Cary Clark's Greatest Games: 1990 Alabama at Tennessee

Cary Clark recalls the 1990 Tennessee upset at Neyland Stadium

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The year was 1990. It was year one of the Gene Stallings era. 

His team started 0-3 before home wins over Vanderbilt and Southwest Louisiana. 

Heading into Knoxville, no one gave Alabama a chance, but someone forgot to tell the Crimson Tide that. 

In today's first installment of a weekly series on Bama's Greatest Games, BamaCentral.com's Cary L. Clark recalls that day and his trip to Neyland Stadium.

Not to give away the ending, but the Crimson Tide beat the No. 3 Volunteers 9-6 on a last-second, 47-yard field goal by Philip Doyle before the then-fourth largest crowd in Neyland Stadium history (96,732).

In the first half he connected on field goals pf 26 and 30 yards. 

Tennessee countered with field goals of 20 and 51 yards by Greg Burke. 

The key play of the game came when Tennessee lined up to attempt a 50-yard field goal with 1:51 remaining. Alabama' Stacy Harrison blocked the kick, and  the ball bounced around before the Volunteers were able to recover at their 37. 

Concerned mostly with the time Alabama ran the ball three straight times before calling timeout with 4 seconds remaining.

Without running back Siran Stacy and wide receivers Craig Sanderson and Prince Wimbley, who had been lost for the season due to injury, Alabama managed just 222 yards (104 rushing and 118 passing). 

"This has to rank right up there with  the biggest wins I've ever had in my career," Alabama coach Gene Stallings said. "We had terrible field position throughout the game, but we got tremendous effort from the defense. It was just a great win."

However, Crimson Tide center Roger Shultz had the line of the game when he told reporters, "We ought to pay property tax. We own this place."