Adams: It looked like 1998 season for Vols

But it almost seemed like 1998 Saturday night at Neyland Stadium.

The game had the same magical ending that occurred repeatedly during the Vols' unbeaten, nationalchampionship season six years ago. And it was too close, too exciting, to have been decided on something as ordinary as an extra point.

James Wilhoit missed a gametying extra point with 3:25 to play. The game could have ended right there on the errant right foot of one more failed college placekicker, who seem in such abundance this September.

Wide right: Florida State can tell you about that.

But this wasn't Florida State vs. Miami. This was 1998 revisited for Tennessee.

That was a season of second chances. So was this game.

The same Wilhoit who missed the easiest of kicks, made the hardest: a 50-yard field goal with 6 seconds to play to give UT a 30-28 victory over the Gators.

It was the clutch kind of kick that Jeff Hall made to beat Syracuse 34-33 on the last play of the season-opener in 1998. Two weeks later, Hall made another field goal to beat the Gators in overtime.

The game wasn't just about a kick UT made. It was about plays for which the Gators will be forever kicking themselves.

When you win a game like this, you need help. Florida provided it.

On their second possession of the third quarter, the Gators drove 73 yards for a first down at the UT 1. They were on the verge of taking a two-touchdown lead, on the verge of sticking it to a defense that too often seemed bewildered.

So what happened on first down? Quarterback Chris Leak, who played so magnificently throughout the game, tripped and fell down as he took the snap from center.

Remember Arkansas quarterback Clint Stoerner in 1998? With the Razorbacks on the brink of ending UT's unbeaten season in midNovember, he tripped coming out from center, stumbled and fumbled. UT got the ball and, moments later, the game.

Leak didn't fumble this time. But his stumble was the first in a series of ill-fated plays for the Gators.

On second down, Leak arched what appeared to be a touchdown pass to an open receiver in the left corner of the end zone. Instead, the ball was tipped away by another Florida receiver, Chad Jackson, who thought the pass was intended for him.

On third down, wide receiver Jemalle Cornelius almost made a diving catch in the end zone. Almost.

On fourth down, Matt Leach, who made 17 of 20 field-goal tries from inside 40 yards last season, missed a 21-yard field goal.

Remember Florida kicker Cooper Collins in 1998? He missed a chip-shot field goal that would have sent the Vols and Gators into another overtime.

But Leach was seemingly off the hook after Wilhoit missed his extra point. The Gators didn't need any more points when they gained possession with 3:25 to play. They only needed first downs.

They made one and were 3 yards from another when DeShawn Wynn was stopped for no gain on third down. Far down the field -- seemingly too far to be of any consequence -- the game was strangely impacted.

As an official watched, UT cornerback Jonathan Wade pushed Florida wide receiver Dallas Baker. The official didn't move.

Then, Baker foolishly pushed back. The official threw a flag and penalized Florida 15 yards for a personal foul.

UT needed every one of those yards after it regained possession on its 39-yard line with no timeouts and 43 seconds to play.

Maybe the 15 yards wouldn't have mattered against a lesser quarterback or a less resilient kicker. But UT's Erik Ainge, who passed for three touchdowns, looked no more like a freshman than Leak did last season. He completed two crucial passes and managed those final seconds as efficiently as an NFL veteran.

He did just enough to enable Wilhoit to do the rest.

John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.