University of Tennessee Athletics
#FridayFlashback: Vols Rally To Beat Cats
November 14, 2014 | Football
By Brian Rice
UTSports.com
Tennessee's 2001 win over Florida in the Swamp is one of the mostly fondly remembered games in Volunteer history. But were it not for a massive, if often forgotten, comeback against Kentucky, that game never would have had the meaning that it did.
An unusually warm day greeted Tennessee and Kentucky at Commonwealth Stadium for a mid-November matchup that was, on paper, a total mismatch. The Volunteers came in at 8-1, 5-1 in SEC play and seemingly on cruise control after double-digit wins over Notre Dame and Memphis. Kentucky was moving in the opposite direction, 2-7, 1-6 in the SEC, but fresh off its first win in over two months, a 56-30 victory over Vanderbilt in Nashville.
Kentucky quarterback Jared Lorenzen had thrown for a career-high 453 yards against the Commodores, so it was no surprise when the sophomore came out firing in the first quarter, giving the Wildcats a 7-0 lead on a 5-yard pass to Tommy Cook to cap a 13-play, 76-yard drive on the game's opening possession.
Tennessee had no response for the early challenge, managing just 14 yards on three consecutive three-and-outs in the opening quarter.
The second period started no better. After Dustin Colquitt punt on the quarter's first play, Lorenzen completed three passes for 57 yards on the ensuing Wildcat possession before finishing off the drive with a 2-yard run up the middle for a 14-0 lead. Leonard Scott gave Tennessee life on the kickoff with a 49-yard return to midfield, but the Vols could not take advantage, turning the ball over on downs after four consecutive runs.
Lorenzen again put the Wildcats on his back, accounting for every positive yard on a 7-play, 60-yard drive to give a stunned, yet jubilant crowd in Lexington a 21-0 lead.
Facing the 21-point deficit, Tennessee finally picked up its initial first down with 5:00 left in the opening half with a Travis Stephens run . A play later, Casey Clausen found Donte Stallworth for a 59-yard TD that put the Vols on the board for the first time.
"We didn't execute well in the first half," Clausen said following the gme. "We knew Kentucky's defense would be tough, but I don't think anyone expected them to shut us down the way they did."
The teams traded punts to start the second half, though a sustained UT drive before its boot pinned UK deep, giving the Vols good field position at their own 46 to start the second possession. Again Tennessee went quick-strike with Clausen finding Kelley Washington on the second play for 48 yards to cut the UK lead to 21-14.
The Vols tied it moments later when Rashad Moore picked off a Lorenzen pass, returned it 39 yards, then fumbled near the end zone. Fortunately for those clad in orange, Constantin Ritzmann pounced on it for the tying score. Kentucky would answer right back with a 10-play drive capped by a 5-yard pass from Lorenzen to Derek Abney to put the Wildcats back on top.
The fourth quarter appeared to be more to the Vols' liking. Clausen hit Stallworth for TDs of 23 and 39 yards on back-to-back possessions to take the first UT lead at 35-28. Lorenzen answered the go-ahead score with a 62-yard pass to Anthony Kelly to tie the game again with 3:53 to play.
Tennessee's potent second-half offense moved the ball quickly into Wildcat territory and Vols looked to be in business with a 1st-and-10 at the UK 27. But three incomplete passes left UT to attempt a go-ahead field goal by Alex Walls from 44 yards. Walls nailed it, but left Kentucky with 2:49 to try and answer.
Lorenzen hit Abney and Chase Harp with passes to move UK deep into Tennessee territory, but Harp fumbled at the end of his catch and Albert Haysenworth was there to pounce on it to seal the 17th-straight win for the Volunteers over their border rival.
"I'm proud of our kids coming back and getting the win and I think you certainly have to give Kentucky a lot of credit," head coach Phillip Fulmer said. "They emotionally and physically outplayed us for a period of time during the ballgame. We said coming in that it would take a team effort to win the game and that's what it was."
Clausen finished 20-of-30 for 285 yards and four touchdowns. Three of those went to Stallworth, who had eight catches for 169 yards. Lorenzen set a career-high in passing yards for the second-consecutive game with 406 yards on a 34-for-53 passing day. He also ran 13 times for 52 yards.
