In the final days before a new college football kickoff, I’m rewinding 30 years to a University of Tennessee season that got punched in the jaw at the opening bell, staggered for weeks then eventually emerged into an era of excellence.

The 1994 season launched in the gorgeous Rose Bowl setting against UCLA. Heath Shuler had left for the NFL, but veteran quarterback Jerry Colquitt was deemed capable. Two prize recruits could be groomed slowly for the future.

Then Colquitt tore up his knee on the seventh play of the new season. Alarms sounded. The quarterback scramble was on.

The parties involved:

• A future Hall of Fame baseball slugger, Todd Helton.

• A star freshman from Texas, Branndon Stewart, who in 1998 as Texas A&M’s quarterback would upset unbeaten Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game, nixing KSU from being Tennessee’s opponent in the BCS national title game.

• The future ubiquitous TV pitch man, saloon impresario and NBC co-host of the Paris Olympic Games. Peyton Manning also played a little pro football.

Helton, a junior, immediately replaced Colquitt. The Vols’ offense was in shock and fell in a 15-0 hole.

Manning appeared on one series, in the second quarter, handing off three times. Stewart got a series in the third quarter. Helton returned and nearly rallied UT to victory in the fourth quarter. UCLA prevailed 25-23.

A week later, Helton went wire-to-wire in a 41-23 win at Georgia. James Stewart rushing for 211 yards and four touchdowns didn’t hurt.

But Helton had no luck when No. 1 Florida came to town. The final: 31-0. Manning and Stewart alternated the second half to no avail. Manning had a TD pass wiped off by a penalty.

A visit to Mississippi State and another blow. Helton started but was injured in the first quarter. The two freshmen were all that’s left.

Manning fired a TD bomb on his second play and added another as the Vols went up 21-7. A spate of turnovers undid Tennessee as the Bulldogs rallied to win 24-21. Manning passed for 256 yards. Stewart attempted three passes, one intercepted.

So Tennessee was 1-3 when Washington State came to Knoxville on Oct. 1. The season was imploding.

Manning made his first start against the Cougars. It wasn’t pretty.

Tennessee trailed 6-0 at the half before Manning led a TD drive in the third quarter and then a field-goal drive in the fourth for a 10-9 victory. He passed for 79 yards on the day. Stewart had just one attempt.

Still, the Vols turned a corner that day. They would win seven of their final eight games to finish 8-4. The only loss was 17-13 to No. 10 Alabama that went down to the wire.

Most of the wins were comfortable. The regular season finished with routs of Kentucky (52-0) and Vanderbilt (65-0). In the Gator Bowl, UT built a 35-7 lead on Virginia Tech and coasted, 45-23.

Manning got the most snaps, but Stewart was developing, too. He got series in every half and directed touchdown drives in each of the final five wins.

Still, it was obvious that Manning was going to be exceptional.

Manning passed for 1,141 yards and 11 touchdowns, Stewart 424 and one. Both completed 61.8 percent. Manning’s QB rating was 145.2, Stewart’s 125.3.

Stewart transferred to Texas A&M. Helton led the Vols to the College World Series in the spring.

And Manning started every game the rest of his career.

Scott Miller plug: A suggestion for your final Saturday evening before the Vols kick off the season. Scott Miller, the excellent singer/songwriter with strong Knoxville ties, is performing at Montvale Springs in Blount County on Aug. 24. He might even do “Amtrak Crescent.”

Mike Strange is a former writer for the News Sentinel. He currently writes a weekly sports column for Shopper News.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: In 1994, Vols staggered out of the gate then ran toward immortality