I will be the first to tell you that basketball is my favorite sport. Football is fun to watch but the rules aren't things that I completely understand. I prefer the squeak of shoes on hardwood and the swish of a ball through a net. I've watched the Tennessee Volunteers play football my whole life. It's just what we grew up doing. I was in Elementary School when Peyton Manning was showing the SEC what he could do while wearing the orange and white. Boy that was a fun time. That being said I didn't attend my first game until I was in college. A Dooley era game against Kentucky at Neyland (also a dominant win)
There is nothing like live sports. I don't care what the sport happens to be. You can't beat being right in among the action. Television replays can come in handy but seeing it firsthand cannot be topped. The moment I passed security and stepped foot inside Neyland for the first time all those years ago, and again yesterday, I got chills. It's hard to explain the feeling produced by being in that place. I've been to multiple Atlanta Braves games, at Turner and in Suntrust Park but they failed to evoke what Neyland seems to by some invisible force. Perhaps it's the mythos of the place, the stadium is practically holy ground to Volunteer fans. Georgia fans decided rather foolishly to attempt to checker Neyland in red and white this year. They might have won the game but any such attempt to color Neyland in something that isn't orange should be viewed as a fanciful notion that won't work. We defend the place, maybe fanatically so, but Neyland, like singing Rocky Top shouldn't be trifled with. It is ours and we aim to keep it that way.
This year has been a fairly solid plateau in terms of performance. After Peyton left every year is going to be our year and this year was no different. With Pruitt poised to take over from Jones, and hopefully give Volunteer fans something to cheer for again on the turf, it was quickly made apparent that such hope was to be dashed upon the rocks of reality hard and mercilessly. A season opening loss only exacerbated the feel of total defeat and suddenly these boys weren't fun to watch anymore. Why tune in if you knew they were going to play defeated and quit before they started? I watched part of the Mississippi State game, and part of Florida after that season opener and that is all I've seen. I didn't see the need to waste my time watching (there is always plenty do around here anyway and i could be studying instead).
Watching those boys last night changed that. For the first time all season they gave those in attendance, watching, and listening on the radio a glimpse of what they can be. The opening series didn't go their way and a quick touchdown on the first snap of the game for the Gamecocks felt a bit like a nail in the coffin. But, they happily proved me wrong. After some of the worst officiating I've seen in any sport they turned things around quickly. A glimpse of talent emerged and glimmered full of hope and vigor, a taste of what the boys could do and what I hope fans are in for the remainder of the season. The forty-one scored points were great. None of those will be more memorable to me than Callaway's punt return for a TD. I screamed the whole game but never louder than watching him run that ball, that was a sight to behold, and thats including Mr.15 himself showing the SEC that he means business so don't get in his way.
A rough first half gave way to a dominate second one. My recollection might be fuzzy but the Gamecocks only got a few first downs in the second half. The Volunteer D-Line played lights out. Little to nothing got through and they showed that they could do their jobs given a solid chance. Let me tell you, Neyland was rocking most of the game (the horrible officiating helped) but third down for the Gamecocks sent that place into a frenzy every time without fail (yours truly helped the noise along). The offense was not to be outdone with Jennings doing a good turn at QB with a wildcat option, Guarantano showing for the first time this season that he can in fact sling the ball until he got hurt, and Shrout stepping up to fill the role. But, little could top Jennings just doing his thing. I'm glad the man is a Volunteer because I sure wouldn't want to match up against him. Big, fearless, and smooth, he might be called a dog but he moves with the finesse of a big cat rather than a canine.
I screamed, jumped, and clapped my way through four quarters. Spent most of that time with the hairs on my arm standing on end from chills that had nothing to do with the weather. Last night was fun. Last night showed the Volunteer fanbase and the SEC that those boys dressed in orange and white cannot be counted out. Experiencing a dominate win with my brother,sister-in-law, and tens of thousands of my closest friends singing Rocky Top at the top of our lungs made last night a good one. It is a memory that is going to be incredibly hard to top.
In the end I hope those Volunteers felt the support lauded upon them from the cheers, singing, and applause as they showed repeatedly that they understood what they were playing for. It's not the name on the back that matters, it's the name on the front.
Rocky Top you'll always be home sweet home to me.
(Somewhere in the second quarter one of the Smokey mascots came out wearing a cow suit and a sign that said eat mor chicken and I applaud that so much. The real Smokey, and the human one's wearing suits did a great job at firing up the crowd last night)
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