Photo by News Sentinel archives
Tennessee quarterback Jeff Francis sets to throw against Duke in 1988. The Vols lost to the Blue Devils, 31-26, as part of an 0-6 start.
Amidst the doldrums of a disappointing football season for Tennessee, we're reminded over and over and over again about what happened 10 years ago. The commercials that play say, "Perfection." The highlights appearing on the Jumbotron at Neyland Stadium remembering the perfect season of 1998.
But, the 20-year anniversary of Tennessee football reveals a season much like the current one. The Vols started 0-6 that season and the cries for change were loud and clear.
"It was probably one of the hardest times I ever faced as an athlete," former tight end Von Reeves said. "When I was at Austin-East, we won 2 titles. I had never lost six games in a row in anything."
Former linebacker Daryl Hardy said that the coaches questioned the players manhood to try and motivate them.
"I remember after the Georgia game Coach (Doug) Mathews made us wear green jerseys in practice," said Hardy. "He said that he wanted us to wear them because none of us were hitting anybody in the games any way and he didn't want us to get hurt in practice. I remember that like it was yesterday."
Defensive back Mark Fletcher said that 1988 was a turning point for the program.
"That season led to rebuilding and restructuring," Fletcher said. "It really was a turning point year for us. That season gave the young guys a chance to play as things were going bad. We were able to pull things together and win our last five games of the season which gave us momentum heading into the offseason."
Reeves said that the 1988 season taught the team how to handle adversity, which helped them the next two years.
"It taught us how to believe in someone else, other than yourself," Reeves said. "Finally, we had to learn to trust in our teammates and stop playing for ourselves."
Hardy said that there were similarities between 1988 and 2008, but not as many as you might think.
"We were a young football team back then," Hardy said. "In '88 we were a bunch of pups out there. I was a redshirt freshman and had a lot of maturing to do. Our offense was pretty good but our defense couldn't stop anybody. I do remember that we played a 3-4 in 1988 and then switched to a 4-3 in 1989. That was one adjustment we made that helped us turn it around quickly."
"I think we looked around the saw a lot of talent and couldn't understand why we couldn't stop the bleeding," Fletcher said. "We had to forget 1988 when the season was over and look ahead. I remember everybody on the defense stayed on campus the summer of 1989 and working in the weight room."
"The big difference I see between 1988 and 2008 is on the offensive line," Reeves said. "Back then we had young guys like Antone Davis and Charles McRae who were just learning to play at the SEC level. This year they returned the entire offensive line with a lot of experience, but they're not showing it. This year they have a new offensive coordinator and a new system and that takes time to develop. They're dealing with a quarterback change and that's not easy."
"I've watched most every game this year," Hardy said. "They're just having a lot of bad breaks and the quarterback looked like a deer in the headlights in the games against Florida and Auburn. It's so hard to sit here and say what's wrong with the program because I'm not at practice. I'm not on the sideline to hear what kind of leadership they do or don't have. I know that in 1988 we had a lot of pride and we showed it by winning SEC titles in '89 and '90. We learned from those struggles in '88 and it made us a better program in the years that followed."
"To be real honest, I thought the 2005 season was the equivalent to our 1988 season," Fletcher said. "2005 was a year where things just didn't go the Vols way. This season is out of control. They don't appear to be as competitive as we were. You know, this season doesn't make me think of 1988, that was the 2005 season. It doesn't appear to me that anyone has any answers this year and that's a concern."
"We figured out that we just had to work harder to be better," Reeves said. "We had to develop leaders and grow up. We learned a lot about life that year. But, we knew we had the talent to get it done and we did the following year."
There were also the recruits that stood by the program and came to Knoxville to help turn things around quickly. Former defensive end Todd Kelly remembers standing by Johnny Majors and the Vols staff because they stood by him.
"I was a senior in high school in 1988," Kelly said. "I never wavered on my commitment to play at UT. I saw the 0-6 start as a chance to come in and make an immediate impact on a great program. That may actually help this year in recruiting. Some kids may see that chance to come in and play quickly. I know that I came in and played immediately and we got this thing turned around in a hurry."
Twenty years ago was a springboard for a great time in Tennessee football. Only time will tell if 2008 is a springboard to success to come, or a disappointing time of the downward spiral of a once proud program.
Mark Packer hosts the Locker Room, presented by Parkwest Medical Center, on Sunday at 10 p.m. on MyVLT2.
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Comments » 12
stormblast writes:
I think the 1988 team was more tolerable to watch than this mess on the field now.
FLVol writes:
I would hole heartedly disagree with you. They got beat at home by Duke that year! Duke, yes, Duke and I sat through every game that year and it was ugly! Everyone hammered us but November was a good month as Vandy and Kentucky were pretty bad.
volcycle writes:
I also disagree. I was in the band and had to watch every game in '88. I remember Memphis was fun. There was no excuse then.
