No. 9: 2011
Head Coach: Derek Dooley
Record: 5-7 (1-7, SEC)
Best win(s): vs. Cincinnati, vs. Vanderbilt
Key offensive players: Tyler Bray, Raijon Neal, Da’Rick Rogers
Key defensive players: Malik Jackson, A.J. Johnson, Prentiss Wagner
It was year two for Derek Dooley as Tennessee’s head coach. The Vols had shown improvement in year one, with a late-season run to sneak into a bowl game. The No. 13 recruiting class in the country, per Rivals, showed promise with talents such as Curt Maggitt, A.J. Johnson and Antonio Richardson coming to campus.
A 2-0 start with wins over Montana and Cincinnati (led by future UT head coach Butch Jones) was encouraging. Tennessee had a gunslinger at quarterback in Tyler Bray, and two potential star wide receivers in Justin Hunter and Da’Rick Rogers. Early-season offensive fireworks excited the fan base.
A 33-23 loss at No. 17 Florida changed the outlook on Tennessee’s season drastically. Hunter tore his ACL in the first half, severely depleting Tennessee’s offensive arsenal. Going into a home game against Georgia, at 3-1, hopes for a successful season were still intact. Bray suffered a broken thumb en route to a 20-12 loss, a gut punch that took the wind out of the sails for Tennessee the rest of the season.
A four-game losing streak followed, with blowout losses to Alabama and LSU, before Tennessee finally returned to the win column with a 24-0 win over Middle Tennessee State on homecoming. This game drew national attention to the Vols when kicker Derrick Brodus was called up from his fraternity house couch the day of the game. Starter Michael Palardy was injured and backup Chip Rhome was hurt during warmups.
True freshman Justin Worley and senior Matt Simms were unable to revive the offense at quarterback, but Bray finally returned to lead the Vols to a 27-21 overtime win over rival Vanderbilt. The stage was set for the Vols to return to a bowl game, only needing to beat Kentucky for a 27th straight season, the longest active win streak in college football at the time.
The result was a 10-7 loss in Lexington in which Tennessee look uninspired, bored and effortless. Tennessee had lost to Kentucky, previously an unthinkable idea for the program. Pressure was mounting on Dooley with the miserable end to the season, but the Vols had plenty of talent returning for 2012. Rogers recorded 67 catches for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns, and would be returning with Bray and a healthy Hunter.
Defensive lineman Malik Jackson was the only player drafted, taken in the fifth round by the Denver Broncos. Jackson has had a successful, Super Bowl-winning career that now continues with the Philadelphia Eagles.