Year by Year

1891: 0-1 (0-1) [0-0]

Football was a new and interesting up and comer in the sports world, especially at the university level. With the rules of the sport being officially adapted from the Rugby Union rules, 1880 was the year in which the players per side was set at 11, the scrimmage down was implemented, and the field was adjusted from the rugby size. In 1887, the Virginia Military Institute and WIlliam and Mary College played the first game in the South. Tennessee, far from the powerful contender it would one day become, started playing organized “sandlot” games in 1890, helped along by Charles Plumb and Charles Summers. But it took a former Princeton football player, H. K. Denlinger, to take over a lead the YMCA program on campus. After recruiting players, practicing, and a few years of around the campus games, University of Tennessee prepared a team to compete against the team from Sewanee. Brimming with excitement, the team was dubbed to be “an honor to the university they represent.”[1] With 11 players, 10 of their names are recorded: Robert Hays, James Wood, Charles Moore Jr., Herberty Lathrop, Edwin Werts, Charles Rhea, John Cox, Howard Ijams, Shirley Spence, and H. K. Denlinger. The Fullback’s name was not included.

Filled with vigor and vim, accompanied by a small entourage of students to witness the seminal game in Volunteers history on November 21st, 1891. The Orange and White Tennessee players against the Purple clad boys from Sewanee. To give a bit of background on this Sewanee team, Vanderbilt shut out the Tiger a fortnight earlier 22-0, and another game against Vanderbilt on November 26th would result in another loss, 26-4. But UT was the team tasting defeat on this day, 0-24. It was the only game of the season for Tennessee, but it was the first step in a long road.

1892: 2-5 (2-6) [0-3]

While the first official game in Volunteers history was a less than stellar result, it was the impetus for future growth. The second game was played in October of 1892. Playing against a nearby school, Maryville College, Tennessee was able to mirror the previous season’s game in their favor. They came home with a shut-out, 24-0 win. Sadly, “little else about that campaign has ever caused Big Orange chests to swell.”[2] The very next week, a rivalry was born in humiliation. The Orange and White traveled to Nashville to play against Vanderbilt, a team which had two seasons under its belt and had beaten Sewanee twice in 1891. On October 21st, 1892, Vanderbilt won the first meeting of these two teams 4-22. The very next day, the team was defeated by Sewanee Purple Tigers 0-54. A mere eleven days later, Sewanee came to Knoxville and defeated Tennessee at home 0-10.

It was not all doom and gloom for the Vols, however. A 16-6 victory over the Chattanooga Athletic Club on November 12th brought a ray of hope, but a pair of home losses to close the season against Vanderbilt (0-12) and Wake Forest (6-10) were bitter pills to swallow. For those who keep score at home, this left the Orange and White with a 0-3 home record, a 0-5 combined record against rivals Sewanee and Vanderbilt, and were outscored in those five games 4-122.

But it was also during this season a practice of overt university support for the varsity program, for the school designated specific table in the school mess mall for the football program. While the Tennessee football team of today has an estimated value of around $113 million[3], and major programs today have a massive coaching and training staff, plus recruiters, nutritionists, marketing departments, boosters, and more, a team just getting off the ground seemed lucky to get much assistance at all.

1893: 2-5 (4-11) [2-4]

While 1892 was a disappointing season, 1893 started as a disaster. It was such a horror show, “only two players willing to admit they had played on the ‘93 team showed up on campus in 1894.”[4] The school then known as Kentucky A&M hemorrhaged Tennessee at home 0-56. Tennessee’s record in Knoxville fell to a pitiful 0-4, having been outscored 6-88.

But it got worse from there. While the order of opponents and number of games at this point in the season varies by source, the records concur in scoring three games played from November 3rd through November 6th. Whatever the order, Tennessee lost to North Carolina 0-60, lost 0-70 in Durham, NC (the school now known as Duke University), and were soundly beaten at Wake Forest 0-64. A news article from The Wilmington Morning Star published November 9th, 1893, also attributed a loss in a game the previous day against North Carolina A&M by a score of 6-12.

Anyone looking for a silver lining at this point in the life of the Tennessee football team would be hard pressed to find one, but UT finally secured not one, but two wins at Waite Field, their home, in games played November 18th against Maryville (32-0) and November 30th against Asheville Athletic (12-6)

1894: Unofficial, 2-0-1 (6-11-1) [2-4]

Three seasons of play, and barely more than a win a season had been averaged. The University of Tennessee football program had made such a rough go of things, the school determined to cancel the team and forgo the season. However, a student who had transferred from Wake Forest, William B. Stokely, recruited, encouraged, and rallied a group together, then worked to schedule a series of games for the boys to play.

Again, records differ on what occurred at this point. There is a game accredited to UT against Maryville on November 3rd, but the Volunteers and the University itself are never mentioned, only “the Knoxville players.”[5] Given the number of club teams playing in Knoxville, it is hard to guarantee this is UT football. Additionally, a newspaper article gives a rather vivid report of a game played November 10th, 1894, as the University team’s first game against a Knoxville club team, including players losing teeth.[6] The article from that day gives the final score as an 8-8 draw, while some sources cite it as a 16-4 victory. Given the article as being published the day after, with rosters and a description of the ebb and flow of momentum and exciting moments, it appears most likely the 8-8 draw is accurate.

At this point, records match up again. With a few weeks to rest, likely due to the difficulty of scheduling without the aid of the University, the Volunteers played again against the Knoxville YMCA team, on November 29th, and came away with a 12-4 win. In December, the unofficial University team played its final game of the season, defeating a team from Carson-Newman College 18-0. The game was described in the papers as a “mud battle” and the players “carried upwards of several pounds of real estates on their clothes and in their hair.”[7] Whatever the color of the players, they were not the only ones noticed. “Miss Maude Cochran, who wore the U of T colors and cheered continually for the boys… will ever be remembered by them.”[8]

Again, sources tend to differ on this season, but as it is not a recognized season of Vols football, the statistics are not the most relevant part of this story. In the day and age of massive participation in fantasy football leagues and the proliferation of video games, it is easy to forget the game is played but the face to face combat of men, force against fury. It is a great credit to Stokely, a student who the year before and played for Wake Forest and was part of the team which pounded UT 0-64, who came to the school and resuscitated the program with little assistance from the administration. The passion of students for the struggle of human conflict on the field gave them their first season without a loss.

Additionally, Stokely’s family became a principal player in University of Tennessee athletics. Stokely’s son, William B. Stokley Jr., contributed donations to the school on multiple occasions, including a “cash gift of $750,000 that led to the enlargement of the UT Armory Fieldhouse[, a] 12,700 seat facility, named the William B. Stokely Athletics Center.”[9] The dedication and passion the students felt to play and struggle and sacrifice on cold, muddy fields laid the groundwork for future glory throughout UT athletics, impacting far more than the football field, and contributing to the success of men and women for well over a century.

1895: Unofficial, 3-2-1 (9-13-2) [2-4]

While Tennessee had some success in 1894 without official school support, it was not enough to bring back a Varsity squad. Due to this, Stokely again led the team as an unofficial coach in an unofficial season. Stokely was able to schedule games against the Knoxville YMCA and Maryville, familiar opponents to UT by this point. These two games resulted in scores of 4-0 for a Tennessee victory and a 6-6 draw, respectively. Two days following the draw against Maryville, UT arrived in North Carolina and shut out Bingham School 12-0.

A few victories and no defeats may have given some hope to the team, but a mid-November set of games in Atlanta against Fort McPherson (0-28) and another played in Bristol, TN, against Saint Alban’s (0-38) were embarrassments for the team. Two days after being pasted by such a humbling score, however, the team rallied to score the largest win differential in team history by scoring 40 points and shutting out their opponent, the Tennessee Medical Unit back home in Knoxville.

While this season was far from a dominating display, it contained encouraging signs. The team was still on its own, and came away with a winning record. They didn’t lose at home. They had their strongest victory in the program’s short history, and also were able to rebound quickly on very short rest for that big win. Some other matters which may have influenced outcomes, trip to Atlanta is not a quick one to make, and especially not on a Thursday, which may explain the beating Tennessee took at the hands of Fort McPherson. Also, the game against Saint Alban’s was played on Thanksgiving Day. Today, Thanksgiving and football go hand in hand. In a day and age when football was unpopular enough the school would drop the program without fanfare or worry, players on a club team would probably go home as soon as travel to play. While full rosters at this time were not found, there is a distinct possibility the Vols teams for these games were short-handed.

It appears the University also noticed the positive signs from the student led team. It was announced the school would resume a sponsored football team in 1896. Football was officially back.

1896: 4-0 (13-13-2) [5-4]

There is a saying: you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Whatever the specific verbiage or word choice, the message is largely the same. So it may have been for Tennessee football. After a few early seasons of not gaining apparent traction, lopsided losses, and low attendance, the first game of the 1896 UT season, the return of a varsity squad, appeared to be a rousing success. “Seven hundred people, among whom were many ladies, witnessed the game and cheered the home team to victory,” and after the game “[t]he college boys formed a solid column and paraded the principal streets with college colors flying from canes and hat bands.”[10]

Such was the response to a 10-6 victory on October 22nd over the visiting team from Williamsburg College, KY. The air around football had started to create quite a stir, and for a few reasons. Nationally, the rules had changed, In an effort to make the game safer, the deadly flying wedge was outlawed, restrictions were made to “mass plays,” and a version of the false start was implemented, which resulted in a version of the hurry up offense to catch defenders off-sides.[11] But Knoxville itself had some exciting news it shared. James Baird was hired as the coach. Frank “Bones” Maloney, a native of Knoxville, was named Captain. Baird was named as “last year’s best tackle in the South” for his play at North Carolina to drum up more hype.[12] Tennessee also became affiliated with the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, creating greater legitimacy for the team. These factors each contributed to a renewal of support and excitement around the university team.

With only one day of rest following the game against Williamsburg, Tennessee played the Chattanooga Athletic Club, and scored the only touchdown of the day to go home with a 4-0 win. In a display which would fit perfectly in today’s world, the referee received a lot of negative attention. “The University of Tennessee outclassed the Chattanooga eleven at every point… And it was due to the rank decisions of the referee, who knew nothing at all about how to referee a game, that the University boys were prevented from making several touchdowns” (emphasis added)[13]

With no more games until November 14th, the Volunteers rested, but came out rusty against VPI (eventually Virginia Tech). The closest game so far, Tennessee squeezed out a 6-4 win, but the players still called the game their “rottenest of the season,” though the Sentinel disagreed calling it “The Finest Game of the Season.”[14] The last game of the year was played at home on November 26th, 1896, and resulted in a 30-0 pounding of Central University out of Kentucky.

There were many milestones in this campaign. The fanbase appeared energized leading to a team paraded after a victory. This was the first undefeated season in school history, and in doing so, Tennessee won all three home games to improve to finally have a winning record of 5-4 at Waite Field. The large margins of victory to close the season also brought their point differential into positive territory for the first time, 96-92.

1897: 4-1 (17-14-2) [6-5]

There are many supporters who say a good preseason attendance is needed from the players to be ready to play the first real game of the season. Some pundits claim real football doesn’t start until October, typically after 4 games have been played. It seems no one told Tennessee football it needed a few games under their belt to play well back in 1897. Playing at Baldwin Park in Knoxville, the Orange and White defeated King University 28-0. This victory pulled Tennessee’s overall record, unofficial seasons included, to over .500 for the first time. Eight days later, they had a much more pedestrian showing, but still won their game against Williamsburg 6-0. However, Tennessee fell flat at home against the UNC Tar Heels, 0-16 for a 1-1 home record. New reports note the weather was “raining heavily the entire game,”[15] and also Tennessee’s coach and Captain, James Baird “who has for several days had a very bad ankle had to retire early in the game.”[16] Failing to score a point at home had been common half a decade earlier, but more recent teams had largely ended that preconception of Tennessee football.

But the University came back well enough to close out the season. Playing in Roanoke, VA, Tennessee forced timely fumbles to come away against Virginia Tech with a 16-0 win. The article describing the game notes “a drizzling rain,” the “superior weight” of the Knoxville team, and “three different occasions, with the ball within ten yards of Tennessee’s goal, it was lost to the latter on fumbles.”[17] The same article names J. Baird and Moran as stars. Baird has been mentioned as coach, Captain, and a star tackle from UNC. But who is Moran?

The college football game of today is driven by recruiting. In 1897, while different in many aspects, the goal was the same; find the players who can change the game, and get them to play for you. Such was the intention of the team manager, Eugene R. Atkinson, when he went out of his way to gain the trust and commitment of “Uncle Charley” Moran. When a player is scouted, there are “tools” they have. In baseball, you have a hose, or wheels. Quarterbacks have a cannon for an arm, or touch to make all the throws, or vision. Basketball players have the length to play defense. Well there is one hyperbole most every sport shares: speed kills. Eugene Atkinson saw Moran as the speed necessary to turn the corner and outrun the defense. Moran proved him right. In the first game of the season, a game which was shortened to only half an hour of game time due to delays, Moran scored on a 90 yard touchdown run.[18]

To close the season, Tennessee traveled to Bristol, TN, to play again. Again, some sources appear to differ, but the report from the Knoxville Tribune dated Saturday Morning, November 27, 1897 states the University of Tennessee won “a splendid exhibition” against King college 12-4.[19] On the same page, a headline reads “Nothing But Liberty will satisfy the cravings of the struggling insurgents; no plans that Spain may propose will be accepted: the fight will continue until this end is accomplished.” War was brewing in the world.

1898: No Team

As opposed to a lack of interest or success, what halted Tennessee’s football program this year was the Spanish American War. Officially, there were no games played, and no team assembled.

1899: 6-2 (23-16-2) [11-6]

The 1896 team took steps towards the modern football game by seeking out a coach with experience in James Baird. The 1897 team moved it forward again with a big, in-state recruiting success. By 1899 was a pivotal year for the UT football program. J. A. Pierce was hired as the schools first full-time coach, prompting the Sentinel to publish “the UT team will doubtless be the best this year the institution has ever had. The men, however, are smaller than has been the case before.”[20]

Paying for coaching services appeared to be a bit of a poor investment the first month of the season. In October, Tennessee played three games, losing two. King University again came to visit, and Tennessee won in Knoxville 11-5. On the 21st, Virginia Tech came to town, and shut out Tennessee 0-5. Neither of these were played at Waite Field, however. The records show all games in Knoxville this season were played at Baldwin Park, which technically became the home field the next year, though it returned to Waite in 1901.

A week after failing to score at home, Tennessee was in Sawanee, TN, to play the Tigers once again. In the first two seasons of UT football, Sewanee won all three games, scoring 88 points and shutting out the Orange and White all three times. The worst defeat was 0-54 in 1892. Seven years later, Sewanee defeated Tennessee once again. Once again Tennessee failed to score. And once again, Sewanee scored over 50 points. With a final tally of 0-51, The Volunteers dropped to 0-4 with still never a point to show for their losses at the hands of Sewanee. To be polite, though, Sewanee was a powerhouse in 1899. They dominated the SIAA conference, and during a road trip from November 9th through November 14th, they won all five games they played, shutting out every opponent, and scoring 91 points. Sewanee is credited with 11 shutouts in 12 games in 1899, and won the only game their opponent scored by the narrowest of margins, 11-10. Sewanee hadn’t lost a game since 1897, and would not lose another until the last game of their 1900 season.

Tennessee, however, did not have their sustained success at this time. But though they were soundly and convincingly defeated, they rebounded well. Four games played at Baldwin Park resulted in four more victories, all of them shut outs. Though mostly narrow margins, a November 30th game against Kentucky University was a 41-0 win. The games included two wins over conference opponents, Georgia and what would eventually be the University of Kentucky. The Volunteers ended their season with a Christmas Day game against Chattanooga University, winning 6-0.

Tennessee took a major lump against Sewanee, but otherwise performed well. A 6-2 record, five shutout wins, 5-1 at home, and a 2-1 conference record were all rewarding. However, financial worries had struck the team. An invitation for donations from Alumni was printed in the Knoxville Sentinel citing the President of the Athletic Association, the team Captain, and the team Manager.[21] Financial success was further away than success on the gridiron. And, sadly, if you can’t take care of the money, sometimes nothing else matters.

1900: 3-2-1 (26-18-3) [14-7-0]

J. A. Pierce began his second season as coach, and had a peculiar sort of season. Tennessee started with a convincing 22-0 win over King University on October 10th. 12 days later, the Vols traveled to Nashville for their third game ever against Vanderbilt. In what was described as an “interesting game” and “hotly contested,” neither team was able to scrape together even a single point, with a final score of 0-0.[22] This brought the series record tie 0-2-1.

A home loss to North Carolina 5-22 and a road loss 0-23 to Auburn the first weeks of November put the success of the season in jeopardy. The Auburn game was especially embarrassing for Auburn’s defense performing “like a stone wall” and Tennessee giving up a score in the first nine minutes.[23] The season’s conference record ended at 0-2-1. Two more non-conference games against Grant (28-0) and Georgetown College (12-6) brought a semblance of success to the 1900 team. But it was a poor consolation for a failure to win any SIAA game after going 3-1 the two seasons prior.

1901: 3-3-2 (29-21-5) [17-8-1]

Aught-One was had a series of peculiarities about it. First, Gilbert “George” Kelly, a former Princeton ‘baller, was tasked with coaching, but rheumatism ended his coaching career before it really took off. Games started October 12th with an 8-0 win over King University at home. On the 18th, Tennessee took on the Heisman led Clemson team which won a game the week before 122-0. Against the Vols, the game ended with a 6-6 standstill, for one of the few games Clemson did not win between the 1900 and 1903 seasons. The game may have been partly decided by Nash Buckingham, a UT player, sewing aluminum plates into his pads to knock out the knees of a Clemson player, and it took a referee to convince Buckingham to remove them.

Team success came to a standstill for a time. Non-Conference losses at the University of Nashville (5-16), and at home to Kentucky University (0-6) were bad enough. But the salt on the wound was Vanderbilt getting back to winning against Tennessee after a tie the previous year. Vandy “pile[d] up score[s]” all day long to win 22-0. Tennessee came home needing wins desperately to salvage their season, a recurring theme for UT football. Two more home wins against Georgetown College 12-0 and Kentucky State College 5-0 brought their home record to 3-1-1, and their season SIAA record to 1-1-1.

To end the season, Tennessee traveled to Birmingham, AL, for their first game against the Tide, and the last game of the season. The news reports for the game were colorful and detailed. A potential for a “splendid struggle” resulted in “an unpleasant controversy… [a]fter almost every down the spectators would… rush the struggling teams,” and it was necessary for “the combined efforts of a squad of policemen ” to clear the field so play could continue. The 6-6 final result left the spectators “sorely disappointed… [and] anything but pleased with the general mismanagement of the whole affair.”[24]

Aside from inserting metal into his pads to injure opponents, Nash Buckingham had a great football career at UT. Following his playing days, however, is when he rose to national prominence, specifically as a leader in Conservation. “In 1962, he was voted the nation’s Outdoorsman of the Year Award, beating out two candidates of considerable renown, President Dwight Eisenhower and Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall,” and assisted in the creation of a line of stamps to raise funds for migratory birds.[25] As considerable as the effort on field was for these players, for the vast majority, there was a living to be made away from football. It is important to recognize the efforts and successes they had even after leaving the sport behind.

A season of coaching changes, illness, metal pads, hard fought struggles, falling short against rivals, but standing tall against one of the best teams of the era. It was a year of inconsistency, but potential. The end result on paper is a perfectly average 3-3-2 season record, 1-1-2 conference record. The best news was UT standing tall at home with a 3-1-1 record.

