Not everyone who contributed to Tennessee's 1998 national championship received a championship ring.
UT players got rings. So did the UT coaches.
But as UT prepares to honor the 1998 national championships this weekend, here's a list of other players and coaches whose contributions were worthy of a ring.
1. Clint Stoerner: Clearly, the most valuable opposing player in UT's championship season. The Arkansas quarterback set up UT's game-winning touchdown drive in the final minutes with the most bizarre fumble in BCS history.
First, he tripped over a lineman's foot as he pulled away from center. Then, as he lost his balance, he tried to prop himself up by putting the ball on the ground.
Somewhere in a peewee football manual, there has to be a line that reads: "The football is not a crutch."
Stoerner lost the ball, Billy Ratliff recovered, and the stage was set for a 28-24 come-from-behind victory.
2. Branndon Stewart: If you don't think the 1998 team was destined to win the national title, how do you explain this former UT quarterback? After losing the quarterback competition to Peyton Manning as a freshman, Stewart transferred to Texas A&M.
Then, three years later, he leads the Aggies to a huge upset of Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game. If K-State had won as expected, it would have been UT's opponent in the Fiesta Bowl.
The Wildcats would have presented a more formidable challenge than Florida State, which was down to its third-string quarterback.
3. Peyton Manning: If he hadn't been at UT, Stewart would have won the quarterback job and never transferred.
4. Al Brown: The former Lady Vols assistant basketball coach delivered a series of pep talks to the UT team during the 1998 season.
5. Paul Pasqualoni: Syracuse had a fourth-and-one at the UT 2-yard-line with 2:38 to play. It had Donovan McNabb at quarterback, 250-pound Rob Conrad at fullback, and already had piled up 445 yards against the UT defense.
But rather than go for the first down, Pasqualoni called for a field goal, which Nate Trout made for a 33-31 lead.
The Vols then drove 78 yards for a game-winning field goal.
6. Collins Cooper: The Florida placekicker missed a 32-yard field goal that would have forced a second overtime at Neyland Stadium. The next game, Jeff Chandler replaced Cooper as Florida's kicker.
7. Steve Spurrier: If the Florida coach had figured out who his best kicker was a week sooner, the Vols might not have pulled out that 20-17 overtime victory. But that's not the main reason he deserves a ring.
Spurrier raised the level of play in the SEC. If you wanted to compete with the Gators in the SEC, you had to build a national championship-caliber team.
8. Terry Jackson: Often forgotten among opposing contributors, he fumbled the ball before he crossed the goal line on Florida's opening drive. Since Florida had won five consecutive games in the series, who knows how UT would have responded if the Gators had scored on their opening possession?
9. Marquand Manuel: That's right, another Gator. But it's not what he did against UT. It's what he did against Florida State.
Manuel had clear sailing to the Florida State end zone when he dropped what should have been an easy interception in the fourth quarter against the Seminoles. The touchdown could have given the Gators a victory and set up a UT-Florida rematch for the national championship.
Instead, the Vols got to tee off on Florida State and Marcus Outzen, who replaced the injured Chris Weinke, who replaced the injured Dan Kendra.
10. Marcus Outzen: The worst quarterback UT faced all season, and one of the worst quarterbacks ever to take a snap for the Seminoles. He put UT ahead in the national championship game by throwing an interception to Dwayne Goodrich, who ran 54 yards for a touchdown. An Outzen fumble set up a UT field goal, and his last pass in the 23-16 game resulted in another interception, this time to Steve Johnson.
11. Quincy Carter: The Georgia quarterback was the SEC player of the week for his performance against LSU the previous Saturday. He was Outzen-like against the Vols, completing 14 of 37 passes, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumbled snap from center.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or >adamsj@knoxnews.com.
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Comments » 101
coaltrain1300 writes:
first!
CampVol writes:
Ah the days..... and first b*tches.
