2001 team the most talented team he was a part of....ouch....I still hate Fulmer for this.
 
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Most gut wrenching loss since I've been a fan,by far. Still makes me sick.
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#5
#5
I literally got sick after that SEC championship game. One of my worst TN football memories
 
#6
#6
Still sick about that game, Fulmer went downhill after that year even though he got us back there 2 more times but niether time wasnt much on line like that game was.
 
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PennVol said:
Dan Brooks still calls the 2001 team the most talented team he was a part of....ouch....I still hate Fulmer for this.
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How exactly was it Fulmer's fault that Donte Stallworth fumbled the ball when the Vols were driving down 24-20?
 
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ENGRVOL said:
How exactly was it Fulmer's fault that Donte Stallworth fumbled the ball when the Vols were driving down 24-20?
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It should have never come down to that anyway.

We should have run LSU out of the dome that night.
 
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ENGRVOL said:
How exactly was it Fulmer's fault that Donte Stallworth fumbled the ball when the Vols were driving down 24-20?
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Dude, your new here so I will cut you a break. But one thing you don't want to do on Volnation is defend Fulmer for the 2001 SEC champ loss. Its probably the most painful memory in about 75%+ us.
 
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ENGRVOL said:
How exactly was it Fulmer's fault that Donte Stallworth fumbled the ball when the Vols were driving down 24-20?
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Probably had something to do with the fact that game should've not been that close to begin with.

Fulmer, Sanders, Chavis...what a clutch braintrust that was.
 
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volsof09 said:
Still sick about that game, Fulmer went downhill after that year even though he got us back there 2 more times but niether time wasnt much on line like that game was.
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Had Tennessee won that game I do believe the 2000 history would be very different. It would have propelled the program. UT might not have won another championship but I do believe they would have remained a perennial top 10 team for the next six to eight years.
 
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PennVol said:
Dude, your new here so I will cut you a break. But one thing you don't want to do on Volnation is defend Fulmer for the 2001 SEC champ loss. Its probably the most painful memory in about 75%+ us.
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I was at that game. It is painful for me as well. Losing sucked especially that game when we are so close to returning to the top and I have not gotten over it. I am not defending him but I don't hate him. Several things worked against us in that game including the LSU QB injury and key turnovers.
 
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ENGRVOL said:
I was at that game. It is painful for me as well. Losing sucked especially that game when we are so close to returning to the top and I have not gotten over it. I am not defending him but I don't hate him. Several things worked against us in that game including the LSU QB injury and key turnovers.
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That should have worked FOR us.

I posted this in the NCAA Forum. This was one of the most gut wrenching losses as a fan I've ever watched. I remember being giddy at halftime thinking "We're about to go to the Rose Bowl". Miami likely would have cleaned our clocks but I sure would have liked to find out. Then to watch that second half and realize it's not going to happen...ugh. I also remember not giving two craps about the Citrus Bowl we went to.

The only other events that compare to the almost rage I felt:

1) 2000 UT vs. UNC in the Sweet 16, watching UT blow a late lead, and all due to their horrific game management (I still see Tony Harris jacking up brick 3s with 28 seconds on the shot clock).

2) 2003 NLCS - Cubs....yeah. Actually this may be the worst I've felt after a loss.

Honorable mention: 1999 UT/Florida game. I thought UT would drive down and kick a game winning FG but when I saw the play unfolding on that 4th and 3 I knew it wasn't going to happen.
 
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Only thing good out of '01 was the victory in the swamp. I'm glad that was Spurrier's last game as the Florida coach.
 
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VolDomination said:
Had Tennessee won that game I do believe the 2000 history would be very different. It would have propelled the program. UT might not have won another championship but I do believe they would have remained a perennial top 10 team for the next six to eight years.
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Agree, but when you think about the 2006 team that team could of been dangerous we had 2 of 3 games we lost won.
 
#19
#19
Possibly Foolmers biggest failure as a coach.....How do you let freakin Matt Mauck do that your defense?
 
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I had my first beer after the 2001 loss to LSwho. That bad. That's the worst I've ever felt after a football game, right there with the Hobnail Boot Game.
 
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vol4eva said:
Possibly Foolmers biggest failure as a coach.....How do you let freakin Matt Mauck do that your defense?
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Though not necessarily relevant to this conversation, for me, the 2008 loss to that miserable UCLA mash unit, the same one that lost something like 59-0 to BYU the following week, was the crown jewel in Fulmers body of work.

However, that 2001 SECCG loss is definitely one of the most devastating losses this program has suffered.
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#24
#24
General Jack said:
Though not necessarily relevant to this conversation, for me, the 2008 loss to that miserable UCLA mash unit, the same one that lost something like 59-0 to BYU the following week, was the crown jewel in Fulmers body of work.

However, that 2001 SECCG loss is definitely one of the most devastating losses this program has suffered.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
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I looked at that game as a chance for Fulmer to build a dynasty, regardless of what would have happened in the NC. Fulmer completely failed at that, and let Mark Richt and Nick Saban embarrass him.
 
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