1902: 6-2 (35-23-5) [20-10-1]

Tapping a former Princeton football player for head coach did not quite work out for the 1901 team. With Kelley’s career over, Tennessee turned back to Princeton for their next head coach. Hubert Fisher played Center for Princeton, and the Journal described him as “one of the best and most famous football players in the country.”[26]

Coach Fisher must have understood the adage if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Playing against nearby Maryville College was a staple of early Tennessee football teams, and the first victory in Volunteer annals. The King College Tornadoes had been the first opponent of the season since 1897, and Tennessee had won each game, only once allowing a point. Given the considerable success the Orange had experienced against these two opponents, Coach Fisher wisely scheduled them to start the season.

Tennessee football kicked off on October 11th against a fatigued King team which had played, and won, games each of the previous two days. Exhausted, King failed to score yet again against Tennessee. A. H. Douglas, a Tennessee player who will be mentioned more later, was player of note in this game for his “oft-repeated hurdling” of the visiting team. It was almost certainly fatigue of their road trip which brought defeat to the Tornadoes as they held the home team scoreless in the first half, but the Orange and White did all the scoring in the second half, finishing with 12 points to 0.[27] The Vols enjoyed a sterling 5-0 record against King College, and a well-padded 81-5 point differential.

Tennessee changed the script the next week against Maryville. With a series of great rushes, Tennessee “scored a touchdown within one minute from the time the game began,” and finished the half having scored four touchdowns.[28] A final score of 34-0 was a great victory for the Vols, and encouragement to the team going into rivalry.

Game 3 of the season, Vanderbilt came to Knoxville for the continuation of a budding rivalry. Vanderbilt, however, came away with yet another win in the series. Deflated in part by allowing a 90 yard touchdown run, UT was outscored 5-12, with a dismal 0-4-1 record against Vanderbilt. To make matters worse, Sewanee was coming to Knoxville the next week. Sewanee and Tennessee had not played since 1899 when the Tigers demolished the Vols by 51 points. UT’s record against them was 0-4 with a 0-139 point differential. Sewanee had not lost more than two games in a season since 1897. It was a tall order for the Vols, especially coming off a loss.

Heavy money for a fairly local game was bet that day. There were reports of Sewanee faithful betting $85 on the outcome of the game, with others betting” $10 to $25 apiece,” and that UT boosters “made quite the display of their desire to bet on the game.”[29] The Tennessee defense played masterfully, forcing turnovers on downs and fumbles, but the Tigers defensive results were just as good. With only a few minutes to go, the Volunteers took over the ball having forced a turnover on downs at the Tennessee 15 yard line. Good running and great blocking led to the only score of the game, and the first in UT’s history against Sewanee.[30] The end score of 6-0 in favor of the Orange and White sent ”the Tennessee football faithful into hysteria and earning some fans some pocket money as well.”[31]

The success continued for a three week road trip against the University of Nashville, University of Mississippi, and Georgia Tech. The Tech game was especially exciting. Per the news report, a series of rushes close to Tech’s goal line were stopped short or held back until the last play from scrimmage. On that play, “Greene [took] the ball and carries over the for a touchdown very near the side line.”[32] With a one point win over Mississippi and a last play win over Tech, the Tennessee team returned home with a much better record than it could have been.

The last game of the season, Clemson came to Knoxville. Still coached by John Heismann, Clemson was a force to be reckoned with. They shut out Tennessee to win 11-0 in front of the the largest reported crowd at a Knoxville game with 1,500 attendees. Additionally, A. H. Douglas, mentioned for his hurdling in the King game, came up with a play for the history books. Punting form his own 5 yard line, he aired out a kick which bounded and bounced all the way to the Clemson 5 yard line. Today, we would assume it to be a 90 yard punt, but fields in that day were 110 yards, so his punt was recorded as 100 yards, a feat which cannot be broken today.[33]

As an alumni highlight, Archibald Hugh Douglas played for Navy after leaving Knoxville. He fought in World War I, eventually attaining the rank of Admiral and commanding the USS Saratoga in World War II.

With a respectable 3-2 home record, but a flawless 3-0 away record, Tennessee compiled their second 6-2 record, tying a school record for wins with the 1899 season, and a healthy 4-2 conference record.

1903: 4-5 (39-28-5) [23-12-1]

Tennessee football put together their largest schedule in school history for the 1903 season. With nine games on the docket, UT was still able to squeeze them all in between the months of October and November. While King was not an early season opponent, Maryville was. Once again, the Vols shut out Maryville en route to a 17-0 win at home, setting the groundwork for a peculiar season. An indication of just how different times were in the early 20th century, the game was only 40 minutes long, and the average weight of the players was a mere 154 pounds for Tennessee, and 163 pounds for Maryville.[34] A week later, Tennessee defeated Carson Newman in another home shutout victory, 38-0.

The next 5 games were largely disastrous for Knoxville football and their faithful fans. A trip to Nashville resulted in a terrifying 40 point loss to Vandy, then a 24 point loss to South Carolina. Tennessee failed to score in both games. A 10-0 victory over Nashville on the road gave some semblance of hope, but two home losses against Georgia (0-5) and Sewanee (0-17) were deflating. In Tennessee’s defense, “Sewanee ha[d] not been scored against th[at] season”[35] as they would not give up a point until their final game, a 5-10 loss against Vanderbilt. A home game against Tech on November 21st resulted in an 11-0 win. The article from the day reads “TECH DROPS GAME TO VOLUNTEERS – Same Old Story; Fumbling Lost Game.”[36]

To wrap up the season, Tennessee football was in a strange position. Of eight games played, all had been shutouts. With a current season record of 4-4, this was far less impressive than Sewanee being 7-0 with every game being a shutout thus far in their season. However, while glory may not be made on the last day of the season, peculiarity had a chance. Prospects were good for another shutout as Alabama scored four touchdowns in the opening half. The Tennessee defense put on quite a good show thereafter, though, holding back the Tide from scoring again. Sadly, though, while “Tennessee made a grand rally in the second half, [they] could not score.”[37] Final score of 0-24 in favor of Bama.

Nine games played, and never a point did the loser score. UT’s home record was barely above half, at 3-2, while their SIAA Conference record was a paltry 2-4. Vandy and Sewanee had once again notched convincing wins against the Orange and White, and Alabama cleaned house against UT.

It was also a year of great financial struggle for the school. “In the 1902 Vanderbilt game, it was [a loss of] $60.90. In the Sewanee game, $15.80. Fortunately, the Maryville game showed a profit of $45.35.”[38] Many games resulted in a loss of money, not a gain. In a season without much success to celebrate, Coach Fisher left the team at season’s end with a 10-7 record.

1904: 3-5-1 (42-33-6) [24-14-2]

With Coach Fisher having left for Nashville, former player S. D. Crawford took over as coach. History repeated itself in many ways from the 1902 season to the 1903 season. Crawford only helmed the team “for one year before illness cut short his career,” just as former head coach George Kelley’s career was ended by illness.[39] Second, in a 9 game season, Tennessee lost five games, failing to score a point in any defeat. They also shut out every other opponent, with one such game, against the Coach Fisher led Nashville squad, resulting in a 0-0 tie. The clipping of the game notes “Tennessee was frequently penalized for offsides plays, otherwise it would have easily been a Tennessee victory.”[40] Maryville was the first opponent, and once again supplied a win for UT.

In all, this was a sad season. While not Tennessee’s worst season of football ever, it was very disappointing given the season’s of success so recently in the past. A losing home record, all losses being shutouts, an embarrassing 1-4-1 conference record, losses to Sewanee, Vanderbilt, and Clemson, and the loss of yet another coach. The only real upside was finally getting a win over Alabama, but that is a poor consolation for all the other ignominy suffered. The way it came about, however, was ridiculous, and more than noteworthy. Coach Crawford designed a leather belt with handles for Sam McAllester to wear, and it was used by two teammates, noted as the “Caldwell brothers” to lift him up and over the line on numerous occasions “covering half the length of the field to the only touchdown of the game.”[41]

1905: 3-5-1 (45-38-7) [27-15-2]

While 1905 consisted of rather pitiable stories to share regarding on field success, with another losing season, including a winless conference schedule, as well as a new head coach, it was a season which can be recognized for drama and borderline theatrics. The Vols’ first game lasted barely over a half, with the result a 16-6 win. The opponent was the Tennessee School of the Deaf, and they lacked the substitutes to continue after two players were injured and left unable to play. The second game of the year resulted in the largest win in school history, a 104-0 beat down against American Temperance, a school founded with abstinence of liquor in mind. Two home games, two wins, and a historic score; not a bad way to start the season.[42]

But the next four opponents were familiar, and bitter, to UT football. Clemson, Vanderbilt, Sewanee, and Georgia Tech. Clemson ended in a 5-5 tie, which in itself was very nearly a victory. But Vanderbilt came to Knoxville and pasted the Vols, holding them scoreless while scoring 45 points, a score replicated by John Heisman’s new team at Georgia Tech. Sandwiched between them was a “bitterly fought” loss to Sewanee which included a 107 yard touchdown run by the Orange and White clad Caldwell, but “fumbling prove[d] Tennessee’s ruin.”[43]

Against Central College, “Tennessee finally score[d] a victory.”[44] Outsourcing their opponent 31-5 in front of a home crowd could have been a boost, but it was instead a mere glimpse of what may be in the future someday. A trip to Alabama ended in a 0-29 blowout, and even Grant University defeated Tennessee in a shutout. While UT was 3-0 previously against Grant, winning by over 20 points twice and having not given up a point, Grant was in the midst of a very successful season, ending the season 6-1 with 5 shutout victories. To add another odd twist to the season, “Jodie Beane, who had been a star end at Tennessee for four seasons, was a UT end in 1905, but left school during the season to become head coach at Grant.” Not only did Beane leave to coach UT’s last opponent, but he scored the game’s only touchdown on a 75 yard, mud strewn scamper.[45]

And most important, perhaps, for historical reasons, there was a major change to the football team this year. On March 25th, 1905, the Knoxville Journal wrote “All hail the Volunteers” as a direct reference to Knoxville sport teams. Though it had been used before to describe the teams due to the state history, 1905 was the first official usage of Volunteers as the school team names.[46]

1906: 2-6-1 (47-44-8) [28-18-2]

If the 1904 season didn’t have much to write home about, the 1906 season was one where, if you talked about it at all, you would largely avoid ever trying to mention the games themselves. But the stories about the team once again take forefront. Historically, the forward pass was instituted in 1906 for the first time. An incompletion included a 15 yard penalty, so passing was not a common practice, but with the right play drawn up, passing could be a game changer.

Regarding the team itself, one of the most storied participants in Vols football history stepped onto the field. Nathan Washington Dougherty literally has left his name on the campus; the engineering building is named after him. His additional list of accolades include being “an honor student in engineering, captain of three varsity athletic teams, one of the first Tennessee players to make the all-Southern football team, professor and later dean of the College of Engineering, chairman of the UT Athletic Council from 1917 to 1956, vice President of the [NCAA], and a member of the National Football Foundation’s Hall of Fame.” He was regarded as the largest person in his class at UT, standing an imposing 6 foot 2 inches, and weighing 185 pounds. While these are not intimidating dimensions by today’s standards, keep in mind the average weight of a UT football player was merely 154 pounds. He avoided playing his freshman season, initially keeping all his focus on attaining his degree in engineering, saying he was “not too enthusiastic about [football]. But my size attracted the attention of those on the campus who were interested in the game, and the captain of the team… approached me with the suggestion that I go out for the team.” Though he skipped the gridiron for the text books his first year, he came out as a sophomore and immediately was accepted as a player on the field. [47] Additionally, the coach for Tennessee this year, James DePree, quit early in the season, which will be detailed shortly.

Tennessee began the season with a 10-0 victory over American Temperance, a rather pitiful effort compared to the massive victory the year previously. However, the following week, Maryville came to Knoxville, and not only won, but shut out UT for their first win against the Vols. According to Dougherty, “I think losing to Maryville made Depree so sick that he just left.” Another coach out the door, with the vacancy filled by former team captain Roscoe Word, who returned to play the year after, but coached due to an eligibility penalty imposed on Tennessee due to Coach Depree playing the year before.[48]

Central College came to Waite Field and also walked out with a narrow win. History is a little different depending on the source, but a news clipping reviewing the second game between American Temperance in the 1906 season resulted in a strange result. With the score tied 5-5, the game was called as a forfeit of American Temperance, granting Tennessee a 6-0 victory. Due to a penalty for a Temperance player tackling “the runner in an unnecessarily rough manner and not only did that, but he’d had him after he was down.” What resulted was a fracas which the Temperance players apparently refused to accept the outcome of, resulting in the referee calling a forfeit.[49]

No more good really came from the season. Losses to Sewanee, Kentucky State College, and Clemson were followed by a 0-0 tie against Georgia. The last game was a 51-0 drubbing from Alabama. A 1-3 home record, and another winless conference record. In truth, it was an embarrassment for UT.

1907: 7-2-1 (54-46-9) [31-18-3]

After half a decade of losing more than winning, a change of pace would be welcome. The new coach, George Levene, was hired after a successful career playing End at Pennsylvania. His coaching style appeared to have been tough, regimented, and disciplined. “He drilled the Vols incessantly the week of the game” and was quoted by others as being “a stickler for work and believes in putting his proteges up against all they can stand.”[50]

The team was rewarded early on for submitting and drilling hard under their coach. Early season victories against the Tennessee Military Institute and also against conference foe Georgia matched total wins from the previous season after only two games, and also matched the conference win total from the previous two seasons combined.

However, the early history of Tennessee football appears to be replete with stories, and this season’s story came about on October 19th in a game against the John Heisman led Georgia Tech team. While Tech was still about a decade away from dropping a record 222 points while pitching a shutout, Heisman coached teams were traditionally successful. In fact, 1907 is the only season Heisman’s football squad did not win more games than they lost until he took over the football team at Rice in 1924. Heisman’s coaching record going into 1907 was 67-16-8, and Tech began the season with blowout wins of 51-0 and 70-0. UT traveled to Tech with high hopes, but facing tall odds.

The official record is an end result of 6-4 in favor of Tech. The lone score for Tech came courtesy of a changed call. When UT punted the ball from their own end zone, it appeared to never leave the end zone, and traveled to the corner and crossed the sideline, whereupon a Tech player fell atop the ball. The referee initially claimed a safety, and Tech was awarded 2 points. However, Coach Heisman contended his players blocked the ball and recovered it in the end zone, and should be awarded a touchdown instead. A convincing man Heisman must have been, for the call was overturned, and Tech was awarded the touchdown. At this point, and very importantly, “Tennessee informed the referee it was playing the rest of the game under protest,” and proceeded to blank Tech the rest of the way and score 4 points of their own. Official end result was a 6-4 Tech victory. After the game result was published, Coach Levene began appealing the referee’s decision to the SIAA and anyone else who would contribute to the conversation. Even “three weeks after the game… statements continued from everybody but Referee Patterson’s Aunt Minerva, and there were as many opinions concerning the disputed play as there were football fans.” One such opinion contended the call should never have been overturned, but “under the conditions Coach Levene accepted the changed ruling, under protest in order to let the game be played out, Tennessee is undoubtedly entitled to the verdict” and therefore the official final of 6-4 should stand against UT. The SIAA conference at one point reversed the decision, and granted UT the win. Eventually, though, “the national rules committee passed the buck back to the referee, who refused to change his decision a second time and declared Tech the winner.” Officially, the game remains a 6-4 Tech win.[51]

While it was a depressing result for holding such a storied opponent to almost defeat, there was a silver lining. The game appeared to deflate Heisman’s team, and encourage Levene’s. Tech went 1-4 to finish the season, while the Vols closed out the year with a 5-1-1 record en route to a school record 7 win season. Kentucky State College fought Tennessee to a 0-0 standstill, and Bama squeezed out a narrow 5 point win. In the other 5 games, UT allowed a total of 6 points while scoring 120 themselves. Finally, UT football was back to winning, and its losses were all close. It appeared Levene had made progress with his tough brand of coaching.

1908: 7-2 (61-48-9) [37-18-3]

The 1908 squad was powered by the proven success, talent, and drive of players buying into Coach Levene’s discipline. Leach, McCollum, Word, and Wert are specifically named as “stars of that great 1908 machine.”[52] Additionally, Dougherty was also still playing, and well enough to be named Captain the following year.

Knoxville football kicked off with three straight home, non-conference games. All three ended in victory, with UT averaging nearly 20 points a game, and shutting out two opponents. The first two conference games, at home against Georgia and back on the road against Georgia Tech, also ended in victory. The latter victory would likely have been a confirmation for many Tennessee fans that the previous seasons’ game should count as a Vols victory. Staying on the road, UT made the trip to Nashville to play Vanderbilt, resulting in the first loss of the season for Levene’s squad in what was described as “one of the greatest games ever played here.”[53]

Tennessee returned to the safety of Waite Field where they tallied two more wins, over Clemson and Chattanooga. One final conference game remained to close out the season, and UT was once again the team making the trip to play against Alabama. For all seven games in the series, the Volunteers were the ones having to travel. Being the home team appears to have benefitted the Tide, as they were the only team to score, and won on a single field goal kick in front of a large crowd of 3,000.[54]

By season’s end, the fan base’s “enthusiasm was at an all-time high, and a song making the rounds of the Hill toasted Levene’s Machine”[55] While the losses were both against rivals in Vanderbilt and Alabama, both were hard fought and close affairs, not the blowouts commonly associated with the series’. Tennessee scored as many points against Vandy in 1908 as they had in all previous games combined. As noted above, the fans, and the team, were filled with excitement and encouragement moving forward.

1909: 1-6-2 (62-54-11) [38-22-4]

They say All is well that ends well. By that metric, the 1909 season was a success for UT. Coach Levene returned for year three, sporting a 14-4-1 record, a fantastic win-loss ratio for Tennessee. Dougherty was named team Captain, a role he would take seriously. The players were also required to sign an attestation to their commitment to the team before the season.[56] With high hopes and tough discipline, UT felt ready to go.

The first game of the season for Tennessee was played October 2nd, and both teams failed to score. In fact, the Vols failed to score in every game until Thanksgiving Day. They lost six straight games, and tied 2 others. Alabama finally made the trip to Knoxville and won 10-0. This game was the source of this season’s controversy. Having broken free for a 40 yard rush, the referee called a penalty on Tennessee, nixing the long gain and moving the Vols back another 15 yards. The animosity from the crowd was so apparent, a Tennessee assistant coach needed to escort the referee out of the stadium in a hurry, as he was pursued by Vols fans.[57] Only the week before, Vanderbilt hung 51 points on UT in Nashville. The lone win came compliments of an 11-0 game against Transylvania at home to end the season.

The silver lining is the fan base stayed energized through the whole season. Professor R. C. Matthews was viewed as the best of the fans, constantly building the school spirit and pushing for hundreds of students to travel to Nashville, and encouraging the fervor and verve witnessed at home games.[58] Even in arguably the worst season in Tennessee football history, the fans were rabidly devoted.

