Mattingly: Vols learned to live on the edge in 1987

Photo by News Sentinel file photo

Tennessee quarterback Jeff Francis tosses a pass to fullback William Howard against Mississippi State in 1987, a 38-10 Vols’ win in Starkville.

Tennessee quarterback Jeff Francis tosses a pass to fullback William Howard against Mississippi State in 1987, a 38-10 Vols' win in Starkville.

It was a season of comebacks, the best and worst of times, proving true the adage that the game isn't over until the final horn.

The 1987 Vols lived on the edge the entire season, coming back time after time on their way to a 10-2-1 record, the first 10-win season since 1972. In a season filled with nail-biters, there was a major comeback in the season finale against Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium.

On Nov. 28, a crowd of 93,306 watched patiently as Vanderbilt put on a clinic running the option. Tennessee spotted Vandy a 28-3 lead in the second quarter, with a smattering of boos echoing across the stadium as the Commodores scored on their first four possessions.

Despite the adversity, the Vols persevered and rallied to win, 38-36. It was the largest deficit the Vols had ever overcome, then and now, one point more than against Notre Dame in 1991.

But it wasn't easy. Not by a long shot. It never was easy that season.

Freshman running back Reggie Cobb ran for 140 yards, and junior quarterback Jeff Francis kept the ship afloat long enough to secure the victory. The Vols came back on the strength of a ground game that ate up big chunks of yardage from the second quarter on, not to mention a timely turnover or two.

Over the course of the season, fullback William Howard provided exceptional leadership to help make his senior year his best. He had better stats in 1986, once carrying 16 consecutive times over two possessions against Ole Miss to set an NCAA record, but he always seemed to be in John Majors' doghouse for one reason or another.

The No. 16 Vols had engineered all kinds of comebacks during the year, rallying for similar last-second wins against Iowa, Kentucky, and in the Peach Bowl against Indiana. There was also a last-minute rally for a tie against Auburn. The record might have been markedly different had the ball bounced the other way a time or two.

Phil Reich, awarded a scholarship after the game, kicked the game-winner against Iowa at the Meadowlands in the "Kickoff Classic." The field goal came in the final seconds and was keyed by three walk-ons, the conventional wisdom and several books say, center Nick Zecchino from Cedar Grove, N.J., holder Lee England of Gallatin, and Reich, who hailed from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

(Tim Stafford, another walk-on from Maryville, has recently weighed in that he was actually the snapper and has provided photographic evidence. That evidence, buttressed by a Bob Gilbert column in the Daily Times, seems to suggest Tim is right.)

The Vols had trailed Auburn 20-10 with about six minutes left, but Francis rallied the Vols to a field goal and a Cobb touchdown to forge the deadlock.

The Vols lost a close one on a windy day at Boston College, the only game that season the cat didn't jump in the Vols' favor when things got tight late.

At Kentucky, the Vols led 24-20, but the Wildcats were marching for the winning score, when Mike Whitehead of Americus, Ga., consigned deep on the depth chart, stopped Mark Higgs on fourth-and-goal from inside the Tennessee 1. Whitehead lost his helmet on the play, but the Vols motored home to Knoxville with a 24-22 victory, the third in a row in a streak that has reached 24.

The Vols had one final comeback up their collective sleeves in the Peach Bowl against Indiana at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, one of the few times the Vols have played on a combination football-baseball field.

That was the day Hoosier fans got their sports mixed up. At the end of the first half, Reich had a shot at a field goal, but missedy. The cry from the Indiana faithful came quickly: "Air ball, air ball!" It was a mixed metaphor, but was a neat touch. Those Hoosiers love their hoops.

Francis led another desperation drive in the fourth quarter when the Vols trailed 22-21. Offensive guard John Bruhin had told Jeff beforehand it was going to happen. The Vols were going to take the ball down the field and score.

And they did.

The season started and finished with wins over two Big Ten teams. That has never happened in Tennessee football history, before or since.

For some reason, neither fans nor media seem to remember this season as one of the Vols' better efforts. It did, however, prove that you have to play 60 minutes against the Vols. As long as there was time, there was life. This team had great resilience and created a bunch of memories for Vol fans.

Tom Mattingly is the author of "The Tennessee Football Vault: The Story of the Tennessee Volunteers, 1891-2006" (2006), now available in second edition at fine bookstores, and "Tennessee Football: The Peyton Manning Years" (1998). Comments may be sent to tjmshm@comcast.net. His News Sentinel blog is called "The Vol Historian."

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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