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The University of Mississippi Athletics
FRIDAY FLASHBACK: Ole Miss - Tennessee 1983
11/12/2010 | Football
Nov. 12, 2010
FRIDAY FLASHBACK rewinds to some of the memorable Ole Miss games from this week's all-time series. This week features the Rebels' upset win over Tennessee in Knoxville in 1983.
Rebels upset Vols
Butch John, The Clarion-Legder
KNOXVILLE, TN -- Billy Brewer had a week to worry coming into Saturday night's Southeastern Conference struggle here with Tennessee.
The Ole Miss football coach wondered if his Rebels, winners of three in a row coming in, could keep up with a Volunteer team he considered among the best in the SEC.
He was concerned whether Ole Miss was ready to handle the pressure of playing before 95,585 in a Neyland Stadium homecoming, as well as a national television audience of prime-time WTBS watchers.
He prayed, in the event of a loss, that two strides backwards would not follow the three strides forward Ole Miss has made since it began the year with a 1-5 start.
He worried, as it turned out, for nothing.
Ole Miss 13, Tennessee 10 in a shocker.
"It is sweet, but it's also a bunch of kids who have been fascinating in the things they've done the last six or seven weeks," said Brewer, smiling through red-rimmed eyes.
"This football team does whatever it takes to win. They come up with something every week. Our motto is fight, scratch, and hold on," he said.
Hold on, indeed. Taking a 13-7 halftime lead, the Rebels were taken to the limit until the very last seconds of the contest- when Roger Clark's second interception of Tennessee quarterback Alan Cockrell sealed it with 35 seconds to play.
"I would rather not say anything," said Cockrell. "You wouldn't want to hear what I've got to say about the way I played or the way the team played."
Clark's theft came less than one minute after Charles Davis intercepted Ole Miss' Kelly Powell to give the Vols the ball at midfield and a late shot at Volunteer redemption.
Ole Miss, winners of four straight, evened its record at 5-5, moved to 3-2 in the SEC and added a bit of intrigue to the rumor that the Independence Bowl is considering inviting the Rebels.
The Vols dropped to a 6-3, 2-2 in the league, out of the race and out of the major bowl quest.
Ironically, little happened in the first 10 minutes to indicate Ole Miss would be a factor.
The Vols scored the first time they owned the football , driving 58 yards in nine plays to a 20-yard scoring pass from Alan Cockrell to wingback Larry Taylor for a 7-0 advantage at 9:41.
Defensively, the Vols appeared to be in no danger from an offense that managed two net yards in its first two possessions.
Initial appearances were deceiving.
The Rebels cut it to 7-3 at 2:59 in the first, going 52 yards to set up Neil Teevan's career-best 43-yard field goal.
It took Ole Miss 13 plays to score on its next possession, the touchdown a 4-yard scoring pass to split end Jamie Holder at 10:17 of the second- his second catch in the last five games. Two plays before, tight end Steve Joyner caught a deflection by Vol tackle Mark Studaway and rambled to the 5.
The catch was one of nine in the game by the Ole Miss tight ends, including six from starter Michael Smith. His performance was indicative of the nickel-and-dime style of offense that rolled up 329 yards against a unit that had led the SEC with an average of 260.2 per game.
Powell was chosen the game's MVP for Ole Miss on the basis of his 19-for-33, 191- yard passing performance. Fullback Arthur Humphrey rushed for 87 rugged yards on 20 carries.
The quarterback was sacked once all evening, thanks in a large part to the double-team work of guard John Allen and tackle Greg Walker on All-American defensive tackle Reggie White.
The Rebels squandered a chance to increase the margin late in the half when a 42-yard Powell pass to Timmy Moffett gave them a first down on the Vol 5. Buford McGee got 4 on first, but no more.
Ole Miss scored just before half when Clark's first theft set up a 27-yard Teevan field goal at 1:15.
Tennessee, showing patience not displayed in the first half, put together 15 straight running plays after the second half kickoff to set up a 25-yard Fuad Reveiz field goal at 6:35 of the third.
Buoyed by the success of the ground game, the Volunteers came back on the next possession for more of the same. Moving from its 31 to a first down on the Ole Miss 18- mostly on a 34- yard run by tailback Randall Morris- Tennessee came a step from the lead late in the third.
Morris, breaking clean at the line raced from the 22 to the 1, where he was stripped of the ball by Joe Hall, with Rebel end Carl Lewis recovering just outside the goal line for the turnover.