With the conclusion of the 1909, team Captain Nathan Dougherty and former reluctant footballer, who was twice named to the All-Southern Team, left the team after graduation. He would be admitted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1967.[59]

1910: 3-5-1 (65-59-12) [40-24-5]

Following the disappointment of 1909, Coach Levene left UT, and the post was filled by Lex Stone, who stood 6’ 2” with a handsome face. He played formerly as a Sewanee Tiger in 1906 and 1907. Sadly, Stone may have been thrust between a rock and a hard place, no pun intended. The school had increased admission standards, still holding the position it was the University’s duty to educate minds, not merely to be a stop for athletes who would not otherwise meet muster. To make matters worse, the horrendous results of 1909 had left Volunteer football only $6 shy of $1,200 in the red, and the SIAA conference suspended the team for questionable eligibility of certain players.[60]

Facing these odds, Stone did the best he could with the squad he had. Tennessee split their first two games, both at home. A four game road trip to Vandy, Georgia, Howard, and Mississippi A&M resulted in three losses, with Howard being the only win. UT ended with a home win over Maryville, and a tie to Chattanooga. Another dismal season resulted in another financial loss as well. Another $400 had been lost, and the team was at risk of being dropped due to insolvency. To recoup the financial strain, the students put on shows and circuses, and donations covered the rest.[61]

1911: 3-4-2 (68-63-14) [43-24-6]

For the past 12 seasons, Knoxville had been led by a professional coach. Eight different coaches had been hired, and only one had lasted even three seasons, with three others coaching only a single year. The post had been a veritable revolving door at UT. The position would need patience and commitment, from both coach and school. If either got antsy after only one or even two struggling seasons, another rebuild would be coming. Fortunately, Professor R. C. Matthews, he of school spirit fame who drummed up the student body to a fever pitch, had a wife. The wife had a friend. The friend had a husband. The husband was a four year letter winner in both football and baseball from 1900-1904 and team captain of both squads as a Senior while also playing basketball and spending multiple years on the track. Following graduation he spent two years as assistant athletic director before taking the head coaching job of Nebraska Wesleyan football. Enter Zora G. Clevenger.[62]

Clevenger was an athlete, and parlayed his playing career with lifetime winning records as a coach in football, basketball, and baseball. While a troubling mark was his loathsome 2-8-3 record at Nebraska from 1908-1910, he was entrusted with the student athletes’ futures. At UT, he coached all three major sports as well as the track team. Described as energetic, Coach Clevenger almost immediately “won the confidence and esteem of all.”[63]

Historically, Football itself was also changing, with interlocking blocking and pass interference being made illegal, and improvements to allowance of the passing attack. Additionally, the game was broken up into quarters of 15 minutes each.[64]

Success was not immediate. UT largely alternated wins and losses, with two ties thrown in for good measure, in Clevenger’s first season at the helm. Mooney School, Maryville, and Southwestern Presbyterian netted the Vols wins, all at home. Central University and the Tennessee Medical College were both zero point draws. Georgia Tech, North Carolina A&M, Virginia Tech, and Kentucky State College all hosted UT, and all were losses, and Tennessee tied for the worst conference record in the SIAA.

1912: 4-4 (72-67-14) [46-25-6]

The enhancements to the rules of football continued to spillover with touchdowns being increased in points from 5 to 6, and the field dimensions changing from 110 yards to 100 yards, as well as four downs becoming the rule instead of three, and the limit on down field pass distances was removed.[65]

Clevenger may have studied the seasons of the past, and determined what Tennessee really needed was cupcakes. While many readers may be dreamily picturing a beautifully decorated confectionery treat, Clevenger was thinking of teams the Volunteers could pound into dust. Who better to play than King College and Maryville? Clevenger added Tennessee Medical College in as the third game of the season, and it gave UT the sweetest start to their season. They scored 201 points, and prevented all three teams from scoring even a single point. While the games were supposed to be played with 15 minute quarters, the King was limited to 10 minutes per, which held Tennessee to merely 101 points.[66] Maryville was described as “plucky,” but also “were fortunate to hold score down” to merely 38-0.[67]

Encouraged and cheerful, the team and fans were excited to travel to Chattanooga to play Sewanee. Professor Matthews led a group of 600 students to the game, and perched himself atop scaffolding to direct and lead the cheers and songs. Though the result was a 6-33 defeat, you wouldn’t know it by spending time with the fans as they “jammed the Patten [Hotel] lobby after the game to continue their merrymaking.”[68] No team can be perfect, and taking joy and entertainment in the game itself is important. Tennessee went home with a respectable 3-1 record.

Unfortunately, the remainder of the season featured one non-conference opponent and three conference teams. The Volunteers only managed to defeat the cupcake, winning 67-0 against Central University at home, before losing at Mercer and Alabama (again), and losing at home against Kentucky State College. UT ended the season once again with a terrible conference record (0-4) bringing their conference total in the past four seasons to 1-15.

1913: 6-3 (78-70-14) [51-25-6]

Once again mimicking the strategy often used by today’s teams, Coach Clevenger utilized the same scheduling gimmick which netted Tennessee big wins in the previous year. UT was set to play five non-conference opponents in the first six games, with Sewanee in the midst of it all. Those five non-conference games were almost all uneventful in the sense of suspense; they were all home games for Knoxville, only one was decided by fewer than 21 points, and none of the visitors scored a point. Sewanee once again played spoiler, winning 6-17 in Chattanooga.

Three conference games remained to wrap up the season, with Vanderbilt returning to the fray, as well as Alabama, and the newly named University of Kentucky, formerly Kentucky State College. The Vanderbilt game was a hard-fought affair. Tennessee led late, up 6-0, but when “an unidentified Vol player slugged Vandy end Yunk Chester… the official stepped off the half-the-distance-to-the-goal penalty (33 yards). The Commodores scored on a long pass play shortly afterward.”[69] Vanderbilt won again, their ninth in a row, and brought UT’s series record to 0-11-1.

Alabama once again played host to Tennessee. Neither team scored a touchdown, but the Tide was able to kick two field goals to walk away the 6-0 victor. With the season almost perfectly mimicking the collapse of the previous year, Clevenger had to refocus his squad for the final game in Lexington, KY, on Thanksgiving Day. In what was described as “a sea of mud,” the “superior weight of the visitors told heavily on the Wildcats.” in a day of rain.[70] Tennessee scored a touchdown on a long touchdown pass from Bill May, their quarterback, and Tennessee went home with the win, 13-7. It was Tennessee’s first conference win and the best season record, their first winning one, since 1908. The team was also successful financially, earning over $1000 on the year.[71]

1914: 9-0 (87-70-14) [57-25-6]

Another adage to start a new season: Good things come to those who wait. Really, it should be “to those who have patience. Between the financial windfall of the previous season and the on field success, the University determined it was wise to invest in the football team. They decided to “increase the football budget to an unheard-of $4,700.” This budget increase allowed Clevenger to bring Miller “Brute” Pontius, a former guard at Michigan, to Knoxville as an assistant coach. It also improved the recruiting ability of Coach Clevenger, and he collected “a number of husky men student [who] watched football rather than participated in it.” The resulting team was big for early football, with the offensive tackles and guards averaging nearly 190lbs each, and the ends and center weighing an average of over 170lbs.[72]

When a big, athletic, well coached line was put in front of a quick and speedy backfield, good things can happen. And for Tennessee, everything started rosy. Only four players had graduated or left from the previous season, giving Coach an experienced team to drive. The season began with three of four opponents being non-conference foes, with Clemson thrown into the mix in week 3. Tennessee scored 89, 55, 27, then 66 points in those first four games, only allowing a single field goal to King College in week 2. When Clemson came to Knoxville, The Atlanta Constitution wrote it was one of the largest crowds in Knoxville history, and the fans were rewarded with a bevy of deep passes and great blocking from the home team.[73]

The last five games were all SIAA conference opponents, and all were very familiar to UT; Alabama, Chattanooga, Vanderbilt, Sewanee, and Kentucky. Alabama made their second ever trip to Knoxville for Tennessee’s fifth game sporting a sterling 3-0 record. In anticipation for the big game, the stadium had extra seats installed to a total of 2,000 spectators could have a chair. If the intention was to drum up home field advantage, it worked. Though Alabama was able to score a touchdown, and the subsequent extra point, on a scoop and score early in the 2nd quarter, Tennessee’s defense prevented any other points from being earned by the Tide, and UT celebrated a 17-7 win by the end of the game.[74]

Chattanooga was a runaway game in favor of Tennessee, as they put up a 67-0 rout. Already the most successful team in history, by some measures, the Volunteers had a chance to make history the next week when they traveled to Nashville. Vanderbilt was floundering with a 2-3 record. They lost a demoralizing game against North Carolina 9-10, and fell to Virginia the next week. Tennessee, full of confidence, talent, and size, sporting the #1 offense and #2 defense in Southern football. As a point of focus, Goat Carroll was a member of the 1913 squad which lost 6-7 to Vanderbilt which was influenced so heavily by the late penalty, and lost by a missed extra point. A miss off the foot of Goat. Appearing as a man seeking redemption, Goat scored two touchdowns, and kicking an extra point as well as a field goal.[75] Between the great blocking from Pontius’ O-Line and forwarding passes confusing the Commodore defense, Tennessee pulled off their first victory ever in the series.[76] New series record, 1-11-1.

Continuing a trend of facing down personal Goliaths, Tennessee next played Sewanee in Chattanooga in front of 4,000 spectators. The Vols had only ever won once against the Tigers, a 6-0 decision in 1902. While Sewanee was not the steamroller it had been, it was 4-2 with each win being by at least 18 points. This game was decided by only seven points, with UT quarterback Bill May scoring two touchdowns against only one from Sewanee. 14-7, Tennessee wins.[77]

The final game against UK in Knoxville would decide if Tennessee won their first SIAA conference championship. With Auburn and Texas A&M finishing their seasons without a loss, but only 4 and 2 victories, respectively, UT needed a win to clinch the crown. An estimated 3,500 spectators were a “standing-room-only crowd jammed into Wait Field, and hundred more watched from the bank on the east side of the field, from automobiles parked above the field near Ayres Hall, and from a lawn just across the field… and from a lawn across the street.”[78] While UK fought “gamely” and “valient[ly]” against UT, the Vols weighed and extra “fifteen pounds to the man” and Graham Vowell scored three times to give Tennessee a 27-6 win.[79]

Tennessee had recruited, bled, suffered, fought, trained, coached, and dreamed of this day. The team had played for over two decades, and had never really gotten close to a conference title. On the merit of Clevenger’s coaching, Pontius’ line, and the drive of young men, victory was earned. The 1914 squad was the first of a long line of Great Tennessee Volunteers football teams.[80]

1915: 4-4 (91-74-14) [61-27-6]

It is often said; All good things must come to an end. This held true for the Clevenger led Volunteers. Coach Zora again schedule his con-conference games early in the season to build up wins and confidence, The two opponents from outside the SIAA once again did not score a point on Tennessee, who for their part scored 122 points. A game against Clemson immediately following these two games took place at Waite Field as well, and Clemson escaped scoring the game’s only points via a field goal. News clippings of the game credit the defeat to “costly fumbles” forcing Tennessee to play “on the defensive much of the time.”[81]

A home game against Centre College was an 80-0 win for UT, but the following opponent, Louisville, canceled their game on Thursday, claiming injury. Interestingly, this ended up being a massive benefit for UT. “Louisville would send along the $400 guarantee… [and Clevenger] arrang[ed] a substitute game with Cumberland University.” He and Assistant Coach Pontius also left to scout future opponents, putting the Cumberland game in the hands of the players, who proceeded to win the team’s second 101-0 game of the season.[82]

Sadly, the season derailed the next week. On October 30th, the Vols were set to resume their rivalry which had been completely one sided until the previous season. Playing in Nashville against Vanderbilt, Tennessee was likely buoyed by the success of the season thus far, and having won the year before. But disaster struck on the second play of the game. Halfback Bennett Jared was injured so badly, he was deemed paralyzed from the waist down. This appears to have deflated the UT team, and they lost 35-0. Coach Clevenger also canceled the game the following week. After multiple surgeries addressing numerous issues, Jared passed away in July, 1916[83]

The Vols returned to the field in mid-November, failing to score in a home game against Mississippi A&M, and in Lexington against UK. The defense played well, holding opponents to 14 and 6 points respectively, but a failure to score at all is never a recipe for victory. While Tennessee only allowed touchdowns in two games of the season, they still ended having failed to score in any game they lost, while also not giving up a point in any game they won. A true feast or famine season, once again, for the Orange and White.

This season was also the end of the road for Clevenger at Tennessee. He left Knoxville to coach at Kansas State. His contribution to the sport was lasting, though, both as a player and coach. He resuscitated a dying team, secured UT their first Championship, and was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame for all his hard work and dedication. It was a chance encounter on a Sunday service which brought Zora Clevenger to coach the Vols, but it was not merely chance which brought his successful career to fruition.

1916: 8-0-1 (99-74-15) [65-27-7]

Sometimes a coach inherits a team which has been whipped into shape and is better than the previous year’s record would show. This may have been the situation John Bender stepped into when he took over the post as Head Coach for the 1916 season. By season’s end, Graham Vowell, whose brother Morris was also on the team, would be the first Vols player named to the All-American squad.[84]

Whether he was appointed to a promising position or not, Bender still needed to coach to win. Bender started the season with only two non-conference games, earning shutout wins over Tusculum and familiar foe Maryville. Tennessee then made the trek to Clemson to play the Tigers. The score was all tied up late in the fourth quarter, with each team having failed to score. With a Tennessee turnover on Clemson’s one yard line, UT had to force a punt to get the ball back. They marched back to the one yard line, and a gaggle of penalties on each team eventually returned the Vols to the same point they had been to twice recently, and failed to score. This time, though, UT scored to go up 7-0. Facing defeat with time running out, Clemson passed the ball, only to be intercepted by a Tennessee player who returned it for a touchdown.[85]

Less exciting games followed, with two more wins by large margins over conference foes South Carolina and the first game against Florida, which was played in Tampa. Chattanooga became the first team to score on UT, but a single touchdown was not enough to defeat the Orange and White. With a perfect 6-0 record, Tennessee came back home for a new tradition against a familiar foe.

Coach Bender instituted the first homecoming game in UT history, and it could not have been against a better opponent. Vanderbilt came to town having powered through every game at that point. The Commodores, too, had a 6-0 record, but had only given up points in one game, and were averaging over 50 points per game themselves. While Tennessee had done well, they were not winning game in the same way. Nonetheless, on this day, at Waite Field, Tennessee held Vanderbilt to only 6 points, with Graham Vowell scoring UT’s lone touchdown of the day. A field goal made the end score 10-6, Tennessee victory.[86]

The following week, Tennessee shut out Sewanee for a 17-0 win. With only one game remaining, the Vols were confident and accomplished, but unfortunately UT fell flat offensively against UK, ending their season with a 0-0 draw. This draw, against an SIAA team, left UT on the outside looking in for the conference crown as Georgia Tech ended the season with a perfect conference record, though a tie against a non-conference foe. The school tipped their caps to Tech for having edged them out for the championship accolades… but somehow, somewhere, the record was changed. It created quite the controversy down the road when both Tech and Tennessee records stated they had won the SIAA in 1916, though UT’s record did show co-champions. It took until an official decision in 1973 before Vols football acknowledged they had no right to claim the championship, and the matter was put to rest.[87]

While marred, the season was a vast improvement from the year before, and Bender was in good shape moving forward with his team. He was likely very confident in success the following year given the squad he had. The season is recognized as a sign of the strides of UT football had made since the genesis of the team, and is remembered as a great season in program history.[88]

1917: Unofficial, 0-3 (99-77-15) [65-28-7]

Unfortunately, all momentum generated from the previous season was halted. War, which had been ravaging Europe, finally dragged America into the fray. Students left the halls and classrooms to take up rifles and fight across the ocean. A student organized team traveled briefly around and played three games against military units, losing all three.

1918: Unofficial, 3-2 (102-79-15) [68-29-7]

With a bit more familiarity with the organization and scheduling, the student led team once again was fielded for 1918. While the official record appears to not recognize this season, it may very well be due to the horrors of the first two game. Played November 2nd and 9th, Tennessee was pasted by Sewanee at home and Vanderbilt in Nashville. Failing to score and allowing 68 and 76 points respectively will influence a lot of folks to develop selective amnesia.

The last three games were still informal due to a lack of proper students and staff, though they were played after V Day. Maryville, Milligan, and the Tennessee Military Institute gave some slight respectability to the student team, UT went 3-0 against these teams. As a note of history, if the unofficial years are counted, Tennessee accumulated their 100th victory in school history.

1919: 3-3-3 (105-82-18) [71-30-8]

At the onset of the US inclusion of World War I, Coach Bender left to enlist in the military. At the war’s conclusion, he returned to his post as head coach to coach a strange Three-ason for Tennessee football. That is not a typo; this season has been affectionately dubbed a Three-ason as a play on words, and for good reasons.

For starters, Tennessee played Vanderbilt the third game of the season. UT had polished off their two non-conference home opening games without difficulty, but the game against Vanderbilt was bitterly played in a heavy downpour. So bad was the weather, in fact, neither team scored until a Commodore field goal in the third quarter to score three points. Tennessee fought hard to get close enough to score in the terrible rain as time dwindled down. They eventually attempted a 30 yard field goal, and converted to tie up the game 3-3, the final score.[89]

A loss at home to Mississippi A&M then a road loss at Clemson put the Vols at 2-2-1. A tie at the homecoming game against North Carolina and a road tie against South Carolina put Tennessee football at a school record three ties on the season.[90] A non-conference home win over Cincinnati gave UT a strange 3-2-3 record with a single game left at Stoll Field in Lexington against the UK Wildcats. Given the title of Three-ason, a reasonable guess can be made, and a leap of logic is unrequired, to know the game ended in defeat for UT, giving them a peculiar final record of 3-3-3.

What is also slightly odd is the average margin of victory for Tennessee was over 24 points. Average defeat was 11 points. The average tie was a final of 3-3. By all appearances, Tennessee continued to play staunch defense throughout the season, but the offense was inconsistent. If they would have scored at least a touchdown and extra point in each game, it would have been enough to end the season 7-2. At least 14 points would have ended 8-0-1. But you can wish in one hand, and spit in the other, and see which fills up first. The scores remain, the record stands, and Tennessee needed to get its offense going moving forward if they wanted sustained success.

1920: 7-2 (112-84-18) [76-31-8]

The standout story from the 1920 season was suspiciously reminiscent of a failure to win against Georgia Tech played in 1907. In the previous game, the referee had initially called a UT ball a shanked punt from the Vols own end zone out of bounds without having ever crossed the goal line for a safety. After a council of sorts with Tech’s coach, John Heisman, it was changed to a Tech block and recovery for a touchdown. In the current season, Tennessee was visiting Mississippi A&M on October 30th, UT’s sixth game of the season. They were 5-1 at this juncture, with many convincing wins, a home, shutout loss to Vanderbilt aside.

The final score of 13-6 in favor of Miss would have been a different outcome had the referee not been “just ignorant” regarding the rules of football. When Tennessee punted to Mississippi, the Miss player muffed the ball, which careened onward where a Volunteer fell upon it, recovering the ball in the Mississippi endzone. What should have been a touchdown at that moment was uncalled, and a bit of a scrum broke out when a Miss player barreled in to fight for the ball. When the referee finally did blow a whistle, he called it UT’s ball… on a touchback. A properly called touchdown would have tied, and with a converted extra point the game would have been won.[91]

With wins over Emory, Maryville, Chattanooga, and Clemson in addition to the named losses, Tennessee closed out their season with three November games. Transylvania was easily dispatched 49-0. Sewanee crumbled to UT 20-0, and Kentucky, though harder fought, went down 14-7. In a mimic of the previous season, Tennessee would have won all but one game this season with 14 points. The good news for the Orange and White faithful is Tennessee only failed to reach that mark twice, and sported a healthy 7-2 record to show for it.

1921: 6-2-1 (118-86-19) [81-31-8]

In 1921, University of Tennessee was able to open up a new park to their sports teams. A series of donations to the school from Colonel W. S. Shields, one for $22,453 and the second for $14,500, allowed the athletics department to construct a brand new field to play on. While playing on the old field “was all rocks and hard places [meaning] you had sores on your face and arms and elbows all the time,” the newly built Shields-Watkins Field “was like playing on a mattress.” The main issue was the grass did not grow sufficiently before the football season began, resulting in most every home game of the season being abnormally muddy.[92]

It didn’t seem to hurt UT much. They went 5-0 at home in 1921, including a 21-0 win over Sewanee in November. The unfortunate thing is, and critical for full context, Tennessee mostly played their easy games at home. Only Florida and Sewanee would be considered strong opponents.

