Tennessee Football Fans Celebrate Like It’s Their First Win Over Alabam…….
The Vols (6-1, 3-1 SEC) turned back the Tide (5-2, 2-2) for a 24-17 victory Saturday.
A familiar tune of “Dixieland Delight” echoed through Neyland Stadium, but it barely had time to taunt the Alabama players as they ran off the field with about 20 seconds remaining on the game clock.
When the final seconds ticked away, UT players stormed the front row of the student section while fans lit their victory cigars. Then students leaped past the players, and the celebration poured onto the turf.
The game wasn’t an instant classic in this Third Saturday in October rivalry like the 2022 game, which UT won 52-49. But no one wearing orange cared how it looked as they flooded Shields-Watkins Field.
“It wasn’t pretty early. (A crowd of almost) 102,000 saw it. Everybody on TV saw it. We saw it too,” UT coach Josh Heupel said. “(But there’s) nothing better than walking off the field with the crowd surrounding you and a cigar in your mouth.”