Tennessee Football 2016 Recap: Ranking All Nine Vols Wins

Oct 1, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (C) is carried off the field by team mates after catching the game winning touchdown pass against the Georgia Bulldogs on the last play on the game during the fourth quarter at Sanford Stadium. Tennessee defeated Georgia 34-31. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee football’s 9-4 finish in 2016 had very high points and very low points. Here is a ranking of all nine Volunteers victories from the season.

Not since 1992 has Tennessee football had such a dramatic difference in feelings in one season. The Vols went from being on top of the world at 5-0 to feeling like a complete bust within less than a month.

Perhaps 2001 could come close to that, but it was only over a two-week span, when the Vols beat the Florida Gators in The Swamp and then suffered their worst loss in school history to the LSU Tigers.

This year was a tale of two seasons.

Despite all of this, Tennessee’s nine wins included some very euphoric…and historic moments. Many of the wins were games that Vols fans will cherish for years.

After all, one was a postseason victory over a major program, another was a thrilling overtime victory, another ended a frustrating streak, another was in front of the most unique venue ever, and of course, one ended on a Hail Mary.

So there are lots of great memories from the 2016 Tennessee football season, even if the Vols did not accomplish the things they had hoped to accomplish.

As a result, we are going to rank the wins from the season here. The rankings are based on the magnitude of the win and the excitement of the game.

And the season deserves a recap of the high moments.

Here is the ranking of all nine Tennessee football wins in 2016 and why they stand where they are.

Nov 5, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers mascot Smokey runs across the end zone during the first half against Tennessee Tech at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Patrick/Knoxville News Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK

9. Tennessee: 55 Tennessee Tech: 0

Tennessee football fans will remember the best part of this day as being when the Arkansas Razorbacks rocked Florida Gators. It put the Vols back in the SEC East race for a brief two-week period.

However, this win as it stands on its own meant nothing.

For starters, it was against an FCS opponent. So it should count for nothing no matter what. At the same time, it came on the heels of a terrible loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks.

So Vols fans didn’t have much to celebrate with that win anyway.

And Butch Jones pretty much pulled all the starters by halftime. There was one interesting spark when he got caught cussing out the fact that fans were booing his decision close to halftime.

The other interesting thing about this game was the fact that it was the only game all season where the Vols never trailed and were never threatened in the second half. This team mostly played fast and loose all year.

But overall, there was absolutely nothing special about this win. It moved the Vols to 6-3 on the year and was nice for returning students since it was homecoming week.

At least lots of backups got to get in on the action in this game and get quite a few reps because of how much of a blowout it was. And given the fact that they were coming off a three-game winning streak, any win was nice at this point.

Sep 17, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; The Tennessee Volunteers celebrate after the game against the Ohio Bobcats at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 28-19. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

8. Tennessee: 28 Ohio: 19

This non-conference win was not much better than the Vols’ win over the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. However, the quality of the win counts for a heck of a lot more.

Tennessee beat an Ohio Bobcats team that did eventually come one play short of winning the MAC Championship. And the win did move them to 3-0 for the first time since the 2004 season, so there was some excitement there.

It was also the only other game outside of Tennessee Tech during the regular season that the Vols scored first and won.

But outside of these facts, there were a lot of bad things that happened in this game.

For starters, the Bobcats never went away and threatened the Vols into the fourth quarter. At the same time, Tennessee football suffered a slew of unfortunate injuries in this game.

Cameron Sutton and Jalen Reeves-Maybin both got hurt. Reeves-Maybin’s career at Tennessee essentially ended on a special teams play in this game.

That ended up being a killer for the program long-term.

Also, Vols fans had major concerns after this game since it was the third straight game where they significantly struggled at one point and the second against a Group of Five opponent.

And this may have been the ugliest win of the season for the program at the same time. Still, it was better than Tennessee Tech and had some good things to it.

There’s an SEC game low on this list as well. We go to that next.

Nov 19, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) directs the band after the game against the Missouri Tigers at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 63 to 37. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

7. Tennessee: 63 Missouri: 37

Perhaps this win should be higher on the list since the Vols set offensive records in this game and scored the most points in an outing since 2000.

But the Missouri Tigers were clearly the worst team in the SEC this year, and Tennessee football shouldn’t get too much credit for the win.

There’s a few things that make this win the worst SEC win. For starters, the Vols won this game right after finding out that they would not win the SEC East. That was a killer for many fans in the stadium at the time.

Also, as we said, it was against the worst team in the SEC.

And the defensive performance was awful.

So for a while, the win felt like nothing.

But being an SEC win made this a better win than the Ohio or Tennessee Tech wins. At the same time, it was on Senior Day.

Meanwhile, the offense made this game ridiculously entertaining.

Seeing Joshua Dobbs go for over 400 total yards and five total touchdowns in his final home game was a sight to see, and Jonathan Kongbo made it more entertaining with a pick-six as a defensive lineman.

The Vols had 28 fourth-quarter points to turn this into a blowout, and despite knowing they wouldn’t win the East, fans did their best to enjoy every second of the win.