Away from home, Tennessee struggled to find a good groove, going 1-2-1. Vanderbilt again had their number, and it was beginning to seem even the good teams Tennessee fielded would not be enough to overcome Vanderbilt consistently. A trip to Mississippi A&M ended in a UT win, and UK to end the season was once again a tie game. Possibly the most intriguing game away from Knoxville was Tennessee football’s first trip to an East Coast team.

Tennessee went to Dartmouth for a game on October 15th. The previous year, Dartmouth sported three All-Americans. By the end of 1921, they would only have one player voted to the squad. But it was still enough for this game. Dartmouth ended up with a 14-3 win, in part courtesy of another questionable call, per the player flagged. Roy Striegel, who came to UT in 1919, confronted the referee who called Tennessee for offsides, negating a touchdown. When Striegel questioned the referee, he said “the right guard was offside. I told him ‘I’ll be damned if that’s so, I’m playing right guard and I pulled run interference.’”[93] While a single touchdown would not have made the difference, it still was a tough pill to swallow. Dartmouth was led by Captain Jim Robertson, who ended the season as Dartmouth’s lone All-American after being one of Dartmouth’s three All-American’s the previous year. He played hard through a broken nose, which the newspaper used to excuse a fumble due to blood flowing from his nose.[94]

Tennessee’s season ended with a respectable 6-2-1 record, and 4-1-1 in conference, as well as netting a $3,000 profit.[95]

1922: 8-2 (126-88-19) [86-32-8]

Vols football was rarely ever settled. A commonly used phrase is The only constant is change. Even as M. B. Banks returned for his second season at Tennessee, something else was afoot. In 1921, Tennessee had a successful conference record, but it wasn’t enough to prevent UT from changing conferences. Tennessee joined numerous frequent opponents such as Vanderbilt, Alabama, Georgia, and Georgia Tech in the newly formed 20 team Southern Conference. In addition to the new slate of opponents, Tennessee took the field their first game adorned in their iconic orange jersey for the first time, a 50-0 win.[96]

Roy Streigel, who was made mention of for his argument with a ref in the 1921 game against Vanderbilt, was affectionately called “Pap” because “I still don’t know why.”[97] He had a nickname he could not adequately explain, but in 1922 he received another title: Captain. Streigel was the on-field leader of players named Tarzan and Hunter, who played ends, and Estes Kefauver.[98] While the name Hunter is pretty decent, being named Tarzan was wild, pun accepted. However Estes would become the most likely recognized figure on the team; he served 10 years in the US House of Representatives, and another 24 years as a US Senator.

With such a splendid and varied group of men on the team, it was little wonder they could accomplish a great deal. Many were seasoned veterans with experience with both victory as well as the agony of defeat. A four course feast of non-conference opponents started UT’s season at 4-0, all but one of those games occurring at Shields-Watkins Field. A trip to Athens resulted in a narrow loss to Georgia, 3-7. Georgia was a heavy favorite[99] but the Vols gave them a “great scare” even while losing.[100]

Seeking retribution, and wanting to prove Tennessee could wallop more than non-conference foes, UT dropped 49 points on Ole Miss the next week while not allowing a point in front of a home crowd. With Vanderbilt coming to Knoxville the next week, it seemed UT’s swagger may have been back. But stingy defense and an exciting passing game earned the Commodores a 14-6 win.

Tennessee ended the season with three straight wins over Mississippi A&M, Sewanee, and Kentucky, but without a victory of Vanderbilt, it can all appear rather hollow. Even with the disappointment, though, Banks was offered a new contract extension for 3 years and $4,500 per annum to continue to bring victories to Knoxville.[101]

1923: 5-4-1 (131-92-20) [89-34-9]

The renewal of Banks may have seemed a bit premature after the first four games of UT’s 1923 schedule. Tennessee got absolutely trampled at West Point, the first UT opening loss since 1910. They failed to score a point, and the usually rather stingy UT defense gave up 41 points. Against Maryville the next week, the usual cakewalk opponent fought hard on Shields-Watkins Field for a 14-14 tie. A rather narrow 13-6 victory over Georgetown, a non-conference game also at home, must not have been of much comfort.

Comfort it was not as Georgia then came to Knoxville and rumbled away with a 17-0 win. Given the high expectations, close victories over Mississippi A&M (7-3), Tulane (13-2), Ole Miss (10-0) and a relative blowout of Kentucky by 1923 UT standards (18-0) would do nothing to erase the embarrassment of a 0-33 loss to VMI at home, or the horror of a 7-51 annihilation in Nashville at the hand of Vanderbilt. The newspaper of the game aptly claims “Vols outclassed in every department of play.”[102] No matter how successful a season, it tarnishes immensely without a win over Vanderbilt. But no matter how bleak the season, it shines and sparkles with a win over the in-state enemy. Sadly, a subpar season with a loss to Vanderbilt made the season more of an outright failure.

This season was one which should largely be left behind and forgotten due to its mediocrity (at best).

1924: 3-5 (134-97-20) [92-36-9]

The season started off with borderline magnificence. Three straight home games, three straight wins. Emory was dispatched 27-0, Maryville was against defeated, 28-10, and Carson-Newman was shutout 13-0. A sign of worry may have been apparent to detailed fans. Though each game was a mark in the victory column, the margin decreased by the week. To those who raised concern, they were proven right before the close of October.

On the 25th of October, Tennessee made the voyage to Memphis to play against Mississippi A&M. 5,800 spectators watched as the Vols previously quite explosive offense sputtered. The news claimed the A&M team was playing “stubborn defense” against UT, and almost changed the tide of the game when “Tennessee came within three inches of a score,” but walked away defeated instead. [103]

With the flood gates opened, Tennessee collapsed. While losses in Athens and at home to Kentucky hurt, a decisive whooping from Tulane at home was worse. A massive 32-0 shutout loss against non-conference Centre may have appeared on the surface the worst, loss, but Centre was a strong team with wins over Kentucky, Alabama, and Georgia in addition to UT. Only Georgia was able to scrape together any points against Centre.

Even with the blow of such a ignoble defeat softened, that $4,500 per year extension for Coach Banks was looking more foolish by the week, and downright lunacy by the end of season two. ANd for a team so close to a getting their 100th home win before their 100th defeat, the losses were piling up suddenly.

1925: 5-2-1 (139-99-21) [96-36-10]

The ending will be spoiled; after raking in $13,500 between the 1923, ‘24, and ‘25 seasons, Banks was not brought back as Tennessee’s coach for 1926. He earned over $1,000 for each victory his team secured. To put this in perspective, according to a study done by the University of Missouri, the average household of 5 just before Banks was hired as coach had an annual budget of $1,935.14.[104] Coach Banks’ salary was over twice the average household, and he was by just about all accounts, perfectly average in that time, winning as many games as he failed to win.

1925 was not without a few bright spots. In looking at the schedule alone, UT got revenge of Centre for embarrassing them the season before. Georgia and Mississippi A&M both handed the Vols losses in 1924, but were losers to UT in 1925. Tennessee closed the season with their 99th total loss, but also having won 96 home games.

Most importantly, however, was the hiring of a new ends coach. With Coach Banks “on probation” and in “win or else mode,” N. W. Dougherty, the strapping engineer and future namesake of the engineering school at UT, sought out a new coach who could also fill a recent void in the military department. He reached out to West Point, and was sent a Captain who was not only a former end the decade earlier, but also a pitcher on the baseball team and West Point’s heavyweight boxing champ.[105]

Then Captain, but eventual General, Robert Neyland was described as “a boulder of a man.” But it was not only being a decorated fighter, accomplished football end, and successful pitcher which gave him such an edge as a coach. N. W. Dougherty likely admired a quality in Neyland he himself had; engineering. Physical traits aside, Neyland was known as a “perfectionist.” He was also “methodical,” and “went by records, charts, and intricate diagrams, but while he had something of a computer in him, he also knew the young men he was coaching were flesh and blood, not figures and geometric lines, and he led, goaded, punished, even praised, until they responded, often with startling suddenness, to demolish an opponent.”[106]

On the Jacksonville Jaguars’ website, there was an ongoing segment published most days of the week. It was titled Ask Vic. On August 9th, 2006, the title for the day was “Human Confrontation.”[107] Vic responds to a fan asking a question by detailing the stories of football players are all “about human confrontation. Football is not a video game. It’s not played by people pushing little buttons in a plastic box. It’s played in front of millions of fans by strong men who have overcome their natural fears and anxieties.” Vic Ketchman, who authored the segments, through his whole career would harp on “players, not plays.” He recognized, and taught thousands of people, the importance of remembering football players are people, and they must be nurtured and led appropriately to succeed. Based on the description of Captain Neyland, he also understood the same thing. He took the job of Ends coach as well as professor of military science and tactics with the ROTC for the 1925 season after visiting earlier that year to make a full inspection of the post.[108]

As stated before, the product on the field was better than the previous year, but fell significantly short of the expectations when Banks was extended after 1922. Tennessee went 3-0 in games out of conference, won homecoming, and won 2 conference games. However, Vanderbilt again bounced UT from Nashville with a loss. Tennessee was 2-19-2 against the Commodores, if the 1918 debacle is counted (which Vanderbilt, of course, does count). Kentucky also denied UT a a win by sending the Vols packing, 20-23. The game also contained some history, as it was the debut of a rivalry trophy; a painted beer barrel which would go to the annual winner. Well, in 1925, the Wildcats kept it for themselves.[109] Even given these sorry defeats, however, the rest of the games on the season went swimmingly, with only a 0-0 tie against LSU was not a victory.

As much as it wasn’t an abject failure, it was not acceptable, and did not qualify as success. Banks was shown the door, and Captain Neyland was in position to take over as Head Coach Neyland for the 1926 season. But it was not yet a settled matter.

1. The Big Orange, pg 24
2. Ibid, 27
3. Ranking college football’s most valuable programs (247sports.com)
4. The Big Orange, 28-29
5. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81062406/neither-side-could-score/
6. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81062556/football-game-between-athletics-and/
7. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35468429/ut-v-cn-18-0-in-1894/
8. Big Orange, 34
9. Big Orange, pg 31
10. Big Orange, 40
11. Ibid, 39
12. Ibid, 40
13. Ibid, 41
14. Ibid, 41
15. Two victories for Carolina – Newspapers.com
16. The Big Orange, 44
17. Times 26 November 1897 — Virginia Chronicle: Digital Newspaper Archive
18. The Big Orange, 43-44
19. U of T wins again – Newspapers.com
20. The Big Orange, 55
21. Ibid, 35-36
22. Tie game, both teams failed to score in interesting game – Newspapers.com
23. Line was impregnable, Auburn men stood like a stone wall – Newspapers.com
24. The Big Orange, 58
25. Ibid, 59
26. Ibid, 61
27. University of Tennessee defeats King College – Newspapers.com
28. Maryville defeated by U, of T. football team by score of 34 to 0 – Newspapers.com
29. The Big Orange, 61
30. U. of T. team defeats the boys from Sewanee – Newspapers.com
31. The Big Orange, 60
32. Tennessee beats Georgia Tech 1902 – Newspapers.com
33. The Big Orange, 62
34. Maryville defeated in opening football game of the local season – Newspapers.com
35. Sewanee wins again – Newspapers.com
36. Tech drops game to Volunteers – Newspapers.com
37. Alabama’s 24 to Tennessee’s zero – Newspapers.com
38. The Big Orange, 37
39. ibid, 63
40. Offside play saves Nashville – Newspapers.com
41. The Big Orange, 64
42. Ibid, 67-68
43. Tennessee lost a bitterly fought game – Newspapers.com
44. Tennessee finally scores a victory – Newspapers.com
45. The Big Orange, 68-69
46. Ibid, 70
47. Ibid, 66-67
48. Ibid, 73
49. Harriman football game broke up in a big row – Newspapers.com
50. The Big Orange, 78-79
51. Ibid, 79-83
52. Ibid, 85
53. Gold and black of Vanderbilt waves triumphantly over orange and white of Tennessee – Newspapers.com
54. Tennessee fell before Alabama – Newspapers.com
55. The Big Orange, 84
56. The Big Orange, 85
57. Ibid, 88
58. Ibid, 89
59. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 35
60. Ibid, 91-92
61. Ibid, 92
62. Ibid, 92
63. Ibid, 93
64. Ibid, 94
65. Ibid, 94
66. Volunteers pile up mammoth score against King College – Newspapers.com
67. Maryville put up game fight against Tennessee – Newspapers.com
68. The Big Orange, 94-95
69. Ibid, 96
70. State loses to Tennessee 13–7 – Newspapers.com
71. The Big Orange, 97
72. Ibid, 97
73. Clipping from The Atlanta Constitution – Newspapers.com
74. Orange and White wins in triumph over Crimson, victory being decisive – Newspapers.com
75. The Big Orange, 102
76. For first time in history Tennessee licks Vandy – Newspapers.com
77. The Big Orange, 102
78. Ibid, 102-103
79. Clipping from The Courier-Journal – Newspapers.com
80. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 79
81. Clemson downed Tennessee eleven – Newspapers.com
82. The Big Orange, 106
83. Ibid, 106-107
84. The Big Orange, 110
85. Clipping from The Greenville News – Newspapers.com
86. The Big Orange, 110
87. Ibid, 108
88. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 80
89. The Big Orange, 113
90. Ibid, 113
91. Ibid, 115
92. Ibid, 113-115
93. Ibid, 116
94. Big Green team pulls through – Newspapers.com
95. The Big Orange, 118
96. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 1
97. The Big Orange, 112
98. Ibid, 118
99. Ibid, 119
100. Georgia Bulldogs given great scare but emerge winner over Tennessee – Newspapers.com
101. The Big Orange, 120
102. Volunteers are humbled by Vandy in runaway victory – Newspapers.com
103. Volunteers bow to Mississippi Aggie eleven 7–2 – Newspapers.com
104. #252 – How American buying habits change. – Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library
105. The Big Orange, 122
106. Ibid, 14
107. Human confrontation (jaguars.com)
108. The Big Orange, 122
109. The UT/UK rivalry beer barrel

1926: 8-1 (147-100-21) [102-36-10]

Following the end of the road for Coach Banks at Tennessee, The Vols needed to tag their new leader. As noted in the 1925 season, Bob Neyland was an athlete in his own right while also being respected as an assistant coach, but had no head coaching experience. Wallace Wade, current head coach at Alabama, had been averaging only one loss per season leading the Crimson Tide. In 1925, Alabama went 9-0, sharing the Southern Conference crown with Tulane. Bama also defeated Washinton 20-19 on New Year’s Day, 1926, to win the Rose Bowl. Billy Evans wrote up his take just after Christmas, 1925, stating Alabama was locked into a “dead heat” with Dartmouth, Tulane, Michigan, and Washington for National Champ. However, Tulane had a worse record (with a lone tie) in the same conference as Alabama, though shared the conference title. Michigan lost to Northwestern. Washington lost to Alabama five days after this article was published. By reasonable accounts, Alabama stood a head taller than everyone else on that list.

But when it came to UT, Neyland was named head coach, possibly for his vision for more than simply the team play. But it was with a single charge; Even the score with Vanderbilt. Captain Neyland orchestrated a program to nearly double the capacity of Shields-Watkins Field before the 1926 season. He organized Spring practices, continuing the tradition set by Banks, and recognizing he did not need to rewrite the book as a new coach. He also brought in coaches he knew and trusted in the form of former teammates William H. Britton and Paul B. Parker to coach Ends and Lines. As evidence of his exacting nature, Coach Neyland organized fall practices to be 150 minutes on the nose, with the practice activities organized “[d]own to the minute.”[1]

Coach Neyland broke up the standard non-conference schedule, playing only Carson-Newman to open the season, and keeping Maryville and Centre for mid-season games. A 95-yard touchdown run was the lone touchdown of the day as Tennessee won Coach Neyland’s first game 13-0 at home. The score was made on a missed field goal gathered up by Jimmy Elmore at the 5 yard line. Though he scored untouched, the play itself earned the quiet correction from Coach Neyland. Elmore had been instructed to “not field a missed field goal on your own five-yard line.” Ever. Though he scored, Neyland later told him “You’ve had your instructions so from now on you carry them out.” Jimmy would go on to become Mayor of Knoxville.[2]

After Carson-Newman, North Carolina came to Knoxville, and the result was much more impressive against a stronger foe. The Vols stormed over the Tar Heels for 34 points without giving up any. In a game at Baton Rouge against LSU, Tennessee snuck out with a 14-7 win. Maryville and Centre were both wins at home, though Maryville was rife with “penalties and arguments” as they only won 6-0.[3]

The game against Centre also marked the 100th win for Tennessee playing at home, though it was over three different venues. Remarkably, the team came into the season needing four home wins before their first loss to hit this milestone before loss 100, and they pulled it off.

The late season push was to end with games on the road against Mississippi A&M, home against Sewanee, back to Nashville to face Vanderbilt, then home against Kentucky. Tennessee shut out all but Vanderbilt, and winning all three. Against Vanderbilt, the Orange and White scored an early field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Their defense also clamped down hard, stopping the Commodores from scoring touchdowns twice from 1 yard out. Unfortunately, the next time Vandy got to the one yard line, the Commodores punched it through for the score. They proceeded to score two more touchdowns to win 20-3.[4]

It was very fitting for loss 100 to be at the hands of Vanderbilt. Vandy accounted for one of every five losses in Tennessee history up to that point, and it ruined UT’s season. It was the lone blemish, and it was crushing. An 8-1 season should be cause for celebration, but the dark spot only drew the eye greater amongst the sparkle from the rest of the victories.

1927: 8-0-1 (155-100-22) [108-36-11]

It was homecoming. On the penultimate game of the season, Vanderbilt had come to Knoxville. The Commodores were 5-1-1. The Volunteers were 7-0. Over 14,000 spectators overcrowded Shields-Watkins Field to watch the game. With Vanderbilt scoring early in the third quarter to take a 7-0 lead, it took until the fourth quarter for Tennessee to even the score at 7 all. There the score remained when the final play was concluded.[5]

While the game was not a win, the tie was an improvement on the past. Tennessee was 2-20-3 against Vanderbilt, now. But the game was ugly. UT only managed two first downs before their scoring march, and the “Commodores [were] superior in all departments but in scoring.”[6]

The rest of the season was sterling and perfect. Vanderbilt had been the only black mark on Neyland’s record in his first two seasons. Commodores aside, Tennessee dispatched everyone, outscoring them 239-19. Maryville, who seemed to be getting more scrappy as the years went by, was the next closest game, but still a 7-0 win. Carson-Newman and Transylvania went down 33-0 and 57-0 in Knoxville, as well. Games played at Chapel Hill against the Tar Heels and Lexington against the Wildcats were both shutouts where the Vols scored at least 20 points. Ole Miss, Virginia, and Sewanee were all home games which Tennessee won, scoring a total of 95 points and allowing 19.

The Sewanee game is of note, however. No longer the team they once were, the Tigers had only won two games in 1926, and would not win more than 3 games until 1931. Neyland let Jimmy Elmore and his backfield partner rest up due to injuries to open the game. However, “with Sewanee leading 12-7, they went scurrying to the dressing room to quickly change into playing togs. With Witt and Elmore leading the way, the Vols took command in the second half and went on to win a 32-12 victory.”[7]

Due to their lone blemish against Vandy, Tennessee was denied the outright Conference title which they shared with Georgia Tech, who had a 7-0-1 SoCon record, and would be successful enough the next season to be SoCon and Rose Bowl champions, which would also net them a share of the National Title. It is a great shame that with merely one more point against the Commodores, Neyland would have not only secured a win against their rival for only the third time ever and the first time in over a decade, but it would have also earned Tennessee a perfect record, a conference title, and maybe a Rose Bowl berth and National Championship glory.

