On October 19, 1985, Tennessee traveled to Birmingham to play Alabama, who were ranked #15 and entered the game with a 4–1 record following a 19–17 loss to Penn State. Both offenses struggled to move the ball for most of the game, though Robinson and freshman running back Keith Davis had garnered enough offensive production to give Tennessee a 13-7 lead after three quarters. Following an Alabama turnover, Tennessee had driven inside the Alabama 10-yard line early in the fourth quarter. On a 2nd-and-1 scramble, Robinson was sandwiched between linebacker Cornelius Bennett and defensive lineman Curt Jarvis, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. He recalled Bennett saying, "T-man, stay down, you're hurt. I can feel it." Though stunned with Robinson out of the game, Tennessee regrouped and held on for a 16–14 victory.