With a 52-49 victory secured by a last-second field goal, Tennessee snapped a 15-game losing streak against Alabama on Saturday, October 15 in Neyland Stadium. Orange fireworks erupted above as the 101,915-capacity crowd fled onto the field in excitement.

The Tennessee Volunteers scored the most points ever in the 105- game series and hadn’t defeated a Top 10 team or Alabama (their biggest rivals) since 2006. The Volunteers’ victory went on to confirm their credentials as national championship contenders.

“If I was on Tennessee’s team, I would feel really accomplished and proud.” junior Maggie Ritchings said. “Everyone played their hardest and ended the losing streak.”

Tennessee fans were ecstatic, even taking down a goalpost while celebrating the win. These “reckless” actions would not go unpunished, however. The Southeastern Conference hit the university with a $100,000 fine for violating the SEC’s “access to competition area policy,” citing the imperative for schools to ensure the safety of their fans and players. 

“At the end of the game, I think that pretty much everybody in Neyland Stadium was on the edge of their seat, especially when Tennessee fumbled. We didn’t think that they would recover from that because Alabama is a team that you cannot mess up on,” Ritchings said. “But they ended up pulling through and getting the last couple of points of the game.”