1928: 9-0-1 (164-100-23) [115-36-12]

The 1927 squad was a very good team, led by experienced players who had usually played well under M. B. Banks, and became a well-oiled machine under the discipline of Coach Neyland. The greatest problem with having a team loaded with experienced upperclassmen is they are closer to graduation. Jimmy Elmore led a veritable tsunami of departures which seemed to spare no position group. Of those returning to the team in 1928, it has been noted “only Herc Alley, Roy Witt, and Arthur Tripp were back as full-fledged starters.”[8]

As such, Coach Neyland focused on his young group of players, specifically those who were freshman the year before. In 1927, the Vols Freshman played their own schedule of five games, winning them all, and typically by a wide margin. In 1928, they became known as the “Flaming Sophomores,” and so convincingly won the respect of Coach Neyland he scheduled SoCon powerhouse Alabama, a team Tennessee had not played since Coach Clevenger had run up a 9-0 record in 1914.[9]

Two out of conference games hosted in Knoxville kicked off the year. Eugene McEver, who replaced Jimmy Elmore in the backfield, scored six touchdowns in those games. UT scored 41 points in each of the wins, and only allowed one touchdown to Centre.[10] As a conference opener, Ole Miss came to Shield-Watkins field, and gave Tennessee just about all it could handle. Relying on their notable advantage in size, Ole Miss attempted to push their way to victory, hoping to overwhelm the Vols by sheer force and inertia. It very nearly worked. Ole Miss scored near the end of the fourth quarter after driving 55 yards for a touchdown to make the score 13-12 in favor of UT. Needing the points after touchdown, Ole Miss tossed the ball into tight defensive coverage where Hackman, known as “Sandy” to the Vols faithful, deflected pass to secure the close win.[11]

As a historical note, an advertisement in the paper from the game summary encourages people to get their gallstones inspected. According to the title of the advertisement, millions are killed annually by gallstones, and their only reasonable defense is Doctor Hildebrand in Chicago. Sensationalism has seemingly always been a part of life and media.

After fighting hard against Ole Miss, the next opponent was Alabama, the vaunted conference giant who had so much success under Wallace Wade. The Crimson Tide had an off year in ‘27, losing more that year than the previous 5 seasons. In 1928, Bama had already brushed off Ole Miss 27-0 and Mississippi A&M 46-0, In fact, Alabama fans were willing to bet 5-to-1 odds on a victory, as well as betting “even money they would prevail by 28 points or more, and even money that the Vols would not score.”[12]

It is unlikely the confidence of the Tide fans lasted long. On the opening kickoff, Eugene McEver secured the ball inside his own five yard line. Reminiscent of his predecessor Jimmy Elmore against Carson-Newman, McEver decided to run with it, and run he did. He covered almost the entire length of the playing field, scoring a touchdown from the opening gun.[13] Looking to spoil Alabama’s Homecoming game was a perk for Tennessee, and they played “smart football and [fought] like a pack of starving wolves.”[14] After a hard fought game, filled with punts, but also a lopsided yardage total vastly in favor of Tennessee, the Vols secured a tight 15-13 victory. This game began a tradition of the two teams playing the third Saturday in October.

UT returned to Knoxville for a Homecoming game of their own against Washington and Lee, a 26-7 win, and brought Carson-Newman to town the next week for a 57-0 drubbing. Sewanee came to Shields-Watkins Field next, and departed without scoring a point having given up 37 points to Tennessee. The season was shaping up to be a marked success, with a 7-0 record and a victory over Wade’s Tide on the books. But November 17th would be the game of the year for Tennessee; it was time to go to Nashville and play Vanderbilt.

The Commodores had done well in 1928 to this point. They lost 7-19 to Georgia Tech, but had won every other game to be 6-1. 7,000 Knoxville faithful make the journey to Nashville to cheer on the Vols. Confidence was high, success had been had this season, and the Vols fans were determined to cheer their team to victory. With five games so far this season scoring at least 27 points, there was ample reason for excitement.

On that day in Nashville, The Vols were only able to scrape together a single touchdown, and missed out on the points after, as well. To score, Tennessee passed for it on fourth down from the eight-yard line, completing the pass over the outstretched arms of the defender. 25,000 spectators were on hand for the game. They were treated to a contest where that 8-yard touchdown pass consisted of the only points scored. Otherwise, both Tennessee and Vanderbilt defense clamped down hard, and the end result was a 6-0 UT victory. The “Old Jinx” was done.[15]

An elated squad traveled home to put a pretty bow on their season. They only had opponents UK and Florida left, and both would be visitors at Shields-Watkins Field where UT had such a strong record under Coach Neyland. Florida was a strong team, but Kentucky was middle of the conference at this juncture. But the Wildcats seemed to ruin Tennessee seasons more than a few times, and played the spoiler in 1928. UK played Tennessee to a scoreless tie, tarnishing the victory over Vanderbilt.

To close the season, the Florida Gators came to Knoxville as the favored team. It didn’t help Tennessee at all when UT’s place kicker Bobby Dodd missed an extra point, giving the Vols only 13 points on the day. When Florida scored a touchdown, giving them 12 points and the chance to tie it up with the point after, Dodd redeemed himself by batting down the pass, securing Tennessee’s second 13-12 win at home on a knocked down extra point attempt.[16]

A final record of 9-0-1 is typically nothing to sniff at. UT had won over Alabama and Florida, who combined for 12 conference wins and only one conference loss outside of UT games. The Vols got the long expected win over Vanderbilt in thrilling fashion in front of the largest group of spectators in Tennessee football history at that point. The team had a series of sustained successes over three seasons, and had proven their coach was not merely a flash in the pan, but could win with veterans and green players alike.

1929: 9-0-1 (173-100-24) [122-36-12]

In recognition of the sustained success the football program had enjoyed under Coach Neyland, he was given the green light to expand the football stadium yet again. By adding nearly three dozen rows of benches, the new capacity for the 1929 season had grown to 17,860 seats, a capacity more than six times the 3,200 spectator stadium could accommodate when Coach Neyland took the job before the 1926 season.[17]

Centre was a cakewalk for UT, running up 40 points. A game in Chattanooga the next week was a 20 points shutout, giving Tennessee a 2-0 record. Ole Miss, a hard fought win the previous season, was the largest win margin of the season to this point, with Tennessee running up the score in a walkaway 52-7 victory in front of the Knoxville fans. A quick 3-0 start, and never a worry so far. But it was now the third week in October, and Alabama was coming to try and spoil Homecoming.

Bama had played three home games, winning them all, and against two of the same opponents as Tennessee (Chattanooga and Ole Miss). The Tide were eager to avenge the previous season’s upset Homecoming loss to the Vols, and looking to spoil UT’s early season success. The game was once again hard fought. Tennessee was “outweighed, but not at any time outfought” in front of 22,000 home fans.[18] The entire affair was settled by a massive play by Tennessee’s special teams. Vols players were able to use their speed and quickness against the vaunted Bama players to block and recover a punt, which led to the only points scored all game. Final, 6-0 UT.[19]

Washington and Lee was easily handled in Virginia, and home games against Auburn, Carson-Newman, and even Vanderbilt were not close. Only the Commodores kept the Vols from running up the score, but the result was still a 13-0 Tennessee victory for the first win streak in the series for the Orange and White. Coach Neyland had actually taken his starting players away from the Carson-Newman game to scout Vanderbilt the week before their game, entrusting his team to play well without him there. The plan worked beautifully as Tennessee beat Carson-Newman 73-0, and the Vanderbilt game was won with the help of Bobby Dodd’s first ever football touchdown.[20]

The second to last game of the season was a trip to Lexington to play the thorn of UT’s side; the Kentucky Wildcats. Rarely did UK go down easy. Many a tie and many a close win were balanced against quite a few inconvenient losses. In 1928, UK spoiled Tennessee’s perfection by mutual shutout. In 1929, UT at least scored, but only six points and not until the final frame. Though UK was not able to surpass Tennessee’s point total, they matched it. Tennessee had overcome weight differentials previously, but Kentucky’s front was considered a wall of 200 pound players, and it stifled the offensive efforts of Tennessee yet again. Another blemish from UK.[21]

The Volunteers made easy work of their final opponent, South Carolina, to end their season once again 9-0-1 with Eugene McEver being named an All-American. Neyland had never had a failed season, but to be so close so frequently to perfection to be denied by three draws and a single loss in four seasons is a difficult pill to swallow.

1930: 9-1 (182-101-24) [129-36-12]

In the film A Knight’s Tale, the female lead is chastised for laughing in a church. Her response is “I only laugh, just to keep from weeping.” People frequently use humor to address fear or sadness, or to cope with depression. Such may have been the impetus for the 1930 Tennessee season being dubbed the Blue Cross year. Stars went down even before the games kicked off. By game three, McEver was out with a blown knee, All-Southern teammates Hug and Brandt were also done, and an additional 10 players were out due to a collection of injuries, financial problems, or academic failures.[22]

Nearly undaunted, Coach Neyland pressed his team to victories against Maryville, Centre, and Ole Miss, each one a shutout at home. A road game in Tuscaloosa proved too much to overcome. Alabama delivered Tennessee’s first loss since Vanderbilt in Neyland’s first season. Tennessee fell 18-6 to the larger and healthier Crimson Tide. Wallace Wade would lead his Bama squad to an undefeated season in 1930 a Southern Conference Championship, and a convincing 24-0 shutout Rose Bowl game in front of over 60,000 fans. As far as losses go, it is an easier one to accept.

With homecoming the next week against the Tar Heels, Tennessee needed to right the ship. Tennessee and North Carolina were both able to scrape together touchdowns in the second half to match offensive output at seven a piece. However, Tennessee won in just about every statistical department, and a blocked punt for a safety in the second quarter also gave them a narrow edge in points for 9-7 victory in front of 18,000 supporters.[23]

With confidence restored, UT not only handed out defeats like parade candy to Carson-Newman and Clemson at home and the Gators in Florida, but they accomplished something new. November games in Nashville and home against UK both resulted in wins. It was the first time in Neyland’s reign both those games resulted in victories. The Wildcats once again played hard. Though a middle of the pack conference opponent, Tennessee was held to its lowest score in a win on the season with an 8-0 victory. In any other season, those two wins instead of losses or ties would have notched a perfect record, but this year it was an Alabama style blemish which marred their record.

Neyland’s hiring at this point had been a stroke of genius. Tennessee had accrued a record of 43-2-3 under his hand. The Stadium capacity had been vastly expanded. McEver and Dodd were named All-Americans in 1929 and 1930, respectively, and the team members were recognized for All-Conference teams with greater frequency. Dodd left the team with a 27-1-2 record. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1959. In 1945, he took the head coaching job at Georgia Tech, a team he coached for 22 years. The Tech was eventually named after Coach Dodd. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame again, this time as a coach, in 1993.[24] Neyland had been coach as long as any other in UT history at this point, and his success was far greater than any other tenure. And he was only really getting started, and he eventually coached over two decades from the Volunteers’ side line.

1931: 9-0-1 (191-101-25) [136-36-12]

The more things change, the more they stay the same. So the old saying goes. 1931 had many similarities to recent successful Tennessee football seasons. Additionally, Gene McEver was back in the lineup after a year recovering from a blown out knee. In his words, though, “I lost something there after the injury… a fellow’s born to run, nobody can teach him.”[25] After a dazzling 1929 season ending in an All-American award, McEver still contributed to team success, but was a starter more than a star.

Familiar non-conference opponent Maryville was teed up first, and they were dispatched without any concern 33-0. Clemson and Ole Miss were the following two weekends, but the conference foes were defeated even more soundly, 44-0 and 38-0, respectively. In trading off Homecoming yet again, Alabama visited Shields-Watkins Field in front of 23,000 Knoxville fans. McEver rose to the challenge ahead of him, and helped Tennessee pour on scores against Alabama. But it was not with his feet, where he was so successful before, but with his arm. “It was McEver the passer that had the Tide running hither and yon with open mouths and bulging eyes.” Once Bama keyed off on his passing, McEver started to run again. “[W]henever the goal line was in sight and Tennessee needed two or three yards they called on the Immortal man from Bristol. Never once did he fail to come through.”[26]

A game at North Carolina was nearly undone by Tennessee’s lackluster offense on the day. The defense more than made up for it. The front was called an “impregnable line,” and after a a bit of trickery on a punt return and a roughing call moved the Tar Heels from their own seven-yard line to Tennessee’s ten-yard line, North Carolina made the call for four straight rushing plays. They didn;t even gain half the distance to the goal, and the Vols stood strong in taking over the ball.The secondary was not to be outdone. They not only stopped a desperation heave to tie up the game at the end, but also “snagged five of the forward heaves.”[27]

The defense stood strong again back home against Duke on Halloween. It was just about all Treat and no Trick for the Vols. Only a safety netted the Devils any points, and the UT offense got back on track with 25 points of their own. Carson-Newman was again put away without difficulty a week later. But there was no time for resting on laurels. Vanderbilt was coming to town.

Tennessee was enjoying a winning streak of three games against the hated Commodores. Even better, they had not given up any points to Vanderbilt since the 1927 draw. Vanderbilt, so accustomed to success against their in-state rival, seemed determined to draw first blood and apply constant beatings throughout the game. The plan worked well in the first half, and the 25,000 fans at Shields-Watkins Field must have been nervous, except for those in black and gold garb cheering on the visitors. Vanderbilt put on the pressure and led 7-6 at the half. But it was once again McEver the passer which won the game for Tennessee. He completed “two long, arching passes… to those light-weight ends, Derryberry and Rayburn,” and UT won 21-7. It was the most Tennessee had ever scored against Vanderbilt, and the largest margin of victory for the Vols as well.[28]

With Thanksgiving come, the Vols had a great deal to be thankful for. They were 8-0 and merely had to overcome the Kentucky Wildcats. UK was a team who had frequently thwarted UT’s plans, but Tennessee had overcome everyone to this point, and usually convincingly so. The defense again played a splendid game, and never gave up a point to UK. But the offense was stuck in neutral. It took until the fourth quarter to score, but a missed point after left the score at 6-0. What’s worse, even after stopping the Wildcats again, the offense sputtered, and lined up to punt. The kick was blocked, recovered by UK, and a returned for a touchdown. Desperate for a win, Gene McEver drove his team downfield aggressively, getting to within the UK ten-yard line. McEver picked up four first downs, and rushed for “what appeared to be a certain goal.” Sadly, he was stopped within a foot of the end zone, time soon ran out, and the result was a 6-6 tie.[29]

The draw effectively ended Tennessee’s season and bid for a Rose Bowl berth. Fortunately, the Mayor of New York graciously invited UT to play a benefit game against NYU. With the country in the midst of the Great Depression, New York was suffering from high unemployment. The revenue from this game was to be used to help those in need, and getting the most consistent and arguably the best team in the South to come to New York City was a massive win for gate receipts. Over 40,000 spectators paid to enter the stadium, and a mostly hardfought game was broken open by two long scores from Volunteer players. Beattie Feathers and Deke Brackett both scored from over 60 yards out to win 13-0.[30]

The game was a success for Tennessee. It netted UT their fifth straight 9 win campaign. It also gave the team the exposure to earn Herman Hickman All-American honors. McEvever said even though Hickman was almost massive by the standards of the day, he was quicker than most anyone on the field. “Good gracious, you take a boy weighing 235 playing against one weighing 185 and he’s quicker than the small fellow and everything else.”[31]

McEver was also recognized later in life for his contributions to football, entering the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1954. His accomplishments were legendary. He was a three time Consensus All-American, led the nation in scoring in 1929 with 130 points, and after a blown knee ruined his 1930 season, he still came back with a ferocity in 1931 which took to the air as well as the ground.[32] His teammates Feathers, Dodd, and Hackman joined in the hallowed halls by the end of the decade.[33] Coach Neyland called him “the greatest player I ever coached.”[34] Hickman would also go on to play professional ball for three years before coaching for both Army and Navy. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959.[35]

Coach Neyland’s sustained success must be recognized for the remarkable achievement it is for losing merely two games in six seasons. But it is dampened by recognizing Tennessee had yet to have a perfect season during this time.

1932: 9-0-1 (200-101-26) [142-36-12]

Different day, same [crap]. Such is the mantra of those who feel trapped in repetition. At the risk of spoiling the surprise, Tennessee once again reeled off a mostly successful season. It was only a single draw against a familiar opponent which tripped up the Vols aspirations of perfection.

It was not a non-conference game which spoiled UT glory. Chattanooga and Maryville went down a combined 73-0, though Chattanooga held Major Neyland’s group to only 13 points. Tennessee had been beefing up their line over the years, and now had four players weighing over 200 pounds, but Chattanooga was still able to stop Beattie Feathers from scoring with a one-yard line stand.[36]

It was also neither Alabama, Kentucky, or Florida holding back Tennessee. Alabama, played on schedule the Third Saturday in October, was played in a heavy, Birmingham rain. 20,000 fans sat in cold seats to watch a “probably the most memorable punting duel of all time in the South.” Cain punted 19 times for 817 yards, and Feathers punted an astounding 23 times for a jaw-dropping 1058 yards. Feathers also scored the deciding touchdown compliments of a bad punt from Cain allowing UT to start only 12 yards from pay dirt.[37]

Kentucky and Mississippi State were Duke was a hard fought win over Wallace Wade. A 16-13 victory came over Wallace Wade, who moved on from Alabama. The Homecoming game was won on a strange kick where Breezy Wynn for Tennessee punched through a ball which had been laid down sideways on the ground by Deke Brackett.[38]

An early season North Carolina game and a November game against Mississippi State at home also resulted in wins for UT. WHich left only one opponent. Vanderbilt. Yes, that familiar foe, that hated rival, that thorn, that fly in the soup, that hair in the milk. Whatever annoying description could be given for such a spoilsport can aptly be used to describe the Commodores.

Multiple controversies clouded this game. To begin, thousands of fans who possessed tickets they paid for were denied entry to the field in Nashville because it was already over capacity with 30,000 fans allowed in. The game was halted until the excess fans were removed.[39]

Next, a referee called a UT touchdown on a 71-yard touchdown pass. Feathers had corralled a pass 20 yards downfield, and run the remaining 51 for an apparent score. The Vanderbilt coach, Pug Vaughn, caused enough of a stink claiming Feathers stepped out that the crew whistled a stoppage to overturn the call of touchdown and place the ball at the Vanderbilt 49, where the catch had occurred. However, if that was where Feathers had stepped out, the catch should never had counted. Such details did not seem to matter to the officials. The drive ended with no points.[40]

Lastly, the game was called with three minutes remaining. Whether the crowd continued to be too wild or simply an issue due to the delay from the excess attendees earlier which caused a stoppage, the final result of 0-0 stands in one of the crazier encounters of these two teams.[41]

Tennessee under Neyland was once again denied perfection. As a consolation prize, they shared the Southern Conference title with Auburn and LSU who both finished the season without a conference loss. This marked the second shared championship for Tennessee under Major Neyland.

