No. 5: 2012
Head Coach: Derek Dooley:
Record: 5-7 (1-7, SEC)
Best win(s): vs. North Carolina State
Key offensive players: Tyler Bray, Justin Hunter, Cordarelle Patterson
Key defensive players: Curt Maggitt, A.J. Johnson, Byron Moore
2012 was a prove-it year for Derek Dooley.
Heading into Dooley’s third season, the Vols had a solid offensive line, a rocket arm in Tyler Bray and a pair of stars at wide receiver.
Da’Rick Rogers had been kicked off the team before the season-opener, but Justin Hunter was back along with 5-star JUCO prospect Cordarelle Patterson. Tennessee had a duo of capable running backs in Marlin Lane and Raijon Neal. The Vols also had a new defensive coordinator in Sal Sunseri, who was a top assistant at Alabama under Nick Saban.
The season started with the Chik-Fil-A Kickoff Game in the Georgia Dome against North Carolina State. The Wolfpack had a talented signal-caller in Mike Glennon and one of the best secondaries in the country coming into the season. Tennessee rolled over North Carolina State, 35-21, as Bray threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns. Patterson had six catches for 93 yards and a score, plus a 67-yard touchdown run. An offensive showcase and stout defensive performance had Tennessee fans excited.
Two weeks later, ESPN College Gameday was in Knoxville as No. 23 Tennessee took on No. 18 Florida.
The first three quarters were a slugfest under the lights of a sellout crowd in Neyland Stadium. It was 27-20 Florida going into the final quarter, and the Vols collapsed. Tennessee’s defense simply could not contain Will Muschamp’s Gators in the second half, who rushed for 336 total yards. A 37-20 final once again set the tone for a disappointing season under Dooley.
Tennessee went on to lose heartbreaking shootouts to Georgia, Mississippi State and South Carolina. Jim Chaney’s offense was putting up gaudy numbers with Bray, Hunter, Patterson and tight end Mychal Rivera, but Sunseri’s defense was too much to overcome.
In a season where the offense was able to put up 36 points per game, Tennessee’s defense allowed over 35 points per contest, a program-worst.
A four-overtime loss to Missouri and a blowout loss to Vanderbilt put the Vols out of contention for a bowl game, and Dooley was fired. Chaney took over as the interim for a season-ending win over Kentucky, but Tennessee finished second-to-last in the SEC East.
Bray threw for over 3,600 yards and 34 touchdowns to go along with 12 interceptions in his junior season, landing him in the top five of nearly every major career passing statistic in program history. The impressive numbers came with off-the-field issues, and Bray went undrafted and was signed as a free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs. His career continues today in a practice squad role with the Chicago Bears.
Patterson was the star of the show in 2012, showcasing his talents as a wide receiver, runner and returner in his lone season in Knoxville. He was taken with the No. 29 pick by the Minnesota Vikings, starting a Pro-Bowl career, now in Chicago along with Bray. Hunter was drafted in the second round by the Tennessee Titans, as offensive lineman Dallas Thomas and tight end Mychal Rivera were taken in the third and sixth rounds, respectively.