The Tennessee Volunteers played host to the 13th ranked Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday night at Neyland Stadium. It was a highly-anticipated night game, one in which the Vols hoped to win and use as a springboard into the top-25, but during the fourth quarter, the game was temporarily stopped due to frustration boiling over from fans over a bad call.
Tennessee faced a fourth-and-24 with the ball on its own 26 while trailing, 31-26, with less than a minute to go. Quarterback Hendon Hooker found Jacob Hooker and appeared to get a first down by a yard or two, but the officials ultimately decided that he was short, giving the Rebs the ball and infuriating the home fans.
Tennessee fans were singing “Living on a prayer”, ref interrupts and announces the ruling of short of the first down stands… Everyone started booing LMAOOO pic.twitter.com/JqjvQINggd
— ✯✯✯✯✯ (@FTBVids_YT) October 17, 2021
Here’s the thing: There were 54 seconds left and the Vols had all three timeouts, so the game was by no means over, even if a lot would need to go right for Tennessee. But the fans in Neyland were (pretty understandably!) not happy, and as a result, they let the refs know that they were upset. There were boos, of course, but things went to another level when the fans started launching things onto the field.
Stay classy, Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/jeKcNk9eNN
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 17, 2021
At one point, Rebels coach Lane Kiffin was hit with a golf ball, while Tennessee’s band and cheerleaders had to exit the field.
oop, they got Kiffin.pic.twitter.com/IwK7t94dJu
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 17, 2021
Tennessee cheerleaders shielding themselves from water bottles pic.twitter.com/K0Veh94HUC
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) October 17, 2021
And then, in one of the more absurd things said/shown on television during a college football game, we learned some of the things that were hucked onto the field, including a bottle of mustard.
Ole miss-Tenn sideline announcer, as fans throw shit on the field:
“I’ve seen vape pens, golf balls, water bottles, beer … there’s a whole jar of mustard down here in the field.”
— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) October 17, 2021
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) October 17, 2021
Whoever brought a bottle of mustard to the Ole Miss-Tenn game is a criminal lol pic.twitter.com/RugV8f5UKn
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) October 17, 2021
Again, the Vols had a chance to win, and they dang near made it happen. They forced a three-and-out, got a good return on the punt, and moved the ball down to the Rebs’ 21. They came up a bit short — backup QB Joe Milton tried running for it and only gained 13 yards — but this was one of the more chaotic scenes you’ll see in the sport. And on top of it all, Kiffin made sure he kept his souvenir.
amazing pic.twitter.com/LEytFF6xOi
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) October 17, 2021
As he walked off the field, fans kept throwing things, as Kiffin caught a water bottle that was chucked at his head and then tossed his visor to fans above the tunnel as one last sendoff.
Kid you not @Lane_Kiffin Odell’d a water bottle exiting Neyland pic.twitter.com/jDPq6JEiz2
— Josh Pate (@LateKickJosh) October 17, 2021