CampVol writes:
Oh well, I'll take second;-)
HeckuvaStandpoint writes:
"1998" is a selection in Card #1 of FULMER BINGO
http://www.fulmerbingo.com/
From a Bingo Standpoint, it's a Heckuva good time (tm)
volintexas writes:
Every team has to have some luck on the way to a championship, but Fulmer was charmed beyond belief in 98. People point to Nebraska's fifth down, but they forget how handily Nebraska handled everyone else in that championship run. Clearly Clint has to be #1 on any such list. Fulmer to this day spends some silent meditation time in his backyard bowing to the statute of Clint. However, any such list has to have "Rooster" Outzen as #2. My FSU fans continue to laugh about Rooster and say that Fulmer should be sending Rooster a Christmas turkey and card every year, along with a portion of his salary.
blitzshoot writes:
Adams: give credit to the UT players on the field when these events took place. Fumble, stumle, interceptions,
etc...often were caused. Especially the Gator fumble into the end zone. A Mr. Wilson I believe caused that one.
You can go back on just about any Natl Champ and look at a few plays that made the difference. Remember that awesome Florida Gator team. You know, the National Champions in 1996.The team that steamed roll FL ST. They had to score a TD on the last play of the game at KENTUCKY.
You speak of Stoerner's fumble. Maybe if this UT squad had not come back from 21 down, the fumble would not had mean as much. You can poke holes into any team's season, good or bad. Don't take cheap shots at the '98 team unless you were on the field with them. BEAT BAMA!
volintexas writes:
Fulmer arrived with the cupboard full. He landed the best QB and overall some of the best talent in UT history as some of our traditional rivals (Bama, LSU and Georgia) were really struggling. There is no doubt that he took great advantage of the declines of Bama and UGA in particular and cleaned up in recruiting. With said talent from 94-97 he accomplished the following: 1)barely won one SEC Championship in a come from behind win vs. an underdog Auburn team, 2) was summarily pimp slapped by Nebraska in the ensuing Orange Bowl, 3) never beat the Gators, 4) lost to Tiger High for the first time in our storied history. After the football gods pulled his mojo (i.e. the above list), the true Fulmer's capacity emerged: ten years without a title, poor discipline and an ever deteriorating record. My concern for years has been that the administration and boosters who are in bed with Phil would be blinded by the unbelievable good fortune of 1998 and would allow the program to sink to this level without having identified a good replacement.
HallowedHill writes:
I'm still confused why John Adams continues to write for a Vols website/newspaper. He is the Debby-downer of sports writers. I guess sports writing was a fall-back after failing as a writer for commercials. God knows he couldn't sell life rafts on a sinking ship.
As far as the Stoerner stumble, he wouldn't have tripped over the lineman's foot, if the lineman didn't decide to take a larger-than-normal step back because a UT lineman smashed him in the mouth the play before.
Cherokee writes:
Typical Adams - can't even let people enjoy that title from 10 years ago. Has to be a smart-aleck and make sure everyone knows just how "lucky" UT was (as if other teams don't catch several breaks in NC seasons). There are some valid points made in here - there's also some strategic omissions. Arkansas was lucky as hades to be ahead of UT in the first place, but don't bother to point that out. Dan Kendra was never a star QB at all, but by ignoring that you can relegate Outzen to "third team" status, even though in reality he was the backup. Kendra was nothing compared to Weinke (who wasn't that great either actually). Weinke was the QB who led FSU to a loss to NC State, while Outzen led them to a win over Florida, but don't point that out. If K-State was so much more formidable than FSU, I guess they should have beaten Texas A&M. So Florida's kicker missed a field goal. His making it would only have prolonged the game, not given the Gators an automatic win. And let's not give UT's defense any credit for Quincy Carter's tough game. The point about Pasqualoni may be very valid. It's also quite possible that UT would have stuffed them on 4th and goal. One yard away with a future NFL running back? Gee, where have I heard that before - oh yeah, when Bill Duff stuffed Eddie George on the goal line. But let's just act like it's a foregone conclusion that Conrad would have scored. After all, it's the best way to try to tarnish UT's accomplishment, so it must be true.
And let's DEFINITELY not point out that UT missed All American and future All-Pro running back Jamal Lewis for most of the year, nor that we played one of our toughest games without Al Wilson.
Did UT catch some breaks? Absolutely, but so does almost every national champ.