But overall, it wasn’t a great win. In fact, as you can already see, there are two non-conference regular season wins better than this win. One of them is next.

Sep 1, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones celebrates with the team after winning in overtime against the Appalachian State Mountaineers at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

6. Tennessee: 20 Appalachian State: 13 (Overtime)

It was the opening game of the season on Thursday night, and Tennessee football got a heck of a lot more than it bargained for in this game.

This is an Appalachian State program that already had a reputation for upsetting major programs in the opening game of the season, and they nearly got the Vols.

The Mountaineers jumped out to a 13-3 lead thanks to a series of first-half mistakes that included a fumbled punt return by Cameron Sutton, a dropped pass in the end zone by Preston Williams (who has since transferred), and a Joshua Dobbs interception.

However, they struggled in field goal kicking, which ironically used to be their strength when it came to pulling off upsets.

Anyway, the Vols’ offense struggled in the second half, but the defense stiffened, and a big play from Dobbs to Josh Malone for a touchdown along with a field goal sent the game into overtime.

Dobbs gave the Vols another huge scare by fumbling the ball at the goal line, but Jalen Hurd, who was still loved then, recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. Tennessee’s defense held to get the Vols to 1-0.

The crazy plays in the game to make this a thrilling victory are one of the reasons this is better than one of the SEC wins. The fact that it was the opener also counts for something.

But the quality of the opponent, beating an eventual 10-win conference champion, counts for more than beating an SEC bottom-feeder as well.

Still, it’s Appalachian State, so it’s not deserving of a much higher place than here.

Nov 12, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones celebrates with the team after the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 49 to 36. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

5. Tennessee: 49 Kentucky: 36

This was between the Tennessee Tech and Missouri wins, and it was clearly the best win of the three for the Tennessee football program.

No, it wasn’t homecoming, and no, there weren’t offensive records set in this game. But it was still thrilling to watch.

The Wildcats came in riding a wave of momentum after turning their season around under Mark Stoops, and Stephen Johnson’s offense gave the Vols a scare as the Wildcats scored the first touchdown of the game.

But then Tennessee put together a dominant rushing attack with Joshua Dobbs, Alvin Kamara, and John Kelly to combine for 376 yards and four touchdowns.

This was another five-touchdown game for Dobbs, as he had 223 passing yards and three touchdowns to go with 147 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

They needed all of that offense since the defense was decimated by injuries at this point and gave up over 600 yards of total offense.

But the numbers and the entertainment aren’t what put this win here.

It was simply a quality win over an SEC opponent that put this here and allowed Kentucky to be over Appalachian State. After all, the Wildcats finished with a 7-5 record and a huge win over Louisville.

So this was a good team when the Vols played them, and it’s a quality enough win that it’s right in the middle of all of Tennessee’s wins this year.

After all, it wasn’t a win against a great team, and it wasn’t a thrilling victory. But an SEC win against a good team counts for something. It’s what you expect out of typical Tennessee football wins.

Dec 30, 2016; Nashville , TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers players celebrate after a record breaking sack by defensive end Derek Barnett (9) in the second half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

4. Music City Bowl – Tennessee: 38 Nebraska: 24

Everything about this game was as bittersweet as possible, but it’s still one of the best wins of the 2016 Tennessee football season.

The Vols entered the game disappointed about how they ended the season, with no SEC East title and no major bowl game appearance.

But they still got to face a very compelling opponent in the Nebraska Cornhuskers, a once-dominant program that blew them out twice in the 1990s when both schools were at their height.

The history behind that matters to Tennessee football fans, and they wanted to get a victory over that program. The fact that it was their first win in history against a school like Nebraska makes this a great win.

Being a bowl win also makes this a great win, because those always count.

And finally, the Vols assured their second straight nine-win season and likely a second straight Top 25 finish with the win. That is something the fan base doesn’t take for granted anymore.

The game was entertaining as well.

Tennessee never trailed, but Nebraska threatened and made it close in the fourth. However, Joshua Dobbs had four total touchdowns and went for over 400 total yards to make his final game with the Vols a memorable one.

On top of that, Derek Barnett broke Reggie White’s all-time Tennessee football record for career sacks late in the fourth quarter after coming close all night. These were thrilling moments of the game.

The only reason it’s not higher is that major SEC wins count more than average bowl wins. And there’s another historic non-conference win that stands on its own as unique this year.

We got to that next.

Sep 10, 2016; Bristol, TN, USA; The Tennessee Volunteers celebrate after the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Bristol Motor Speedway. Tennessee won 45 to 24. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

3. Battle at Bristol – Tennessee: 45 Virginia Tech: 24

This was a historic win for the Tennessee football program on many fronts, and that’s why it belongs at No. 3 on this list.

The Vols and Hokies played at the Bristol Motor Speedway, halfway between the two schools, in front of the largest crowd in college football history: over 150,000.

Talks of playing at the stadium were in the works dating back to the Phillip Fulmer and Frank Beamer days, but Butch Jones and Beamer were the ones able to get it done with their athletic directors.

