Top 5 College Football Games I’ve Attended- #4
Credit: Mark Humphrey/AP
By Tucker Harlin
Ahead of the 2024 football season, I have been to 75 college football games over the last 18 seasons. I will be adding at least seven more to that tally this fall.
Of course, a vast majority of that 75 is Tennessee, and a good chunk of the last 20 years for the Vols has been rough sledding.
Given that fact, my selection of Tennessee games for this list was pretty easy. However, there’s a non Tennessee game in there that might surprise you.
These are in ascending order, broken up by game, with an honorable mention.
This is my fourth favorite college football game I’ve attended.
#4- OLE MISS at VANDERBILT, 2013- Rebels 39 Commodores 35
I’ll go ahead and spoil it, but this is the only game on the list that does not involve Tennessee.
This game was a part of the handful that are played on the Thursday of opening weekend, so both sides were filled with anticipation for this one.
Vanderbilt had won nine games the previous year, the first time that had been done in West End since 1915.
James Franklin’s bunch had ended 2012 on a high note, and aside from quarterback Jordan Rodgers and running back Zac Stacy, it didn’t lose a lot ahead of the 2013 season.
Ole Miss also had a lot of momentum headed into 2013.
Hugh Freeze had just taken the Rebels to their first bowl in three years and beaten Pittsburgh 38-17. His recruiting class was the best in the country, featuring Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell, Evan Engram, and Laremy Tunsil among others.
Now the Rebels just needed to prove their worth on the field.
The Rebels had a fortuitous start to the night.
Defensive back Tony Conner picked off Vandy quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels on the very first possession. This allowed the Rebels to gain an early advantage by kicking a field goal.
Vandy went three and out on the next possession. The punt only went 16 yards, allowing the Rebels to start in plus territory again.
The Rebels marched to the end zone in nine plays, ending with a 1-yard rush touchdown from backup quarterback Barry Brunetti.
However, Vandy surged for three touchdowns in the next three possessions.
A drive in excess of six minutes ended with a score for running back Wesley Tate to put the Commodores on the board. Carta-Samuels found receiver Jordan Matthews for a 55-yard touchdown to take the lead.
Vandy capped off an 80-yard drive with a Jerron Seymour rush touchdown to take a 21-10 lead into the locker room.
Both sides went empty to begin the second half, but the Rebels would soon find the end zone for the second time.
The drive was highlighted by first down completions from quarterback Bo Wallace to receiver Laquon Treadwell. Ultimately, it ended with another Barry Brunetti rush touchdown.
The Commodores answered the call, crafting a 12 play, 75-yard drive of their own that ended with another Wesley Tate rush touchdown.
The Rebels countered with another methodical drive.
This one lasted 15 plays and ended with a Bo Wallace rush touchdown. Ole Miss went for two and succeeded as Wallace and Treadwell connected to make it just a field goal deficit.
Vanderbilt’s next drive stalled and the Rebels took advantage yet again.
This drive consisted of runs from Wallace and running back Jeff Scott.
Remember Jeff Scott, this won’t be the last time you see his name.
Wallace punched in a rush touchdown to give the Rebels a 32-28 lead. It was their first lead since the opening quarter.
The teams traded punts on the next two possessions, giving Vandy the ball with just over four minutes to play.
The Rebels sacked Carta-Samuels on third down, setting up 4th and 18 in his own territory.
With the clock ticking close to two minutes remaining, the Dores had to go for it. Somehow, Carta-Samuels managed to fit the ball in a tight window to Jordan Matthews, who stumbled out of bounds at the Ole Miss 34.
The very next play, the Rebels defense completely lost Vandy tight end Steven Scheu.
Scheu slipped left and there wasn’t a defender within 20 yards of him. The score put Vandy up 35-32 with 1:30 to go.
Time was suddenly running out on Ole Miss.
Or was it?
The Rebels started their next possession with an incompletion.
Remember what I said about Jeff Scott?
Wallace handed him the ball as he ran to the left, nearing the sideline.
From my perspective it looked as if he may have run out of bounds. In reality, he was twisting and turning his way around the sideline, and Scott eventually weaved past a defender into the clear with 50 yards of green grass ahead of him.
The Rebels held a 39-35 lead with just over a minute to go.
But it wasn’t quite over yet.
Vandy returner Darrius Sims had a productive return, and a facemask penalty brought the Dores all the way up to their 49.
Two plays into the series, Vandy was looking at a 3rd and 4. Carta-Samuels threw the pass in the right spot for Matthews to corral it.
But Matthews didn’t catch it. The ball bounced off his hands and into the waiting arms of Ole Miss safety Cody Prewitt.
The Rebels had secured the win and it was yet another step in the right direction in Hugh Freeze’s development of the program.
Ole Miss still had its fair share of disappointments in 2013, but they ended the year positively at 8-5 with a Music City Bowl victory over Georgia Tech.
The events of the opening weekend didn’t weigh too heavily down the stretch for Vanderbilt.
It put together yet another 9-4 season and featured rare wins over Georgia and Florida.
But unfortunately for the Commodores, 2013 was the last dance in a rare prosperous period for their football program.
Bill O’Brien left Penn State to take the Houston Texans job that offseason. This left an attractive opening for the up and coming James Franklin to take a job in his home state, and he did just that.
He is still the head coach of the Nittany Lions today.