Given the tone of several of Adams' articles over the years, I'm not inclined to give the benefit of the doubt that this is not a thinly veiled attempt to irritate the Vol fans. I will freely admit that it irritates me. He absolutely knows what he is stirring with the article. And please, before someone comes on here with the tired old BS about how Adams is just "telling it like it is" and some people only want to hear sunshine all the time, that's not true in my case. I have defended Adams at times in the past when I though he was offering objective critiques and being unfairly attacked for it. But too often it is clear that he just wants to irritate and provoke.
wkjq#213863 writes:
dumb
wkjq#213863 writes:
dumber
stormblast writes:
I wonder what ever became of ole Pasqualoni? I bet the Cuse wish they had him now. They've actually hired a firm to look for a new head coach...they haven't even fired who they've got now.
Stoerner deserves two rings.
Outzen deserves a Noble Prize for convincing Bobby Bowden to give him a scholarship (that ranks up there with quantum mechanics and Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity).
wkjq#213863 writes:
He may irritate you, this SOB down right pisses me off.
jamesonfarms#572141 writes:
While reading these uplifting posts, it is amazing how much Phil Fulmer sounds like the Libs favorite whipping boy, George Bush. Let's see, "poor discipline, deteriorating record, administration and boosters in bed with Phil," and finally, "allow(ing)the program to sink to this level without having identified a good replacement." In both cases, unless the change is well-reasoned and not based solely on emotion, might produce a result that is later regretted.
pinesvol writes:
Cherokee, those were all things that I knew and always wanted to say, but I could never have said as well as you. Thanks!
Greer_Vol_22 writes:
If John Adams father had only met another woman....any woman....
blitzshoot writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
redneckerson writes:
guess you"re just a b**ch too - man I wish KNS would put a stop to this BS. By thne way, CV, does your mommy know you talk like that?
oasis3#214380 writes:
Hey John, I guess you forgot about the officials blowing the safety call against Arkansas. When the punter kicked the ball out of the endzone it should have been UT ball inside the five yard line trailing 24-20 instead of the safety that made it 24-22. If the Vols score a TD there, then Arkansas is having to score at the end instead of trying to run out the clock. I guess you just play the "if" game when something goes in favor of the Vols. What a miserable life you must lead.
ect1983 writes:
How pathetic that the low IQ of some of the above posters wont permit them to laugh......GREAT COLUMN JA.....I bet that all the players on the 98 team and even Philbert laugh at this column. Lighten up Big Orange Idiots....and if u can (I know u cant)....look up saracasm....Good Grief !!
ect1983 writes:
Then quit reading his column, moron(s)
john#208876 writes:
Cherokee, well said!
Why does the KNS put up with a guy that intentionally denigrates the University that creates much of the news that gives people a reason to buy the worthless rag? Bring back the Journal or just get rid of Mr. Negative. Is life that bad John?
vanvol writes:
Another bad piece on the 1998 team.
The Stoerner Tale is getting old, even by a Knoxville writer's standards (or lack of); Adams, when will you acknowledge the UT defensive line in this story?
And trying to reweave the Syracuse game is as ridiculous as second guessing Tom Landry and ignoring Jerry Kramer (that could be said about the Stoerner Tale also).Give it a break, Adams.
blitzshoot writes:
Two days before Bama and we have articles on Billy Donovan and others that made the 1998 season for UT.
FlaVol2 writes:
Heck Vol fans we won that game. We have a right to rejoice. Some team are lucky, and some team are good. We were lucky and good that time around. You cannot beat lucky and good. I hope we are lucky and good this Saturday.Go Vols!!
tenuscvol writes:
good post blitz...
pinesvol writes:
I tried to look up "saracasm" but didn't find it in English dictionary. What language please for those of us with such low IQs?
tenuscvol writes:
Unless you know these people personaly then please don't call them morons.....
you moron...
ect1983 writes:
touche....d!p$h!t
TennesseeBuck writes:
I'll second and third that! Go Vols!
Pullingguard writes:
Did not know about all those who contributed, and not sure if that does not happen to any team who wins the National Championship, however, face the facts... Vols received more than their share of good luck during the 98 season. some had it been professional probably would have been investigated to see if Money was riding on the outcome.. Vols have not had luck or good fortunate since, and they surely need some.... Just maybe they will get some luck verses Bama..
