Excerpt taken from retrospective piece penned by ESPN’s Chris Low. A new detail or two:
The unforgettable memories from that season flow to this day for Tennessee fans, starting with the very first game, a heart-stopping 34-33 win in the Carrier Dome over Donovan McNabb and a Syracuse team loaded with future NFL talent.
A bang-bang pass interference call on fourth-and-7 from the Tennessee 35-yard line with 1:48 to play kept alive the Vols' game-winning drive and to this day infuriates Syracuse fans. Initially, no flag was thrown in what seemed like an eternity on the Tennessee sideline. But, finally, one came sailing in from back judge Lee Dyer, who just happened to live in Chattanooga.
"The closest official to the play didn't see it. He said he was blocked and couldn't see it," Fulmer said. "But it was pass interference, no question. Cedrick Wilson clearly was hit before the ball got there."
After the 1998 season, Fulmer said he sent Dyer an autographed national championship football, but not because Fulmer felt like the Vols received any special favors.
"I just wanted him to know that he absolutely made the right call," Fulmer said.
The unforgettable memories from that season flow to this day for Tennessee fans, starting with the very first game, a heart-stopping 34-33 win in the Carrier Dome over Donovan McNabb and a Syracuse team loaded with future NFL talent.
A bang-bang pass interference call on fourth-and-7 from the Tennessee 35-yard line with 1:48 to play kept alive the Vols' game-winning drive and to this day infuriates Syracuse fans. Initially, no flag was thrown in what seemed like an eternity on the Tennessee sideline. But, finally, one came sailing in from back judge Lee Dyer, who just happened to live in Chattanooga.
"The closest official to the play didn't see it. He said he was blocked and couldn't see it," Fulmer said. "But it was pass interference, no question. Cedrick Wilson clearly was hit before the ball got there."
After the 1998 season, Fulmer said he sent Dyer an autographed national championship football, but not because Fulmer felt like the Vols received any special favors.
"I just wanted him to know that he absolutely made the right call," Fulmer said.