The third Saturday in October is reserved for an epic showdown between the University of Tennessee, clad in orange, and the University of Alabama, dining the crimson. This rivalry football game has not always been a prize fight with streaks going both ways over the decades with a favor toward Bama.
Under Josh Huepl, Tennessee has put together back-to-back home wins in 2022 and 2024, upping the ante in the rivalry.
In 2022, Grace and I enjoyed watching Huepl’s first victory as the Vols’ head coach over Bama. We saw the fans storm the field and tear down the goalposts. The victory was sweeter because Nick Saban was the coach of the Tide.
This year, the Mighty Vols once again defeated the Red Elephants in a 24 to 17 squeaker. This time, Grace and I decided to storm the field, too.
Grace and I are standing in the South endzone of Shield-Watkins Field in Neyland Stadium with the first goalpost coming down in the background.
We had a great time cheering on our Vols. The game was not pretty with strong defenses on both sides and a couple of lead changes.
From the field, the scoreboard in the background shows the final score UT 24, Bama 17.
Here’s a short video that gives a sense of the craziness when Vol fans storm the field. The flashing stadium lights give a bit of a psychedelic feel to the whole scene.