Perfect for Tennessee fans who think they already know everything Most Tennessee fans have attended a game at Neyland Stadium, seen highlights of a young Peyton Manning, and remember where they were when the Volunteers won the 1999 Fiesta Bowl. But only the truly die-hard fans can recite the words to "Down the Field," and know the history of "Rocky Top." 100 Things Tennessee Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die reveals the most critical moments and important facts about past and present players, coaches, and teams that are part of the storied history that is UT football. Whether you're a die-hard fan from the Phillip Fulmer era or a new supporter of Butch Jones, this book contains everything Volunteer fans should know, see, and do in their lifetime. It offers the chance to be certain you are knowledgeable about the most important facts about the team, the traditions, and what being a Volunteer fan is all about.  Craig T. Smith is a sportswriter who hosted a weekend radio show on ESPN 1040 am Tampa Bay for more than two years, and was a credentialed reporter for the station for three seasons. He presently writes for SB Nation . He lives in Bluffton, South Carolina. Phillip Fulmer was the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers from 1992 to 2008, compiling a win record of 152–52 and bringing Tennessee its first national championship in 47 years. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. 100 Things Tennessee Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die By Craig T. Smith Triumph Books Copyright © 2015 Craig T. Smith All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-62937-106-1 CHAPTER 1 The 1998 National Championship Team of destiny? Lucky? Call them what you will. The 1998 Tennessee Volunteers did what elite programs do — find ways to win games. And they managed to find a way to win every single week. Because of that, for one cool night in the Arizona desert, the color orange shone the brightest, and any hater or doubter of the program could say nothing. "The Doubters are silenced, finally," wrote Mike Strange of the Knoxville News Sentinel. "Tennessee came to the desert ... certain there would be a national championship for the taking ... They were right. It was no mirage. ... A few minutes after midnight back in Knoxville, four months to the day after they began their unlikely quest with an unlikely win at Syracuse — the No. 1 ranked Vols completed their perfect season of destiny." Sometimes great things spring up from unexpected places. After all, stars Peyton Manning, Marcus Nash, and Leonard Little were gone from a team that had been manhandled months earlier by Nebraska 42–17 in the Orange Bowl. The Vols were predicted by the SEC media to finish second behind the Gators in the SEC East. Oh, and the Vols would be breaking in a new quarterback, always a concern for a team looking to make national waves. But destiny was a hard word to escape for this football team, even from the start of the season. Against 17th-ranked Syracuse, the No. 10 Vols drove 72 yards and capitalized on a questionable fourth-down pass-interference penalty on Syracuse, with Jeff Hall booting through a 27-yard field goal as time expired for a 34–33 thriller in the Carrier Dome. Two weeks later, the Vols hosted the Florida Gators in a Neyland Stadium night game, looking to snap a five-game losing streak to Steve Spurrier. Behind a swarming and opportunistic defense that forced five turnovers and an offense that garnered just enough production, Coach Fulmer shed the Florida monkey off his back in a 20–17 overtime victory, the first overtime game in UT history. A key goal-line stand and victory at Auburn masked the season-ending injury of star tailback Jamal Lewis. But the Vols rode the legs of Travis Henry and Travis Stephens to blowout wins against Georgia and Alabama. When their times were called in Lewis' absence, Stephens and Henry rose to the challenge. Henry carried the Vols to victory in the waning moments against Arkansas after a fumble recovery. With formerly undefeated UCLA and Kansas State having lost in the season's final week, and the Vols against the ropes in the second half against Mississippi State, quarterback Tee Martin came to life in the fourth quarter, finding both Peerless Price and Cedrick Wilson for touchdowns within minutes to clinch a trip to Tempe and the Fiesta Bowl. It had been a season of making plays: Billy Ratliff's fumble recovery against Arkansas, Deon Grant's leaping interception late versus Florida, and Shaun Ellis' rumbling interception for a touchdown against Auburn. The Lewis run that set up Hall's winning kick at Syracuse. Price's kickoff return for a touchdown to put away the Tide. Key contributions and impact plays came from everywhere. "This team has consistently found ways to win," Coach Fulmer said. "It's not one or two guys. It's a whole football team believing they can get it done and working hard to get it done." And in the Fiesta Bowl vs. Florida State, it was no different. After Shawn Bryso