Then, this year, it was Jones and Justin Fuente who went head to head with each other. The significance of it is important because it could also be the catalyst for a future rivalry between Tennessee and Virginia Tech, something that should naturally happen since the schools are so close together.

The game itself made this win great as well. Tennessee fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter and looked in trouble. But they scored 24 unanswered in the second quarter and dominated the rest of the game.

Tennessee’s defense never struggled after that quarter either. With College GameDay in attendance and the game late at night on ABC, the Vols capitalized off five Virginia Tech turnovers en route to a 45-24 victory.

But the game and the stadium are only part of what makes this the Vols’ third best win. There’s also the quality win factor.

Fuente, with his transfer quarterback in Jerod Evans, took the Hokies to 10-4 and an ACC Coastal Championship in his first year. So Virginia Tech might be Tennessee’s second best quality victory this year, and they are at the very least the Vols’ fourth best quality win.

Combine that with all the antics surrounding this game, and it’s clearly their second best win.

Oct 1, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (15) catches a game winning touchdown pass in front of Georgia Bulldogs safety Dominick Sanders (24) on the last play on the game during the fourth quarter at Sanford Stadium. Tennessee defeated Georgia 34-31. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

2. Tennessee: 34 Georgia: 31

As far as things go within a game itself, this may be the most exciting Tennessee football win in a very long time. In fact, it may be the most exciting win in the history of the school.

After a 4-0 start and a wave of momentum going into this game, this was their first true road test. Having already developed a reputation for starting slow, Tennessee did not disappoint in this game by falling behind 17-0.

But Joshua Dobbs made it 17-7 at halftime and cut it to 17-14 in the second half. Still, Georgia didn’t go away like the others. They made it 24-14 with another touchdown, and the Vols had to continue to fight back.

After cutting it to 24-21, they could not take the elusive lead. That was when the defense stepped up, and Derek Barnett had a strip sack that was recovered for a touchdown. The Vols got the ball back, and Tennessee leading the game 28-24 with less than three minutes was just how the excitement began.

Georgia got the ball back and scored a touchdown on a Hail Mary with 10 seconds left. Tennessee, of course, responded with a kickoff return near field goal range.

And Dobbs connected with Jauan Jennings on a Hail Mary as time expired to give them a 34-31 victory. The most exciting game of the year and clearly the most exciting play in Tennessee football history obviously call for this game to be up here on the list.

Combine the fact that it was a quality road win against an SEC East opponent, the rival Georgia Bulldogs at that, and this win had everything.

But despite all that, it still couldn’t make No. 1 on this list. We’ll explain why on the next slide.

Sep 24, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; The Tennessee Volunteers celebrate after a victory over the Florida Gators at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 38 to 28. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

1. Tennessee: 38 Florida: 28

Tennessee-Florida did not have the Hail Mary at the end, it did not have the record crowd, and no individual records were shattered in this game.

In fact, the thing that made this a huge rivalry was actually irrelevant this year, as the Vols won the game but the Gators still won the East.

None of that matters.

Tennessee football fans had gotten sick of losing to the Florida Gators and that ridiculously unlikely 11-game losing streak, which included three losses by one point where they led by two scores in the second half. Two of those one-point losses were each of the previous two years, and the Vols’ 2015 loss to the Gators hurt worse than all of them.

Going into 2016, it was more than just the rivalry at that point. Tennessee fans desperately wanted to end the frustrating streak.

Ending the streak is the first thing going for this game to make it the Vols’ best win. Then there was the game itself.

Despite no Hail Mary plays, Tennessee did fall behind 21-0 and went into halftime trailing 21-3 thanks to a slew of mistakes.

When you have an 11-game losing streak to somebody and have that happen in the first half, there’s no way you’re going to win, right? Well, the Vols did the extremely unlikely.

They went on a tear in the second half despite a turnover on the opening drive. The tear included six straight defensive stops, five of which were three-and-outs and one of which ended in an interception on the first play.

Meanwhile, Joshua Dobbs’s offense started going for huge plays with touchdown passes to Jalen Hurd, Ethan Wolf, and Josh Malone before he ran into the end zone for the final touchdown.

But the play of the game was the one that gave the Vols the lead, as Dobbs hit Jauan Jennings for a bomb where Jennings broke cornerback Jalen Tabor’s ankles on a stutter step. And the significance of that play is another point for why this was Tennessee’s best win.

Led by Jalen Tabor, Florida players trash talked all offseason about how they owned the Vols. It started with their win the previous year, when their head coach, Jim McElwain, said that the Gators “just don’t lose to Tennessee.”

Tabor and Quincy Wilson had fun then trashing the Vols all offseason, and the week of the game Wilson at one point referred to the idea of Tennessee winning as a duck pulling a truck.

Well, the duck pulled the truck, and the trash talk was shut up.

At the same time, this is still Tennessee’s biggest rival now, so the win matters there.

And finally, it was the Vols’ best quality win on the season. Florida finished the year 10-4 with very solid victories.

So combining all those things together, the Florida win was definitely a better win for Tennessee football in 2016 than the Georgia win. The Georgia win just had the most exciting play.

But both wins were great.