But it was also anticipated Neyland would leave Tennessee. His mother had passed away at home in Greenville, TX, and Neyland absented himself from the team for the match against Florida. Emotion and dedication drove Tennessee to thrash their opponent, akin to winning one for the Gipper. [42]

1933: 7-3 (207-104-26) [147-37-12]

To start the 1933 season, Tennessee faced the prospect of shuffling their classic opponents. The Southern Conference had been a tough place for Tennessee. Though wins were common and losses rare over the past seven years, only twice was UT able to claim the conference crown, and never outright. The Vols followed suit in joining many of their rivals in a brand new conference, one which they remain a part of to this day; the SEC. 13 teams organized the Southeastern Conference, including Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky. Familiar opponent Florida came along with past frequent foes Sewanee and Georgia and Georgia Tech. Auburn, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Tulane, and LSU completed the new conference with Tennessee.[43]

But Tennessee was facing the prospect of a new season in a new conference without their familiar and accomplished leader. Coach Neyland himself was telling the story that Fordham was making a “very attractive” offer to lure him away from UT. The Tennessee Athletic Council even voted to continue to pay Neyland the same salary as the previous year. This would only make the Fordham offer all the more tempting as there had been no pay raise for the successful season. Fordham even made certain to “arrange a transfer from his Army post in Chattanooga, where he had been assigned as part of his military obligation.”[44]

But Neyland came back to UT, and Started things off well with Tennessee’s 55th straight home game without a loss after beating VPI and Mississippi there. The Volunteers next made a trip over the mountains to Durham to play Duke in a non-conference game, as the Devils had not been included in the new SEC. Duke was playing its homecoming game, and played like it. They shut down Tennessee’s offense, and only allowed points on a single safety. Tennessee was able to block a punt in the fourth quarter, but failed to score in any other way and lost their first game since 1930.[45]

Tennessee scuttled home to the safe confines of Shields-Watkins Field. They comfortably got ready to host Alabama for homecoming, a team they beat in homecoming two years before and beat at Legion Field in 1932. Alabama coach Frank Thomas was facing a lot of pressure to win. He had only lost three games in his two season post at Alabama, but two were to Tennessee. He needed a win against Major Neyland.

Beattie Feathers opened the scoring with a touchdown to take the initial lead. But scores by Alabama, led by Dixie Howell, created a 12-6 deficit for the Orange and White.[46] The Crimson Tide rolled over Tennessee to take command, but Feathers led a desperate charge to end the game. UT moved the ball the length of the field, and started a new set of downs inside the Bama ten. Try as they might at that point, Feathers could not compel or lead his team to score, and they ran out of downs without a touchdown. “Tennessee poured out its football soul, and the dying moments of the game found them halted only six yads from the promised land. It might just as well have been 600 yards.”[47]

For the first time since Thanksgiving Day 1924, Tennessee lost at home. The team had tallied a record of 53-0-2 since the close of that season, and had an ongoing record of 28 straight wins at home without so much as a tie. Alabama had pulled off an incredible feat, and earned victory, all by holding Beattie Feathers six yards from the end zone.

Crushed in defeat, but still not finished with their season, Tennessee rattled off wins against Florida, George Washington University, Ole Miss, and even produced massive wins against Vanderbilt and Kentucky, beating each by 27 points. A season finale against LSU in Baton Rouge ended in a 7-0 defeat to close Neyland’s first SEC season with disappointment.

Beattie Feathers was spectacular for Tennessee in 1933, and the world recognized that. He was awards All-American honors for 1933. His storied career also landed him in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955, a year after former teammate Eugene McEver. He decided to take his talents to the professional level. A multi-sport athlete, Feathers signed with the Cincinnati Reds after the 1933 season.[48] He was also drafted by the Bears, where he became the first player to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season, a feat achieved as a rookie.

1934: 8-2 (215-106-26) [153-37-12]

With Feathers gone to professional glory, the team was again left with what may have been considered a rather bare chest, if any other coach helmed the team. But With Coach Neyland, the Volunteers fell much softer than expected. Centre was again good for an easy win, and North Carolina went down, though not without a fight. Opening conference play against Ole Miss at home, Tennessee sprinted off with a 27-0 win.

After another perfect start, Tennessee traversed the well worn road to Birmingham to take on the Crimson Tide. This year, Dixie Howell again starred, but it was his pass catcher, Don Hutson, who made a world of difference. Hutson was fast, and his success would not be limited to the collegiate ranks. He was a reported 9.8 100-yard dash runner.[49] His speed and route running would make him the most prolific receiver in the first half century of NFL history. On that day, Hutson’s touchdown created the cushion needed to win.[50]

Duke visited Knoxville the next week for Tennessee’s Homecoming game with 20,000 orange and white clad fans howling and roaring for the home team. It didn’t seem to help much at first as Tennessee not only failed to score through the first half, but gave up a blocked kick for a touchdown to go down 6-0. After decent point totals in the first three games, UT’s offense was beginning to show how much it missed Feather in the backfield. Coach Neyland demonstrated well his ability to inspire the troops as he refocused his players. Tennessee scored 14 unanswered points in the second half to win, blocking a kick themselves to do so.[51] Fordham, the team which attempted to recruit Coach Neyland away from Tennessee, invited the whole team to New York for a showdown, but ended as a beat down.

After the game wrapped up, “the groundskeepers at the Polo Grounds picked up many a vagrant tooth {because] fists were thrown with reckless and hilarious abandon after the Fordham-Tennessee battle.” After the game, Tennessee fans reportedly destroyed the posts and what remained of the goal posts “might easily be whittled into a toothpick.[52] Tempers may have been running high because of Fordham almost stealing Tennessee’s coach, and with 35,000 fans, there were a lot of passions in the stands. On the field, Tennessee had a late 12-7 lead before Tony Sarausky of Fordham ran away with a 64 yard score to clinch a victory for the home team. To heat tempers even more, Charley Vaughn appeared to have run for a touchdown, but the referee signaled otherwise, and then ejected Vaughn when he objected to the call. The paper of the game notes Vaughn as the soul of the offense that day, and the game collapsed without him.[53]

The remainder of the season was finished in fairly routine fashion, but with an important note; Tennessee failed to score 20 points or more for the rest of the season. The offense was indeed not matching the output of teams past. It was the team’s lowest points per game output since Coach Neyland’s first season with UT, further evidence of the team’s shortcomings while possessing the ball. Even so, the Vols finished off Mississippi State and LSU at home. For some icing on an otherwise disappointing season, Tennessee shut out UK and won 19-0 on Thanksgiving, and also beat Vanderbilt in Nashville in front of 20,000 fans. While a bit of a disappointment, the needed wins were there, and the losses were understandable.

1935: 4-5 (219-111-26) [155-40-12]

A harsh reality hit Tennessee before the 1935 season commenced. Coach Neyland’s foremost duty was to his other post, being the US Army. Due to conflict in Panama, Major Neyland was called up for active duty. UT was facing the prospect of a three year stint without their beloved and trusted leader. In his stead, Bill Britton was appointed as coach.

UT football had celebrated periods of success under previous coaches, so there was some hope Britton would hold down the fort effectively. The initial results were not spectacular, but promising. Southwestern, a team which is now Rhodes College, was dispatched 20-0. Given the opponent, though, UT was expected to run off touchdowns with near reckless abandon. Anyone worried about Vols football after week one were soon proven right. North Carolina, continuing the tradition of playing UT even though they were now in different conferences, thrashed Tennessee. With a final score of 38-13, it was the most points the Tennessee defense had given up in a single game since 1923, and it was the worse defeat of the past decade.[54] What may seem good news is not a single pass that day hit the ground, actually from either team. A total of 21 passes were attempted; 5 by the Tar Heels, and 16 by the Volunteers. But Tennessee only completed seven, with the other nine resulting in interceptions. UT picked off one pass.[55]

Tennessee got it together for a road win over a rather good Auburn team who would finish the season with an 8-2 record, but then fell flat against Alabama at Knoxville for Homecoming. The 25-0 loss tied the worst margin of loss since Vanderbilt in ‘23, but the bleeding had only just begun.

UT finished the season winning only two more games. Centre was beaten, but again, not in spectacular fashion. However, the Vols did hand Ole Miss their only conference loss on the year in a one point victory. Tennessee was able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat on a touchdown pass from Woodrow Derryberry to Gene Rose which matched up scores at 12-12. It took an extra point from Pete Craig to give Tennessee the lead with less than a minute remaining, showing Tennessee still had some talent and verve, but the consistency was just not with this team.[56]

Tennessee lost against Duke in Durham, Vanderbilt at home, and suffered a new season high, or low, for a defeat at the hands of UK in Lexington. The Wildcats shutdown all things Orange and White, vanquishing Tennessee 27-0. Even worse than the on-field result was the humanity of it all. Herbie Tade, who was Tennessee’s center but a native of Kentucky, had gone to the ground in the midst of a goal line scrum. When the mass of bodies finally removed themselves from him, he remained in the mud and grass. He was given an emergency surgery which was credited with saving his life that day, but he was never able to care for himself after that. He passed away, still handicapped from his injuries, in 1970.[57]

Football is a passionate game of face-to-face conflict, ruled over by men who are entrusted with the authority to drive the players to their limits. In many cases, those coaches re-write the limits of the men on the gridiron. But the results are not always glory. It can instead be a life-threatening injury, as had happened to more than one Tennessee player over the first 45 years. Football is not a game played on paper, but by a violent impact of determined souls, putting it all on the line.
Tennessee’s final season record was a very disappointing 4-5. The losses included being shut out by both Kentucky and Alabama, the latter during their Homecoming game at Shields-Watkins Field, as well as losing at home against Vanderbilt. Britton did not appear to be the man to helm the ship. The team had their worst scoring offense since 1924, worst defense since 1893. Tennessee had not scored fewer points than allowed in over a decade. But a light shown in the darkness, and not all hope for the future of UT football was lost.

1936: 6-2-2 (225-113-28) [159-41-12]

When the Army took Major Neyland away from Knoxville, prospects seemed bleak. They were not improved by a 4-5 season. In Panama, Major Neyland was facing his own challenges. His wife and both his sons were averse to the Panama climate, and were in bad health.[58]
Facing the prospect of losing his family to the tropic-like conditions of Central America, Major Neyland made a difficult choice. He retired from the Army. This decision made possible his return to Knoxville and resuming his post as Coach Neyland, which he did for the 1936 season.[59]

A coach does not all things fix. It took a while for the Volunteers to reacclimate itself to the tough but fair coaching of the militant Neyland. Chattanooga was defeated at home, but Tennessee still only managed two touchdowns. An away game at Chapel Hill against the Tar Heels resulted in a 6-14 loss. And a home game against Auburn the next week resulted in a narrow 0-6 loss as well. Auburn was able to score in the final minute, and Tennessee was held out of the end zone despite four plays from Auburn’s one-yard line.[60]

For the Third Saturday in October, Tennessee returned to Birmingham for a showdown with an Alabama team riding a win streak against UT. The teams were deadlocked near the end of the first half. With time running out, Alabama’s Joe Riley got outside the box with a wall of blockers in front of him, but Tennessee’s Phil Dickens blasted through a double team to drag him down. The clock hit zero before another play could be run, and Alabama was denied a touchdown.[61] Sadly, Tennessee, missing three starters (Doc Sneed, Babe Wood, and Joe Wallen), never got their own offense going. Tennessee held strong against two-touchdown favorite Bama, and ended the game 0-0.[62]

Tennessee made preparations to welcome Duke for Homecoming, and in new conditions. Duke was currently ranked 2nd in the Associated Press’s new football ranking poll. Duke was 5-0 at the time, and would end the season with a perfect SoCon record and the conference title. They held every conference opponent to zero points. Tennessee was good enough to score on them, and even put up a season high 15 points, thanks largely to a 70 yard punt return from Red Harp when UT was down 13-9.[63] The news clipping of the game noted “a season’s thrills [were] packed into the sixty minutes of [this game].”[64] Tennessee scored more points on Duke than all other opponents that year combined.

UT ran up big wins over Georgia and Maryville. They also delivered a convincing win over Vanderbilt in Nashville. Neyland had done better against the Commodores than all other coaches inUT history combined, and by a far margin. Anyone not named Bob Neyland was 2-20-2 against Vandy, while Coach Neyland was 7-1-2. The next week, on Thanksgiving Day, UK came to Shields-Watkins for a tightly fought game. The Wildcats finished the game with a significant edge in first downs, yards gained, but lost the battle of the immeasurable, as the “winners [were] held lucky.”[65] Tennessee won the game 7-6.

To close the year, Ole Miss and UT met in Memphis, as they had many times before. The result, a scoreless tie, kept Tennessee ranked 17th in the AP polls, a position they held since defeating Vanderbilt. There was little reason to move them upwards as the Vols were not able to convincingly dispatch either of their final two opponents. But the season result, 6-2-2, was a marked improvement over the 1935 season, and demonstrated the importance of a great coach.

1937: 6-3-1 (231-116-29) [163-43-12]

Some people say It’s gotta get worse before it can get better. This can be said of working out (think lactic acid after your first run or after a tough leg day). It can refer to saving or investing (cutting expenses now and living strapped for a time to enjoy retirement or buy a home). When it came to Tennessee football, 1937 was Coach Neyland’s black eye campaign. They did a bad job beating their rivals, but to be fair, they did a pretty darned good job beating everyone else. And similar to the 1926 squad, this team was more about who would star next year as opposed to the starters this season.

To focus on the good parts, UT did not lose a single non-conference game. One did end in a draw, however, against familiar foe Duke. 39,000 fans attended the game, only to see a disappointing and scoreless tie. Tennessee lost a touchdown on an offsides call against them, and then Duke fumbled on the ensuing drive near the goal line.[66]Another positive from those three games was the defense gave up a goose egg in points. Tennessee held all opponents scoreless unless their annual game against Alabama.

During the Third Saturday in October, the Vols gave up 14 points, while fumbling away too many opportunities of their own and scoring only 7 points. In total, Tennessee put the ball on the ground a staggering eight times, though they only lost three. 25,000 fans witnessed the home team lose in dramatic and heartbreaking fashion.[67]

The Volunteers started to get back on track with quality wins over Sewanee and Georgia. They were not simply good wins. They were identical 32-0 beat downs in the renewed safety of Shields-Watkins Field. It returned a feeling of normalcy to the usually defended home stadium. The wins were convincing, and the losses not too bad, and so Tennessee found themselves a ranked team again. But it was not to last.

A trip to Auburn resulted in a 20-7 loss. And if that game wasn’t bad enough, Tennessee’s fans nearly put up a better effort than the team against Vanderbilt during the UT Homecoming game. Vandy came to Shields-Watkins and defeated the Orange and White, with a winning score in the fourth quarter.[68] After the game, the Commodore fans stormed the field to tear down the goal posts in celebrations. The Vols faithful would have none of it, and a fight broke out between the two clubs which lasted for 30 minutes.[69]

UT football was almost in a free fall for their season. They had high expectations after Coach Neyland righted the ship the season before, but progress was not to be seen so far in 1937. And the Wildcats were up next, that team which so frequently was a black mark on the Vols’ record for the season. The offense that Thanksgiving day was less than stellar, only scoring 13 points. However, the defense played a magnificent game. Kentucky never scored on the day, and UT was able to go home celebrating a 13-0 win. The last game was in Memphis against Ole Miss, and Tennessee football had its third 32-0 shut out on the season.

While a 6-3-1 record would have been quite a celebration in the pre-Neyland years, it was a disappointment under his guidance. The team showed spirit, but lack of discipline or fundamentals at times. The fumbles against Alabama, allowing a late score to Vanderbilt, failing to score against Duke: each stood out like a sore thumb as evidence progress was necessary for glory.

1938*: 11-0 (242-116-29) [170-43-12]

Patience is a virtue. Coach Neyland has brought tremendous success to Knoxville. An 88-12-8 record over 11 years was pristine compared to almost the entirety of UT football history. The University of Tennessee had fielded, officially and unofficially, 45 teams prior to 1938. Neyland’s average season was 8 wins, 1 loss, and more often than not, a tie. The average season for the rest of the seasons? About 4-3, with a tie half the time. Coach Neyland was twice as good at winning, and about three times better at avoiding a loss. But one thing had eluded his teams; a National Championship.

Coach Neyland brought in a class of sophomores the likes of which would rival the 1927 Flaming Sophomores which would not lose a game for three straight years. They were talented, disciplined, and humble enough to follow Coach’s orders. Coach Neyland had the team practicing again on January 9th, 1938. He was going to forcibly shape this team into a winning unit. Those close to the team, who witnessed a grueling three straight months of harsh training, predicted Coach was tired of losing, specifically to an Alabama team they had not beaten since 1932.[70]

As a way to promote the success he drilled into his team would be theirs, Neyland pushed for an addition to the stadium in Knoxville. 44 rows of seating were added to Shields-Watkins Field to increase the total seats to over 31,000. This was put to good use for the largest opening day gate in UT history.[71] As if by design, to demonstrate past demons would not flounder this season, Coach Neyland scheduled Sewanee. The Tigers put up three points when the previous year they were held scoreless, and UT was also held to six points fewer. Silver linings may help, but Tennessee still celebrated a 26-3 win at home.

Potential cracks may have been being spotted the next week against Clemson, UT’s first non-conference of the year. The Tigers (Clemson, not Sewanee), also scored on UT, though it was only a single touchdown, and UT still scored 20 points of their own to win comfortably at 20-7. However, concern could be found considering UT’s defense the previous year shut out all but three opponents. The Vols got back to a goose egging opponents the next week when they faced their third Tigers team in a row at home. Auburn was held scoreless, but Tennessee was only able to scrape 7 points of their own. And even so, they were only able to score in the fourth quarter, barely getting the win.[72]

While getting wins, Tennessee had not as of yet impressed. And It being the Third Saturday in October, the time for warms ups was long gone. Alabama was next up. Alabama “had gone 9-0 abd played in the Rose Bowl in 1937, was undefeated in 21 consecutive regular season games,” and was looking to bounce Tennessee from the unbeatens as they had so many times. “A capacity crowd of 25,000 looked on” as the Volunteers fought against the Tide.[73] UT’s defense again clamped down, holding Bama not only out of the end zone, but kept them from scoring any points at all.

With 3-1 odds against Tennessee, it all came down to the offense.[74] George Cafego ran amuck against the Tide, but was kept out of the end zone. But in the first quarter, Leonard Coffman scored a touchdown, and doubled down in the third frame.[75] The end score of 13-0 was a welcome salve to sooth the worries of players and coaches alike. The success and confidence carried over to a shellacking of The Citadel at home, with Tennessee winning 44-0.

To close October, yet another Tigers team came to Shields-Watkins Field. LSU was able to score 6 points in the face of 36,000 Homecoming fans, but Tennessee edged them by scoring 14 points of their own. The newspaper named George “Bad News” Cafego as the engine of the win, and LSU did not make a play on UT’s side of the field the entire second half.[76]
Tennessee earned convincing home wins against Chattanooga as well as annoying enemy UK. The Vols scored over 40 both times. A trip to Nashville against Vanderbilt was a shutout as well, with Tennessee scoring 14 points to kickstart a series of sustained success against their most bitter rival. A regular season finale against Ole Miss in Memphis was the largest win of the season, with Tennessee running up the score 47-0.

Coach Neyland finally had a season without a loss of tie. Tennessee was finally an outright SEC Champion. Bob Suffridge, George Cafego, and Bowden Wyatt all earned All American honors. Tennessee had also steadily climbed the AP polls from 8th after their win over Alabama, to 4th after beating LSU. They held steady after beating Vandy, didn’t move after plastering the Wildcats, but jumped to #2 after easily dispatching the Rebels to end the season. Tennessee was chosen as National Champion by most every outlet aside from the AP, as they had ranked UT second to TCU. Their season was good enough to play the Oklahoma Sooners in the Orange Bowl.

In what became known as the “Orange Brawl,” Tennessee and Oklahoma were throwing jabs and punches throughout the game. George Cafego delivered a devastating hit to OU star Waddy Young, knocking him out of the game.[77]Sam Bartholomew, who played for Neyland, had his nose broken. Tired of his first string center getting in scraps, Coach Neyland sent Joe Little in to relieve him and to make the team “settle down.” The strategy did not work. Little was sucker punched as soon as he snapped the ball. He responded by chasing down the Sooner who hit him, laying him out with an uppercut, and then stood over him, taunting him to rise. Little “departed at the insistence of the referee,” and was “apologizing to Neyland before he reached the sidelines.”[78]

Tennessee went on to win the rough and tumble game 17-0, claiming a perfect season, winning a national championship, and silencing any doubters who may have believed Major Neyland had lost his touch. The team was described as “a football team as splendid as any,” and drew the largest crowd in Florida football history, up to that point.[79]

It was a culmination of over a decade of hard work and sacrifice. Already a coaching legend, Coach Neyland could have retired then and there and likely remained the greatest coach in UT football history. He as helped along by good players brought up by his great coaching. Once such player, Bowden Wyatt, would go on to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as both a player (in 1972) and a coach (in 1997) for his success coaching at Wyoming, Arkansas, and, of course, Knoxville.[80] But that is a story for a different year.

