#Neyland100: The Johnny Majors Era
Highlighting some of the most memorable victories inside Neyland Stadium from Johnny Majors' tenure as head coach (1977-92)
With Saturday's game designated as the Johnny Majors Classic and this season being the 100th at Neyland Stadium, Shields-Watkins Field, we thought it would be fitting to highlight some of the most memorable victories from the Majors coaching era (1977-92). Majors was a legendary coach at both Tennessee and Pittsburgh, leading the Panthers to a national championship in 1976 before returning to his alma mater and leading the Vols to three SEC titles.
The following are some of the best wins at Neyland Stadium from Majors time as UT’s head coach.
Sept. 17, 1977 vs. Boston College – W, 24-18
After leading Pittsburgh to a national title a year prior, in 1977 Majors returned to coach his alma mater where he played tailback and earned All-America honors in 1956. His first victory as UT’s head coach came on Sept. 17 when the Vols defeated Boston College, 24-18, in a night game at Neyland Stadium.
Nov. 10, 1979 vs. No. 13 Notre Dame – W, 40-18
Following seven straight losses against ranked opponents to start his tenure as Tennessee head coach, Majors finally got his breakthrough victory with a 40-18 thumping of No. 13 Notre Dame on Nov. 10, 1979 in Knoxville. The Vols went on to play in the Bluebonnet Bowl and record their first winning season under Majors.
Oct. 16, 1982 vs. No. 2 Alabama – W, 35-28
During the early years of the Majors era, the Vols struggled mightily against SEC rival Alabama, losing to the Crimson Tide in each of Majors' first five seasons. The Vols finally ended a string of 11 straight losses in the series with a 35-28 upset over Bear Bryant and No. 2 Alabama at Neyland Stadium, prompting the fans to storm the field and tear down the goal posts. You may remember seeing the famous photo of Majors being carried on his players’ shoulders during his postgame handshake with Bryant.
Sept. 28, 1985 vs. No. 1 Auburn – W, 38-20
After opening the 1985 season with a 26-26 tie against No. 10 UCLA, the Vols took down No. 1 Auburn at Neyland Stadium two weeks later to give Majors his first victory over a top-ranked team during his tenure at UT. Tennessee's stifling defensive unit held Heisman front-runner Bo Jackson to 80 yards rushing, while Vols quarterback Tony Robinson graced the cover of Sports Ilustrated after his 259-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Tigers.
Tennessee went on to win its first SEC championship since 1969 and capped its memorable season with a 35-7 trouncing of No. 2 Miami in the Sugar Bowl, earning the 1985 team the nickname “Sugar Vols”.
Oct. 13, 1990 vs. No. 9 Florida – W, 45-3
Tennessee’s 1990 SEC championship team had a handful of memorable home games against highly ranked opponents, including a tie against No. 5 Colorado in the season opener and a close loss to No. 1 Notre Dame later in the season. However, the most satisfying home win of the year came against SEC rival Florida on Oct. 13.
Under the lights at Neyland Stadium, the fifth-ranked Vols used a 28-point third quarter to blow out the ninth-ranked Gators, 45-3. It was the first meeting between the two teams since Florida handed UT its only loss of the 1985 season. The win also ended a string of four consecutive losses to the Gators.
Nov. 21, 1992 vs. Kentucky – W, 34-13
Majors missed the first three games of the 1992 season while recovering from quintuple bypass surgery. The Vols’ 34-13 victory over Kentucky on Nov. 21 was Majors’ final victory at Neyland Stadium. UT went on to defeat Vanderbilt in Nashville to end the regular season before sending Majors out a winner with a 38-23 victory over Boston College in the Hall of Fame Bowl.
Majors’ coaching tenure on Rocky Top concluded at the end of the 1992 season. He was 116-62-6 in 16 seasons at the helm of Tennessee football, and his 116 head coaching victories are the third-most in program history.