When Tennessee hosts Ole Miss Saturday at Neyland Stadium, it will mark Lane Kiffin’s return to Rocky Top as a head coach.
Kiffin, who is in his second season with the Rebels, served as Tennessee’s head coach in 2009.
He guided the Vols to a 7-6 record, including a 4-4 mark in the Southeastern Conference.
Kiffin’s last game with the Vols was a 37-14 loss to Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31, 2009.
On Jan. 12, 2010, Kiffin left Tennessee to become USC’s head coach.
Ahead of Saturday’s game, Vols Wire will look at each of Kiffin’s victories as head coach of Tennessee.
This installment will revisit the Vols’ 34-23 win over Ohio on Sept. 26, 2009.
Tennessee entered the 2009 campaign after finishing 5-7 in 2008, leading to the dismissal of longtime head coach and VFL Phillip Fulmer.
Kiffin was tapped to take over the program and went 1-2 in his first three games.
The Vols opened the season with a 63-7 victory over Western Kentucky. Tennessee lost to UCLA and Florida and found themselves at a crossroads early in the season.
Things did not start particularly well against the Bobcats, coached by Frank Solich, as UT fell behind 14-7 early.
The Vols would come back and find its way into the win column for the second time in 2009.
Chris Walker returned an interception for a touchdown and Montario Hardesty rushed for 140 yards and one score on 20 carries.
Quarterback Jonathan Crompton was 17-for-34 with 222 yards and one interception. He did, however, throw touchdown passes to Bryce Brown and Florida State transfer Brandon Warren, an Alcoa High School graduate.
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