1939: 10-1 (252-117-29) [176-43-12]

Tennessee football was on Cloud Nine after their National Championship and a shutout victory over the Sooners. Going into 1939, the Volunteers had a battle-hardened, veteran group of players, including the return of Bob Suffredge at Guard, and George Cafego at Tailback. The SEC in 1939 was a remarkable conference, reflecting what it would become today. Three teams would finish top 20 in the AP polls, and those three teams would go on to play in the Sugar, Orange, and Rose Bowl at season’s end with a total of two losses and one tie between them. As talented as the team was, Tennessee would have its work cut out for them to repeat as champions.

In celebration of such an accomplished team, an official team song was formally adopted. Attributions for the lyrics of the battle song ranged from former engineering professor R. C. Matthews, who was pivotal in the hiring of Clevenger as coach nearly 30 years earlier, to Gwen Sweet. The music referenced to Vanderbilt and Yale, as a stolen tune, or Chas. Fielder for arranging it. Either way, 1939 was the year it was copyrighted as the fight song of the University of Tennessee Volunteers[81]

Tennessee started off the year on the road against NC State, and handled them well enough with a 13-0 win. This extended a win streak of 13 games to 14, and shutouts from five-in-a-row to six (if bowl games are counted). UT came back to Shields-Watkins to host Sewanee, who had not been a threat to the Orange and White for some time. On this particular day, Tennessee ground the Tigers into the dirt, scoring 40 points and pitching a shutout. A game at Chattanooga ended 28-0 in favor of Tennessee. Which brings the season to the Third Saturday in October, and ALabama was coming to Knoxville for homecoming.

The annual rivalry game between these two teams had received consistent national attention. Both were once again undefeated heading into the conflict. The Tide had been darlings of the 1937 season, and Tennessee ruled 1938. Times magazine even wrote a four page preview of the game.[82] Both had high hopes if they could just get a win in the game.

It being Homecoming, Knoxville flooded the stadium to be a part of the game. 40,000 spectators were in attendance that day to see one of their own, Johnny Butler, a Knoxville City High School grad and current UT running back, break open the scoring on a 56 yard run. UT intercepted Bama twice, though could not complete a pass of their own. The Crimson Tide only ever got close enough for one scoring attempt, and the field goal was well short. Tennessee ended up winning 21-0, and solidified their status as contenders.[83]

Ranked #1 in the AP polls after beating Alabama, Tennessee had nowhere to go but down from there. And they did, though only a little. The polls expected big wins moving forward, but the UT offense was rather ineffectual moving forward. The Vols only scored more than 20 points once the rest of the season, and against The Citadel, the worst team in the Southern Conference which previously included Tennessee.

But the defense was glorious through the rest of 1939. In fact, Tennessee did not allow a point through the entire year. Vanderbilt and Kentucky were both defeated as well, with no ties or draws from these two frequent spoilers. Auburn put up a feisty fight, but a 40 yard touchdown in the second quarter by Johnny Butler once again proved all the difference needed in a 7-0 nail biter.[84] Though they had dropped from #1 to #2 by season’s end, Tennessee finished the year 10-0.

Tulane and Georgia Tech also finished the year sith undefeated and untied SEC records, making a three way tie for Champion. Though Tech had lost twice, to Notre Dame and Duke, and Tulane had drawn with North Carolina, all those blemishes were outside their conference. Tulane was invited to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl against AP #1 and National Champ Texas A&M. Tulane fell 13-14. Tech went to Miami to play against Missouri, the Big Six champ, and won convincingly 21-7.

Tennessee went to California to play USC in the Rose Bowl. USC had been named National Champs by the Dickinson System, though was ranked #3 by the AP. They were undefeated, but drew twice; once to start the season against Oregon, and once to end it against UCLA. In front of over 90,000 attendees, USC became the first team to score on Tennessee since October 1938. USC simply “outweighed and outpowered” the Volunteers on the day, and kept UT to their own side of the field for all but one drive on the day. They spoiled an otherwise sterling year for Coach Neyland, handing him a grizzly 14-0 loss.

Though a disappointing end to the season, it was still a successful year. Bob Suffridge and George Cafego were named All American for the second straight year, and they were joined by Ed Molinski and Abe Shires, who played Guard and Tackle. Cafego as the definition of a gamer. Neyland once described Cafego as one who “couldn’t do anything right” in practice, but “for two hours on Saturday afternoons he did everything an All-America is supposed to do.” Cafego would spend thirty years as an assistant with the UT football team, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1969.[85] Counting only regular season games, UT was still doing great with 22 straight wins and 14 straight shutouts. But USC loomed large over the other successes, and stung all the more in comparison.

1940*: 10-1 (262-118-29) [183-43-12]

After a dissatisfying end to the 1939 season, Tennessee was facing the prospect of a season without George Cafego. He had left for the Chicago Bears after the 1939 season, and according to one report, he was drafted 1st overall in the NFL. He remained blissfully unaware of the occurrence for 34 years.[86]

Still with the team, however, was two time All American Robert Lee Suffridge. Bob was such a talented player, he was voted as one of the 11 greatest players of 1900-1950. In 1940, he would earn the Knute Rockne Award for most outstanding lineman. He was also considered the best prospect in Knoxville high school history, at the time, and was a household name when he moved onto the UT campus.[87]

Suffridge was the heartbeat of the 1940 team, and paired with Ed Molinski at the other guard spot, made a devastating blocking front, and a terrifying defensive front. The Volunteers started the season strong, with three straight non-conference shutouts, including against 1939 CoCon Champion and former rival Duke, and all at home. These three games teed up yet another undefeated showdown between Bama and UT, this year in Birmingham. Johnny Butler, who was critical against Bama in 1939, again ran like mad. He totalled 138 yards alone on two runs, one for a touchdown. While the Tide forced two turnovers, UT just seemed to have the better team, and won out that day 27-12.[88] It was the first time Tennessee had given up points in the regular season since October 1938.

Florida was the only opponent the rest of the year to keep Tennessee under 20 points, and they still lost 14-0. Virginia was the only other team to score on Tennessee for the year, and they were manhandled 41-14. Vanderbilt was crushed in Nashville, 20-0. Kentucky was blown away 33-0. LSU came to Knoxville only to depart 28-0 losers.

Tennessee was the Southern Belle, They were undefeated and untied. Texas A&M lost their final game of the year to Texas to drop from 2nd to 6th in the AP polls. Boston College was untarnished, same as Tennessee. Stanford was perfect, and earned a Rose Bowl bid as the #2 team. But somehow Michigan was ahead of Tennessee, even with a loss. But that loss did come against unbeaten, untied Minnesota. But the Gophers only played 8 games, averaged fewer than 20 points a game, and never shut out an opponent. Stanford only slammed the door on San Francisco, a club which only won one game on the year, averaged fewer than 18 points a game while allowing over 7 each. It remains unclear why Tennessee was not respected by the AP poll at season’s end, but they were Recognized by both Dunkel and Williamson polls as National Champs, and that was good enough to go to the Sugar Bowl.

Of all the games in his storied and vaunted career, this was one which may have annoyed Coach Neyland the most. He claimed his team was the better of them, with opportunities aplenty to slam the door on Boston College, the team ranked just behind UT in the AP polls. Unfortunately, the score at the end is what matters. Boston College took a lead they would never relinquish on a fourth quarter touchdown, using one of Coach Neyland’s own favorite plays.[89]

At season’s end, UT was recognized with Suffridge and Molinski as All American guards, along with Halfback Bob Foxx. Bob Suffrage used his speed and quickness instead of any dominant size (6’1”, 185lbs) to win as a guard. Coach Neyland said Suffrage “never made a bad play.” For his excellence, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1961.[90] Ed Molinski was similarly inducted, though much later in 1990, likely due to the recognized success of so many other players around him. However, his success on both sides of the ball made his admittance impossible to ignore[91]

The Volunteers were also recognized as National Champions by two separate outlets. Coach Neyland was also able to notch his 100th victory as coach with the win over Virginia. But for the 9th time in his career, Coach Neyland was left with one game away from a perfect record.

1941: 8-2 (270-120-29) [188-44-12]

On December 7th, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese forces. This act of aggressive violence pushed the US into the war raging across the world. But the US had already been involved to a certain degree by that point. Even before the 1941 season was prepared to get underway, Neyland resumed his position and calling with the Army instead of returning to coach football. With a leave of absence granted from the school, a temporary coach was assigned; John Barnhill, the line coach who was responsible for drilling and coaching six All Americans elected in the previous three seasons. Barnhill himself was an all conference guard during his playing days at UT the first two seasons with Neyland at the helm.

Unable to stay away completely Major Neyland attended the first game of the season, which ended in a convincing 32-6 win over Furman at Shields-Watkins Field.[92] The following week, Tennessee was the visitor in Durham where the Blue Devils played a masterful defensive game. UT never scored, and Duke won 19-0.

Tennessee was able to bounce back the next week by beating non-conference opponent Dayton 26-0, even with Johnny Butler watching the game from the sideline with an injury.[93] Alabama came to Knoxville the following week, along with thousands of their fans to join the spectators. 37,000 total showed up to watch the anticipated game. Tennessee passed often in the game, with over twenty attempts. In many cases, the receivers were able to get behind the defense, running past anyone able to make a tackle, only to drop the ball. Additionally, an offsides penalty against the Vols negated a 16 yard loss by Bama, set up the Tide’s first points. A bad punt from Butler led to Alabama’s, and the game’s, only touchdown on the day. If even one of these occurrences had gone the other way, the result may have been very different. But the final score was 9-2 against the home team, and Bama celebrated their win.[94]

When Coach Neyland had left for Panama before the 1935 season, the loss to Alabama seemed to knock the wheels off the bus, with the Volunteers only winning one conference game after that to end 4-5 on the season. Tennessee won their non-conference game over Cincinnati, but had to travel to Baton Rouge the next week to play the LSU Tigers. Thankfully, LSU was not the strongest team by any means in 1941, and Tennessee won 13-6 in front of 30,000 fans compliments of a 60 yard touchdown run in the first quarter by the backup halfback.[95]

Tennessee kept the ball rolling against Howard with a 28-6 win. The following week, UT football traveled to Boston in a rematch of the 1940 season’s Sugar Bowl, a game Boston College had won 19-13. Without Neyland, hopes may have been low, and prospects bleak. But the games are played for a reason. Reminiscent of the Sugar Bowl, a fourth quarter touchdown gave the victorious team a lead it would not let go of. Boston College scored first, in the second quarter, but a BC fumble in their own endzone was recovered by UT for a touchdown, tying the game at 7. An interception turned the game for good, as the Vols returned the pick within spitting distance of the Boston endzone. Three rushing plays later, Tennessee was up, and would shut down Boston from there to win 14-7.[96]

Tennessee had two games remaining, against familiar foes; the Kentucky Wildcats, and the Vanderbilt Commodores. UK was first, and at the Wildcat’s home. Tennessee made sure Kentucky was not able to play spoiler this season, as they had so many other times before. UT played a complete enough game to walk away 20-7 winners.

But Vanderbilt was another matter. The Commodores had only lost once in 1941, and were 8-1 at the time, with aspirations of a bowl game. They trekked to Knoxville hoping to end a losing streak against the Vols, and punch a ticket to a New Year’s bowl. The fact it was Tennessee’s homecoming was just the icing on the cake. Tennessee attacked Vandy’s prestigious line frequently, breaking down their biggest perceived advantage, en route to playing spoiler themselves. UT held firm at home, winning 26-7 and ending Vandy’s bowl aspirations, while opening a slight window themselves for an invitation which never came.[97] Tennessee ended the season at 8-2, and beat Kentucky and Vanderbilt again, maintaining a level of proficiency and success against their rivals.

1942: 9-1-1 (279-121-30) [194-44-12]

By the time the 1942 season kicked off, the US had already engaged the Japanese in the Pacific theater with battles across Wake Island, the Philippines, the Aleutian Islands, and Midway. In the West, US troops were fighting in North Africa, and air raids were conducted over Europe. From 1940 to 1942, US military ranks swelled from just over 450,000 troops to nearly 4 million.[98] Unlike previous wartime periods where troop recruitment dwindled the school population low enough the team was officially disbanded, such at 1898 and 1917-1918, a Varsity squad was still fielded during this year of armed conflict.

To start the season, the defense appeared to play brilliantly. UT held the South Carolina to a goose egg in their first game in Columbia. Most unfortunately, though, the offense was given the same treatment, and the Vols offense scraped together an egg of their own. For the first time since 1923, UT failed to win their season opener.

Two more non-conference games followed, but the result was a pair of convincing wins over Fordham and Dayton. Fordham went down 40-14, and Dayton suffered 34-6. Furman, their game two weeks after Dayton, was beaten even more aggressively, 52-7. But before Tennessee could play Furman, they were hosted in Birmingham by the Tide.

For the second straight year, Bama was able to bounce UT up in the loss column. Alabama had consistently been a thorn in the Vols’ side. Since 1930, UT’s record against the Tide was 5-7-1. For the entire series to this point, Tennessee was now 9-15-2. Strangely, it was the first home win for Alabama in the series since 1934.

Using the Furman beat down as a palette cleanser, Tennessee went on a run. They shut out 19th ranked LSU 26-0. Cincinnati was easily handled 34-12. Ole Miss was played in Memphis, and Tennessee won 14-0. Kentucky came to Knoxville for Homecoming, and the Orange and White won 26-0. It was the 7th straight win in the series for Tennessee. UT had only lost once to the Wildcats since Coach Neyland’s arrival in 1926.

Continuing to try and dispel pesky opponents, UT went on the road to Nashville to play the Commodores. With a 4 game win streak on the line, Tennessee needed to play well to set a new team record for wins in a row against their in-state foe. Georgia and Georgia Tech would play in the Rose and Cotton Bowls, but Tennessee had their hearts set on the Sugar Bowl. At halftime, Tennessee and Vanderbilt were tied 7-7 in a hard fought game. Needing to win for the invitation they were hoping for, Tennessee rallied and outplayed the Commodores in the second half. The final was 19-7 in favor of the Orange and White.[99]

To end the season, Tennessee played Tulsa in New Orleans. The Golden Hurricanes were led by Glenn Dobbs, the arm behind the aerial game.[100] Tennessee’s defense clamped down on the ground game, with Tulsa totalling a negative 39 yards on the ground. Even so, UT was down 6-7 at half. Once Tennessee was able to focus on defending the passing assault, with the ground game stifled, Tulsa was held scoreless the rest of the contest. The Vols, though, scored on a safety to take the lead, and scored six points in the final frame to be safe and earn a 14-7 victory.[101]

With the win, Tennessee evened up their bowl game record at 2-2. A final 9-1-1 record was astounding given Coach Neyland’s absence. But the game would be put on hold for a time. Though a team was put together for 1942, 1943 was a different story.

1943: NO GAMES PLAYED (279-121-30) [194-44-12]

Due to the war, no team was assembled for 1943. Additionally, there was no unofficial team, which there had been in both 1917 and 1918. In the SEC, only Georgia and LSU hosted a civilian team, and Tulane and Georgia Tech had military unit teams, compliments of the Navy.[102]

1944: 7-1-1 (286-122-31) [198-44-13]

With a year off, and many eligible players still enlisted, Coach Barnhill recruited “more 17- and 18-year-old players than any other college football team in history,” noting “some of them were too young for the draft, and others had been rejected for military service.”[103] Regardless, Barnhill put together a schedule which included a double serving of Kentucky to compensate for a void created by Vanderbilt skipping the 1944 season.

Tennessee did what it did in 1893, and opened the season against Kentucky. Fortunately, the outcome was far different. The 1893 Wildcats pummeled UT in Knoxville, 56-0. Over 50 years later, Tennessee scored 26 points while holding UK to 13. Playing in Memphis against Ole Miss, Tennessee secured win number two 20-7. Florida then made the journey to Knoxville. The welcome wagon never met the Gators at the station, so the football team may have gotten lost looking for Shields-Watkins Field. It may explain how Tennessee’s military rejects and minors were able to power past Florida for 40 points while scoring multiple touchdowns from over 40 yards out. Florida was sent home sporting a goose egg.[104]

Alabama of course spoiled the successful season. Both teams butted heads for an afternoon, but neither were able to score. While Bama made multiple late game bids for points, UT was able to deflect a field goal attempt, as well as intercept a ball at their own 15-yard line with less than half a minute remaining, which preserved the draw.[105]

The offense played better against the rest of their settled docket. UT scored at least 21 points through all but one of their remaining games. The lone exception was a 13-0 shutout of LST in Baton Rouge. With the season concluding with a 21-7 victory over Kentucky over Thanksgiving weekend, Tennessee concluded their season 7-0-1, and were invited to Pasadena to play USC in the Rose Bowl.

UT faithful were hopeful for a revenge game against the team and in the venue where Coach Neyland’s bid for back-to-back perfect seasons was shattered. Following a National Championship season in 1938, USC had shut out UT 14-0 in the Rose Bowl to conclude the 1939 season. 1944 played out only slightly differently. 91,000 fans hollered and cheered their way through a one sided affair. With two passing touchdowns and a rushing score from their quarterback, USC waltzed away with an even more convincing 25-0 win. While Tennessee’s undersized line was the perceived weak spot, they ended up performing the best, and were credited as stars despite being outweighed significantly by USC’s line.[106]

Barnhill coached a magnificent season. He scrambled to get a team, scraped the barrel for games to play, and managed to go undefeated in their schedule, only failing against an undefeated USC team in Southern California. In fact, Barnhill’s squad was also recognized with a First Team All-American in Bob Dobelstein at guard. It was the first time a non-Neyland coached player at UT had been so honored.

1945: 8-1 (294-123-31) [204-44-13]

Tennessee’s first game was played September 29th, 1945. Fighting in Europe had ended a few months earlier, but the war had not officially ended until earlier in September with Japan’s surrender. As students and student athletes flooded back home, some in time to help put the team, three members of the 1942 squad, Bill Nowling, Rudy Klarer, and Clyde Fuson, plus a fourth from 1941, Willis Tucker, had fallen in battle.[107] Sacrifices made by brave young soldiers and civil servants are what made possible the country we enjoy today.

At the end of September, Barnhill’s squad began the season with the first of three straight home games. Wake Forest, a team rarely played, fought tooth and nail against Tennessee, holding an edge in the fourth. The Vols had been able to halt a promising Deacon drive in the first quarter, forcing a fumble on their own two, to prevent a score. However, Wake Forest was not to be denied. Dick Brinkley scored a touchdown on a short plunge in the fourth quarter, but their kicker, who had been injured the play previous to the touchdown, shanked the kick. Tennessee’s team had not moved the ball well all day. The Vols only managed 7 first downs compared to 17 for Wake Forest. UT completed one pass for six yards, while WF completed 10 of 16 passes for 110 yards. The Deacons picked off a trio of UT passes, and held the edge in penalty yards. But When the defense forces and recovers fumbles while standing in their own end zone, there is hope. Tennessee was able to score a touchdown and kick the extra point to edge Wake Forest 7-6, earning a victory at home.[108]

Four of the next five games were played at home, and all were largely cakewalks. William & Mary folded 48-13 to UT, which netted the team their 200th home win. Chattanooga was bounced 30-0. Villanova and North Carolina were played after the Alabama game and were soundly defeated by at least two touchdowns each. Their last home game of the season was played December 1st, and was Homecoming against Vanderbilt. It was never a good game, as Tennessee rattled off 45 unanswered points in the most emphatic win against their rival in the series. Possibly even more impressive was thet yardage on the day; Tennessee had the edge 435 yards to six. Even Kentucky was bested in Lexington without much difficulty 14-0.

