In its tradition-rich history, the University of Tennessee football program has captured some monumental victories.
This year, each Thursday, Vols Wire will look back at one of Tennessee’s most memorable victories against its upcoming opponent.
This installment will revisit Tennessee’s 1982 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium.
The Vols stunned Alabama, ranked No. 2 in the country, when it edged the Crimson Tide, 35-28, in front of a crowd of 95,000 on Rocky Top.
After losing to the Volunteers, the Crimson Tide would go on to finish 8-4, culminating its campaign with a 21-15 victory over Illinois at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee.
That would be Bear Bryant’s last game as a coach as he would retire, and unfortunately passed away in Jan. 1983.
Coach Majors And Bear Bryant 1982. Michael Patrick/News Sentinel-Knoxville
Alabama held a perfect 5-0 record when it rolled in to Knoxville as it had victories over Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Arkansas State and Penn State.
The Vols were 3-1-1 entering the game. They would finish the season with a 6-5-1 record after losing to Iowa, 28-22, in the Peach Bowl, however, on this Saturday in October, the Vols had their biggest highlight in an otherwise mediocre season.
Quarterback Alan Cockrell had a pair of touchdown passes for the Big Orange and kicker Fuad Reveiez made four field goals for Tennessee, which opened a 35-21 lead before Alabama’s Linnie Patrick scored on a 14-yard sweep with just over five minutes remaining in the contest to make it 35-28.
The Vols finally clinched their first victory over the Crimson Tide in 12 years when Mike Terry intercepted a pass from Alabama’s Walter Lewis in the waning seconds.
Chuck Coleman had a touchdown run for the Vols, while Willie Gault and Mike Miller had touchdown receptions for the Big Orange.
Gault would go on to have a solid career in the National Football League and win a Super Bowl championship with the Chicago Bears.
Reviez went on to kick in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings.
Cockrell, a two-sport star at UT, played baseball for the Colorado Rockies after a long minor league career.
He would later become a coach for the Rockies, Seattle Mariners and most recently with the New York Yankees.