On this day in 1996, exactly 30 years ago today, the Memphis Tigers pulled off the impossible by defeating the 6th ranked Tennessee Volunteers by a score of 21 to 17 at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (now Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium).
This would mark the first time that the Tigers would beat the Vols after 15 previous encounters with their vaunted rivals.
And despite then-college quarterback Peyton Manning leading his fellow Vols to the Liberty Bowl, key plays that affected the outcome of this matchup included Tigers Kevin Cobb’s 95-yard kickoff return touchdown in the third quarter and quarterback Qadry Anderson’s game-winning touchdown pass to tight end Chris Powers with 34 seconds left in the game.
Fans would celebrate this unlikely upset by rushing the field and tearing down the goalposts, bringing a raucous yet exciting close to one of the greatest moments in Memphis football history.
