In its tradition-rich history, the University of Tennessee’s football team has captured many monumental victories.
This year, each Thursday, Vols Wire will look back at one of the Volunteers’ memorable wins against their upcoming opponent.
This installment will revisit UT’s 52-50 four-overtime victory at Kentucky on Nov. 24, 2007.
That victory propelled the Volunteers into the Southeastern Conference championship game where they lost to LSU, 21-14.
That was Tennessee’s last appearance in the SEC title game and the season was the Vols’ last 10-win campaign.
The Big Orange started fast against the Wildcats, darting out to a 14-0 lead. The Vols extended its advantage to 24-7 by halftime.
Tennessee, which would finish the season with a 10-4 record, took a 31-14 lead when quarterback Erik Ainge threw a short 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jeff Cottam with 1 minute, 31 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Kentucky would storm back to tie the game 31-31 when Knoxville Central High School graduate Lones Seiber kicked an 18-yard field goal on the final play of regulation.
The Wildcats went ahead 44-38 in the second overtime.
Tennessee knotted the game 44-44 in the third extra frame when Ainge threw a 13-yard scoring strike to Austin Rogers.
UT then took a 50-44 lead when Ainge threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Hancock. The Vols made the ensuing two-point conversion when Ainge connected with Rogers again to make the score 52-44.
The successful two-point play would prove to provide a winning margin, as Kentucky’s Derrick Locke scored a touchdown to make it 52-50 before Tennessee’s defense turned away Wildcats’ quarterback Andre Woodson on the conversion attempt.
Top performers for the Vols included Ainge, who threw seven touchdown passes, which remains a single-game record at UT.
Arian Foster rushed for 118 yards on 21 carries. He also had nine receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown. Lucas Taylor had six receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown.