At least you can point a finger this year at a totally new offensive system being learned. There's a lot more variables that are being worked through. We've being asking for a new offensive system and this is part of the growing pains in learning one.
Colliervol writes:
The best thing the 88 team did was go to Memphis after they were 0 and 6. That was guaranteed to get them back on the winning track. That ain't saying much but at least it got them in the win column.
stormblast writes:
Flavol & Volcycle:
I respectfully disagree with both of you.
I too sat through that as well. I remember it as well too. Oh, and that Duke team you refer to...went 7-3-1 that year. I do also know we held our own better with Georgia that year also (losing 28-17). This year, if it weren't for dropped passes, the Bulldogs would have rolled up at least 40 on us. We had blunders against the others as well like the Auburn & Washington State games. But, we gave Bama everything they wanted and then some (Alabama - 28, UT - 20).
Look, I'm not saying the 1988 team was even a mediocre team. What I am saying, is that the 1988 team didn't throw in the towel. There was a bad six game streak obviously. But, they knew they could clean up the problems they had, they cleaned up, and won the rest. This team, in my opinion, has more problems than that team did. The problems this team has are all-around (players, coaches, staff, etc).
I was there for 1988...so do not confuse me with the whiners on this site who never watched a game during the 1988 season. I know the good & the bad...and I know the really bad. When the season is over, this team will be extremely fortunate to win 5 games. I don't think this team will have as successful a season as the 1988 team did...sadly.
ncvol17 writes:
Cries,, was it really 20 years ago? Doesn't seem like it should have been so long ago. I remember the 1st 3years of the Majors era was also no walk in the sunshine. I was in school then and we were pretty bad.
In 88 remember the radio guy in Nashville who lived on a billboard until we won. Bet he never thought he would be up there so long. We thought of him when we saw the tree people in berkely last year.
volintexas writes:
volmoc, I am with you. The 88 team showed a lot of pride by turning it around, and I really thought they were going to beat Bama. I remember driving up to Knoxville for the LSU game with a friend to sit through the rain and watch us get hammered and didn't lose the faith. Auburn and LSU were the only games where we didn't have any offensive punch and both of those teams had great defenses. The truth is that in 88, we played six pretty good teams to start the season. If they had UAB and Northern Illinois in the mix, I dare say that team would have been 2-4 through its first six games! Hard to believe it was 20 years ago.
ctexorange writes:
I have supported the Vols for 46 years. I agree that the 88' season was far worse than what we are seeing now. Almost everyone wanted a new offensive scheme, you got it. Deal with it. Now if Clawson and Fulmer can't turn this around in a couple of years, its time to go. Give Clawson the opportunity to recruit the fit for his offesive scheme. I seem to remeber some GREAT coaches in TN history who had down years. Think about this one. How many national championships has Tennessee won in our gloried history? Who was a part of one of them, nuff said.
volintexas writes:
Ctex, excellent point that without Clint Stoerner, we never would have won the SEC or national title in 98. Unfortunately, Fulmer can't wheel him out anymore for the opposition to make boneheaded plays, like after falling down trying to use a wet ball on a wet field as a point of leverage to get up and continue play where nothing other than falling down was necessary and they can keep running clock and win. While Phil would love to have the oppositions loaded with Clint Stoerners and Marcus the Rooster Outzens, all he can do to summon these days gone by is worship his Clint Stoerner statue in the backyard and share the portion of his salary that Clint so richly deserves. You are exactly right, nuff said.
EyeNoEvrthng writes:
Another negative ,pathetic article from the dunce,Mark packer !
woodwr#217203 writes:
At mid-1988-season, Jonny Majors fired his defensive coordinator, Ken Donahue, and completely re-shuffled staff sending Matthews over from offense. Donahue had been the coordinator of Bear Byant's best teams, and had been lured back to UT to create that dominant 1985 Sugar Bowl team.
That 1988 team, also had a front loaded schedule with traditional door-mats Washington State and Duke playing their best seasons that year. Starting with Georgia, LSU, Auburn & Alabama might yield an SEC 0-4 any year, even 2008.
After the staff switch and after the Alabama loss, 1988 Volunteers went on a tear through the medicocre teams they usually whip after Halloween.
2005 Volunteers got worse after that great LSU comeback, but 2008 Volunteers might be gradually but slowly improving since UCLA. How they play after Alabama will show their character. Will they take their frustrations out on those four beat-able teams, or bumble along like UCLA & Auburn games?
Do you ever wonder what September and October would be like if the Vols opened with Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and/or Mississippi State and played Florida, Georgia & Alabama in November?
EyeNoEvrthng writes:
Good (intelligent post) ! Your post makes sense ( of course , Packer's article was just plain STUPID ( like all his garbage ) ) of course, the KNS allows Mark Packer to put trash on this site after he ( on another forum ran a poll/survey criticizing Coach Fulmer and his staff's salaries ) Please continue to post maybe the KNS will pay for your articles and put Packer's where they belong ...in the _______ !
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