EyeNoEvrthng writes:
We could have celebrated this last year if Tee Martin had been the starting QB in 1997 ! Manning (crybaby) just couldn't "get it done" ! Go Titans !
EyeNoEvrthng writes:
The best thing that contributed to the 1998 team ...Manning was GONE !
golfballs03 writes:
They really ought to fire Fulmer. Alabama is about to steamroll us and he's rolling around town basking in the pageantry? How about coaching the team?
teedub writes:
John - I usually think your articles are right on. This one, however, is pretty weak.
west_tn_volfan writes:
I am not a Fulmer fan and I think its time for a change. That being said, this article is a load of phooey. Thirteen teams had a chance to beat Tennessee in '98 and none of them got it done. The '98 team was a great team and they won the National Championship because they got it done 13 times in a row. No one gave us that championship, we took it.
balloonman writes:
i hope Al Wilson whips his arss!
twin942 writes:
Cherokee -
Well said. Good post. I think you tagged Mr Adams.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
I am gonna' pray for this man, he must think Obama is gonna' save him. Nothing like having a killjoy along for the ride. That's all this begger does is ride the big beasts around, for food and comfort and security. We've all thought of these things before John, it's no big surprise to us. Anyone who says "great article, John", just doesn't take the time to do the thinking for themselves. As for the rest of us, who don't need you, but read you out of respect, we only wish that you would get your head out of sand long enough to write more, long and understanding articles which would favor people who love Tennessee and not those who are unhappy or angry with the program. Anybody can be a malcontent or a protagonist.
WaltGoVols writes:
The "Libs" are right about George Bush. He clearly has -never- had the best interests of the People at heart. He works for his neo-con constituency.
Remember guys, Adams has to generate columns. That is his job. If he has to spin something from nothing (as in this case) that still gets him a pay check.
Walt
UT '81
jsm67vol writes:
Not surprising that you would write this article. It almost seems as though you are minizing what that team achieved. I guess I shouldn't expect anything less.
CrankE writes:
Preseason, UT was picked to be no better than about 9-3 in 1998. John Adams, where did you pick UT to finish that year? Citrus Bowl? It was supposed to be a rebuilding year, remember? You're a loser, John.
Despite being undefeated and ranked #1, the line opened with FSU as a 5 point favorite over UT. And the press overwhelmingly picked FSU to win the game. And afterwards, they STILL couldn't give UT a lick of credit for what they'd done. Instead, they all turned into "Seminole Apologists." (Just like John does here). They couldn't say enough about how hobbled poor little FSU was due to having a third string QB in Outzen. Before the game, they told us that UT couldn't just win this game on luck. After the game they told us UT was lucky. ???
Nobody was talking about Outzen being a third string QB before the game either. They were talking about him being "indomitable". (direct quote from Sports Illustrated). They gave him credit for beating Florida while UT was merely lucky for beating Florida (or anybody else).
It wasn't until UT led 23-9 that Lynn Swann actually said he was starting to believe in this team of destiny thing. (insert eyeroll here)
If you look at the film of Outzen's TD run that made it 23-15, his knee clearly hits the ground before the ball breaks the plane. A free 6 for the Criminoles.
Had Branndonnnnnn Stewart not beaten KSU, then Tee Martin would have. KSU never played anybody really good and/or hungry during the regular season in 1998. Which is precisely why they weren't able to handle a hungry A&M team in a championship game. And by the way, this same KSU team fell all the way to the Alamo Bowl and whined that they didn't belong there. Purdue agreed and Drew Brees and company beat them 37-34. I guess they really didn't belong there. Oops.
Had Miami not clipped UCLA's 20 game winning streak in a hurricane postponed matchup, then UT would have. It would have been a cute irony for UCLA's win streak to be bookended by losses to UT in September, 1997 and January, 1999. In 1998, UCLA never faced an offense as good as UTs. In the Rose Bowl, they faced Ron Dayne and lost 38-31. Oops.
Sorry I went long. Sue me. I absolutely detest subtractions from the 1998 season that UT put together. It was the real deal. Billy Ratliff pushed hard enough on Brandon Burlsworth to get him into Clint Sterno. Then made the recovery. That stuff didn't just "happen". Players in Big Orange took seriously the sign on the wall that says, "I WILL GIVE MY ALL FOR TENNESSEE TODAY."
