Going 8-0 to start a football season at Tennessee is a rare feat. General Neyland did it seven times. Bowden Wyatt coached a team to 8-0 once in 1956. Phillip Fulmer and the No. 2 Vols had a chance to add to the list in 1998, with a homecoming game against UAB.
The Vols scored early and scored often against the Blazers. An early Jeff Hall field goal was coupled with a few Travis touchdown runs; one from Henry and one from Stephens.
Tee Martin added his own into the mix, a QB sneak from inside the 1-yard line and threw another to Cedrick Wilson. Of all the tight, down to the wire games the Vols would play in 1998, homecoming against UAB would not be one of them. Tennessee wins 37-13, moving to 8-0 on the season.
Tennessee faced more pressure after the game then during it. With just three SEC contests left in the regular season, the questions started to rise from reporters: were the Vols thinking about a BCS bid? A perfect season?
"Before the game we somewhat controlled our own destiny and after the game we still somewhat control our own destiny, if we take care of winning," said Fulmer. "And our focus right now will be totally on preparing to get better and ready for Arkansas."
For wide receiver Peerless Price, there wasn't much to change.
"We're going to take the same approach we've been doing for the first eight, nine weeks. Didn't nobody expect us to be ranked this high this late into the season from the first place so we're going to prove all doubters wrong and take care of our business throughout the week and every Saturday go out there and be the best team every Saturday."