SouthFLVolDog writes:
Record Versus Top Ten Opponents
* 8-16 (.333) vs. Top 10 teams 1999 - present
* 1-8 (.111) vs. Top 10 teams at home 2000 - present
* 6-14 (.300) vs. Top 10 teams 2000 - present
* 18-24 (.429) vs. Ranked Teams 1999 - present
* 9-17 (.346) vs. Ranked Teams 2002 - present
Longest intervals without SEC title:
1. 1970 - 1984 (Bill Battle was fired)
2. 1957 - 1966 (Bowden Wyatt was fired)
3. 1999 - current
4. 1991 - 1996 (Majors was fired)
5. 1933 - 1937 (SEC formed in 1933 - Neyland was away in 1935)
5. 1941 - 1945 (Neyland was away during WWII - no team in 1943)
7. 1947 - 1950
7. 1952 - 1955 (Neyland retired after 1952)
9. 1986 - 1988
10. 1968
Fulmer's record since 1998:
* Losses to unranked teams 6 years in a row
* 6 consecutive seasons with 3 or more losses (8 out of last 9)
* 4 year records immediately following national championship:
- Fulmer ranks 57th out of 77 national champions since 1936
- Fulmer ranks 18th out of last 19 national champions?
* Overall record 2005 - 2007: 18-13 (.581)
* Overall record 2002 - 2007: 46-24 (.657); worse than any 5 year stretch since 1980 - 1984
* SEC games 2005 - 2008 10-11
* SEC East games 2005 - 2008: 6-7
* 4-10 (.286) vs. Ranked Teams 2005 - present
* Lost 5 out of last 6 games vs. ranked teams (last 4 losses were non-competitive)
* 2006 Vol rushing defense gave up more yards per carry (4.70) than any Vol team since UTAD begin keeping the stats in 1951?
* Consecutive seasons without SEC title: 9
* Consecutive seasons without BCS bowl: 8
* Consecutive seasons without top 10 ranking: 6
* Seasons excluded from AP and/or Coaches Top 25: 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006 (and probably 2008)
* Seasons with 3 or more losses: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
* Seasons with 4 or more losses: 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
* Seasons with 5 or more losses: 2002, 2005
* Seasons with multiple losses to unranked teams: 2003, 2005, 2007
* Consecutive seasons with a loss in last two games of season: 8
* Seasons with double digit postseason loss: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 (every year they played in the postseason)
Losses To Unranked Teams:
1. 2008 UCLA 27 TN 24.
2. 2007 AL 41 TN 17
3. 2006 PSU 20 TN 10
4. 2005 Van 28 TN 24
5. 2005 SC 16 TN 15
6. 2004 ND 17 TN 13
7. 2003 Clem 27 TN 14
8. 2003 Aub 28 TN 21
9. 2001 GA 26 TN 24
10. 2000 LSU 38 TN 31
11. 1999 Ark 28 TN 24
TommyJack writes:
Cherokee: Good grief man. I've read shorter Leon Uris novels.
Cherokee writes:
Sorry for the novella earlier, but I wanted to address his bias point by point.
To ect1983, I apologize for insulting your clearly superior intellect...
esripple#221461 writes:
While the Stoerner fumble was helpful, EVERYONE forgets that a few plays before that when Tennessee was down 24-20, Arkansas snapped the ball over the punter's head and he kicked it through the end zone. It was an illegal kick and Tenessee got a 2 point safety. The part the officials missed is Tenessee had the option of 1st and goal at the 5 and the officials did not give the option. The Stoerner fumble should have never been an issue.
Hoss44 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
blitzshoot writes:
Why are we not seing more articles on the TN/BAMA game coming up in....35 hours? It's like KNS is trying to avoid the game.
threehundredbowler writes:
I will have to agree.Any man or woman that will call another person a S.O.B. ,especially when they do not know that person is,well I better not go there.I will say this.He shows his like of respect and intelligence.I can imagine what people call him.
threehundredbowler writes:
that should have been lack of .
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