Alabama, of course, was the challenge. Their fourth game of the season, after a few non-conference warm up games, was a battle of undefeated teams yet again. Alabama was currently ranked sixth in the nation, and Tennessee had their work cut out for them. While Tennessee was able to tie Alabama in passing yards with 169 and penalty yards, Alabama picked UT off twice and shut down UT’s rushing attack. Tennessee did not get a first down until after half time, and Alabama crushed them in rushing differential 19 yards to 223. Tennessee was handed its 123rd loss in history 25-7, and the Tide rolled undefeated the rest of the way to a convincing Rose Bowl victory over USC.[109]

1946: 9-2 (303-125-31) [209-45-13]

John Barnhill likely did a better job guiding the Vols than likely anyone anticipated as a coach in Major Neyland’s absence. He totaled 32 wins against 5 losses. He beat Vanderbilt three times and Kentucky five times. He directed a Sugar Bowl winning team after the US entered World War II, and his 1944 team was good enough to garner a Rose Bowl invitation. But two things worked against him going into 1946; he never defeated Alabama, and General Neyland was coming home, and taking over as head coach.

General Neyland took over the team for his third stint as coach. And for once, the team was successful before he took it over. Outside of Neyland’s guidance, Coach Barnhill had been the most successful and consistent coach in UT history. This meant Neyland was likely not coming in to a bare cabinet. Many veteran players were now veteran soldiers, and freshman were lining up in droves to play. Strangely, only 8 players from the 1945 team came out to play for Neyland in 1946, and he said “It will take us five years to put Tennessee back on top.”[110]

Neyland started with earnest in 1946. He used trickery to win a narrow game over Georgia Tech in the season opener against a team coached by former UT All American Bob Dodd. In a move which would make Bill Belichick grin into his hood, Coach Neyland wasted minutes of the clock in the closing frame to take a safety in order to punt from their own twenty instead of from their own endzone. The ploy worked, and Tennessee won 13-9.[111]

In order to get a win over Duke the next week, Neyland had to lead his team without the aid of four players, Dick Huffman, Dick Jordan, Jack Armstrong, and MAx Partin, who were driven in a cab to North Carolina’s stadium instead of Duke’s.[112] Duke scored first on a deep pass, but Tennessee matched the touchdown early in the second quarter, however their point after attempt failed, leaving them down 6-7. Tennessee was able to score late on a 75 yard drive to take a 12-7 lead after Duke blocked another point after try, and they held on for the win in front of 42,000 fans.[113]

Tennessee ground Chattanooga into dust the next week to get the offense really rolling in anticipation of the game against Alabama. The Tide and UT were once again both undefeated, and recent history had not been kind to the Vols. The Orange and White had not won against Alabama since 1940, but having Neyland back and playing at home gave them an edge. Alabama aired it out throughout the game. Their QB, Harry Gilmer, passed 38 times in the contest for 157 yards. Alabama penetrated deep into Tennessee territory time and again, driving deep three times in the fourth quarter alone.[114]

In total, Alabama bested Tennessee in total yards, passing yards by far, and the teams squared up in turnovers. But the only thing which really matters is points. UT scored in the second and third quarters, and held the Tide scoreless in front of 40,000 fans.[115] Tennessee won 12-0.

The elation of the win was short lived as Tennessee lost at home to Wake Forest the next week 19-6. Neyland, likely furious at his team’s shortcomings, pressed the team hard to win out. Tennessee obliged. They knocked off North Carolina with some trickery to score the winning points on a 78-yard punt return touchdown.[116] They squeaked past Ole Miss compliments of three touchdown passes to win 18-14. The win gave UT their 300th win in program history. Boston College was beaten like a drum, 33-13. Kentucky and Vanderbilt both folded to the relentless Orange and White wave, continuing Neyland’s traditional success against rivals.

Dick Huffman was named a First Team All American for his outstanding play, UT was once against sharing the SEC crown, and Tennessee was invited to the Orange Bowl against 10th ranke Rice. Rice was able to clamp down on the UT offense, and managed to score eight points of their own, winning 8-0. The parade may have been the best part of the game, with a combination of 2000 members of the band and “pretty girls” stamping across the field.[117] It was described by some as “the dullest bowl game ever played.”[118]

1947: 5-5 (308-130-31) [213-46-13]

Coach Neyland averaged 8.5 wins a year while averaging fewer than 2 losses each year. Three of his career losses were in Bowl games. He coached seven seasons without a loss. But “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.” In the same manner, just because a coach is great and has a traditionally successful team, the wheels can fall off every wagon. In 1947, those wheels may very well have fallen.

UT started the season on a terrible note, losing 27-0 to Georgia Tech, then falling in Homecoming to Duke the next week 19-7. Tennessee’s lone score did not even come until late in the game, and the offense was impotent the rest of the day.[119] Chattanooga was an easier game, with the result being a 26-7 win.

But Alabama did not go down as easily. After restoring hope in 1946 with a win over the Tide, Bama stood strong at home to hand the Vols a 10-0 embarrassment. Even Ole Miss got in on the action. For the first time ever, the Rebels beat the Vols, and it was the worst loss in Coach Neyland’s career. Ole Miss scored 43 points, and held UT to only 13. North Carolina the previous week won 20-6. Tennessee Tech, played immediately after Alabama, was a 49-0 win, but it hardly seemed important. Tennessee was 2-5 under Coach Neyland, a seemingly impossible record previously, with games against Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Boston College upcoming.

Fortunately, Boston College was middling this year, and bowed out 38-13. UK, however, was 7-2, and had been a ranked team earlier in the season. Tennessee did not play particularly well against the Wildcats, and UK was able to lead early on. Tennessee scored later on, but only were able to win with a late game touchdown to ice the game. FInal score; 13-6, UT wins [120]

The game against Vandy was to be played in Nashville. The Commodores had been an AP top 10 team before losses to ranked UK and ranke LSU dropped them to unranked. They were a feisty team, though, and usually played hard against UT. It once again was a fourth quarter score to break the game open. Trailing 6-7, the final points were scored by the Vols on a 61 yard punt return to win 12-7.[121] While the season as a whole was a disappointment, the only rivalry game which was really of merit to turn sour was Alabama, who lost to Vanderbilt, and also lost the Sugar Bowl. So a disappointment of a season, but not a failure, at least.

1948: 4-4-2 (312-134-33) [216-48-14]

If the wheels fell off for Coach Neyland in 1947 with his worst ever 5-5 season, they must have broken the axles in 1948. After losing half his games the previous year, UT was not even able to win half their games in 1948. In many ways, 1948 was a flipped script from the previous year.

Both years started with a loss. This time around, it was Mississippi State dishing out losses within the traditionally safe confines of Shields-Watkins Field. Duke scored less than four minutes into the game, spelling trouble for the Vols, but the defense held strong the rest of the game, an dUT scored a touchdown in the second quarter to walk away with a draw.[122]

Chattanooga once again provided the first win of the season with Tennessee scoring 26 for the second straight year. Alabama then came to Knoxville, and this is when things started changing a bit. In ‘47, Bama knocked off UT, but a complete collapse was largely avoided as Tennessee went 4-2 the rest of the way. 48,000 Homecoming fans witnessed UT “unleash a slashing running attack that ripped the huge Crimson Tide forewall to smithereens” en route to a 21-6 win.[123]

Coach Neyland’s squad handled Tennessee Tech without issue once again, winning 41-0. On October 30th, Tennessee got more trick than treat against third ranked North Carolina in Knoxville. North Carolina scored on their first drive. Hal Littleford dashed 90 yards for a UT touchdown on a punt return, but it was called back due to penalty. A bad punt by Littleford gave UNC the ball at Tennessee’s 27, and another touchdown followed. Vols fans eventually had to be turned away from the officials by police officers. Tennessee’s only touchdown which counted came after a fumble recovery and a 47 yard catch-and-run, and lost 14-7.[124]

While the loss would be hard to swallow, UNC was a powerhouse, and would not lose a game until the Sugar Bowl. But it may have been the straw which broke UT’s back, they just didn’t know it yet. The Volunteers rallied well initially, posting a 13-6 victory over Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Unfortunately, that was the end of the good times for Vols fans this year. The team lost by a field goal to Ole Miss in Memphis for the second straight year, drew with Kentucky in Shields-Watkins without scoring a single point, and lost big to Vanderbilt 28-6 in Nashville.

Coach Neyland had stated he would need five years to get the team back to the sustained success those familiar with his teams expected. But back-to-back poor seasons did not bring much excitement or hope for the future. As has happened before, and will continue to happen, maybe Coach Neyland lost his edge or the game left him behind during his hiatus. Perhaps he no longer connected with his players. Perhaps he just did not have the ponies other coaches had to consistently win tough games.

1949: 7-2-1 (319-136-34) [220-50-14]

In the previous two seasons, Coach Neyland lost as many games as he did his first ten seasons as a coach. It also marked the very first and the second time he had failed to gather enough W’s for a winning season. Even Mrs. Neyland was calling for him to retire at this point, though likely less out of a concern for on field success and more so to enjoy Florida.[125]

Instead, Coach Neyland kept at it on the gridiron. They dispatched Mississippi State 10-0 at home, but Duke bounced UT from Shields-Watkins field 21-7, evening the Vols record at 1-1. An easy 39-7 win over Chattanooga was followed by a 7-7 draw at Legion Field against the Crimson Tide. Even with a loss demonstrating Tennessee was not necessarily the cream of the crop, this game should have been easier than past fights with Bama. Neither team was undefeated, whereas match ups of years past were frequently where the first blemish on a record came for one of the teams. Bama, however, had already accumulated losses from Tulane and Vanderbilt, however they would not lose again until the season finale Iron Bowl.

Tennessee Tech was handled easily 36-6, but a game the next week against 13th ranked North Carolina loomed. UNC was led by famed All American Choo Choo Justice, and was tagged as two touchdown favorites over the visiting Volunteers. Things started poorly for the Tar Heels when Tennessee scooped up a fumble early on, and scored their first touchdown less than three minutes into the game. Choo Choo returned a kick off 55 yards and was only tripped up on the Tennessee 18, but the defense held the Heels without a score on that drive. At that point, the dam broke. Tennessee rolled up UNC 35-0 before a fourth quarter score gave up 6 points to the home team. Tennessee scored on interception returns and safeties in addition to offense, and recovered two UNC fumbles while picking off five total passes. In the end, the score was almost identical to the game against Tennessee Tech, 35-6. [126]

Playing against Georgia Tech, Tennessee was facing their former All American quarterback in Bobby Dodd. Knowing Coach Neyland’s teams and tendencies well, Dodd coached masterfully. His squad won in Knoxville 30-13. The game ended in a massive fist fight. This matchup was so important for Georgia Tech that after the game, Dodd said his “season is a success if I don’t win another game.”[127] It was also the 50th program loss at home.

Coach Neyland and the players sought and got revenge on Ole Miss for the 1948 loss by demolishing them 35-7. Kentucky, ranked 11th and unbeaten in the SEC at this point, with their only loss being to then 17th ranked SMU, played host to UT for the penultimate game of Knoxville’s season. An early interception led to a first quarter Vols touchdown, but the point after was missed giving Tennessee an early 6-0 edge. Tennessee ended that game with four interceptions of UK passes. The Orange and White players ended up catching more UK passes than Wildcats did, and squeezed out a game where the scoring ended early, remaining at 6-0. [128]

The UT season was scheduled to end against Vanderbilt over Thanksgiving weekend. Vandy’s home win the previous year was the first Commodore win in over a decade, and the Black and Gold wanted to keep things going. It started out poorly, though, as Tennessee took a commanding 19-0 lead, but Vanderbilt proceeded to play rather well statistically. They scored 20 unanswered points, racking up a dominating day. They held massive advantages in first downs (18 to 2) and yards (354 to 111), but the tide turned on a most likely blown call. The collegiate record holder for total punt return yards in a season, Lee Nalley, was interfered with as he was fielding a punt, leading to a UT recovery, and a quick touchdown immediately after, resulting in a 26-20 score in favor of Tennessee. It would be the final score of the game, and Vandy coach Bill Edwards had to be restrained by the police from attacking the refs.[129]

The final record of 7-2-1 was commendable given the poor results of 1947 and 1948, but it was not up to Neyland’s standards. Wins over ranked Kentucky and Vanderbilt, plus not losing to Bama were promising as well. But the team, the school, the community, and the General expected more.

1950: 11-1 (330-137-34) [228-50-14]

Building on the improvement of 1949, Neyland had his eyes set on fulfilling his prediction made before the 1946 season stating it would take 5 years to return to a real championship team. It started out well with a 56-0 destruction of Mississippi Southern in Knoxville. The following week, a Mississippi State team which was an abject failure the previous year surprised everyone but Coach Neyland by pulling off a 7-0 win at home. Before the game, Coach Neyland had prophesied “We are not ready to contest an opponent the caliber of Mississippi State.”[130]

Beating a cupcake then failing to meet expectations against Miss State was a cause for worry. The next week, UT was traveling to Durham to play 14th ranked Duke. Multiple second quarter touchdowns spurred the Vols on to a rousing victory over the preseason darlings.[131] Chattanooga fell 41-0 against the ORange and White the following week, setting up another good game against Alabama at Shields-Watkins. The Tide had already lost a game to Vandy a few weeks earlier, but would end the season with a six game win streak. Fortunately for UT faithful, the win streak would start the next week. Tennessee was prevented from running away with a win, but an exciting 14-9 win is a win nonetheless.

Alabama earned over 300 rushing yards, but the passing game was suspect from the first attempt. Within a hop, skip, and a jump of the endzone, Alabama’s first pass was intercepted, but the UT player fumbled it, setting up a field goal for Bama and an early lead. Tennessee fell short of a touchdown four yards from pay dirt in the final frame to stay behind 9-7. A late game substitution at quarterback after multiple passes fell incomplete led to a final touchdown in the final minutes to give UT the win.[132]

After that, Washington and Lee was a narrower than expected 27-20 win, but Tennessee prevented a full backslide after the euphoric win over Alabama. North Carolina was defeated 16-0, and Tennessee Tech was easily handled 48-14. Ole Miss was similarly dispatched 35-0 to put UT at 8-1 going into their match-up against the Bear Bryant led Wildcats.

Kentucky was 10-0 and ranked 3rd in the nation. They had also already accepted a Sugar Bowl invitation, and had scored 380 points on the season in 10 wins. The narrowest win was 14 points, and UK had obliterated North Dakota 83-0 the week before traveling to Knoxville.[133] None of that would really matter, as the game would go down as one of the most remembered games in UT history for teh hard fought scrabble it was. Coach Neyland’s troops held on tight for a 7-0 win, with Hank Lauricella tossing a touchdown pass to Brett Rechichar, moving UT closer to their Cotton Bowl game.[134] The win also popped UT up from 9th ranked to 4th. Vanderbilt was a mere formality for the Vols, and they walked out of Nashville 43-0 winners.

The Cotton Bowl bound team was named National Champions by multiple outlets, as well as co-champion of others. The Cotton Bowl itself was one of drama. Tennessee trailed late, 14-7, but a UT touchdown at the opening of the fourth quarter brought it to a tie. A one yard score with three minutes left gave the Vols a lead they would not lose, and Coach Neyland won only his second bowl game victory. [135] The game is also recognized as one of the program’s all-time great contests. It had drama, suspense, a comeback, defense, and great players and coaches.[136]

Coach Neyland admitted “This may not be my greatest football team, but it has the greatest courage I’ve ever seen. We played better football out there today than we know how to play.”[137] Bud Sherrod and Ted Daffer were named First Team All Americans for their brilliant play. It should be noted, the AP did not recognize UT as champs, ranking 4th before Bowl Season. But #1 Oklahoma lost to UK, #2 Army was beaten by Navy, and Tennessee defeated #3 Texas. If a post-season champion would have been named by the AP, it would undoubtedly have been the Knoxville based UT instead of the Austin team.[138] It was also a valuable lesson for future aspiring National Champion; lose a game “early and get it out of the way… giving voters plenty of time to forget about it.”[139]

1. The Big Orange, 126-129
2. Ibid, 132-133
3. Volunteers hard pushed for 6 to 0 win – Newspapers.com
4. The Big Orange, 130
5. Ibid, 138-139.
6. Commodores and Vols battle to tie in thrilling game – Newspapers.com
7. The Big Orange, 137-138
8. The Big Orange, 141
9. Ibid, 140-141
10. Ibid, 142
11. Hazel’s men turned back by 13 to 12 score in fast game at Knoxville Saturday – Newspapers.com
12. The Big Orange, 143
13. Vols triumph over Alabama, 15–13 – Newspapers.com
14. Tide upset by Vols, 15–13 – Newspapers.com
15. Vanderbilt beaten 6–0 – Newspapers.com
16. The Big Orange, 144
17. The Big Orange, 127
18. Tennessee Volunteers defeat Alabama – Newspapers.com
19. The Bid Orange, 151
20. Ibid, 151
21. Wildcats blast Vols’ title hopes – Newspapers.com
22. The Big Orange, 151-152
23. Carolina defeated by Tennessee – Newspapers.com
24. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 37
25. The Big Orange, 152
26. Tennessee routs Crimson Tide, 25 to 0 – Newspapers.com
27. North Carolina holds Tennessee to 7–0 score – Newspapers.com
28. Tennessee passes beat Vanderbilt – Newspapers.com
29. Wildcats hold Tennessee to 6–6 tie – Newspapers.com
30. Tennessee defeats Violets by score of 13–0 – Newspapers.com
31. The Big Orange, 153
32. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 36
33. The Big Orange, 153
34. The Big Orange, 149
35. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 38
36. Moccasins hold Vols to 13–0 edge – Newspapers.com
37. The Big Orange, 156
38. Ibid, 158
39. Ibid, 158
40. Ibid, 158
41. Vandy and Vols battle to scoreless tie – Newspapers.com
42. The Big Orange, 159
43. Ibid, 161
44. Ibid, 161
45. Duke wins from Tennessee – Newspapers.com
46. The Big Orange, 167
47. Volunteers defeated by Crimson Tide, 12 to 6 – Newspapers.com
48. The Big Orange, 163
49. The Big Orange, 168
50. Tennessee Vols fall before surging Crimson Tide, 13 to 6 – Newspapers.com
51. Tennessee bests Duke, 14–6 – Newspapers.com
52. Rams down Tennessee in last period – Newspapers.com
53. Rams down Tennessee in last period – Newspapers.com
54. The Big Orange, 171
55. Tar Heels defeat Vols, 38–13 – Newspapers.com
56. Vols come from behind to trim Delta team, 14–13 – Newspapers.com
57. The Big Orange, 172
58. The Big Orange, 171
59. The Big Orange, 173
60. Auburn defeats Tennessee with three plays left, 6–0 – Newspapers.com
61. The Big Orange, 173
62. Vols battle Crimson Tide to scoreless tie – Newspapers.com
63. The Big Orange, 175
64. Tennessee upsets Duke, 15 to 13 – Newspapers.com
65. Cats outplay Vols but lose 7 to 6 before 20,000 – Newspapers.com
66. Duke and Tennessee play 0–0 tie – Newspapers.com
67. Tide power crushes Vols 14 to 7 – Newspapers.com
68. Vanderbilt bests Tennessee, 13–7 – Newspapers.com
69. The Big Orange, 176
70. The Big Orange, 177
71. The Big Orange, 178-179
72. Vols topple game Tigers by 7–0 score – Newspapers.com
73. Tennessee routs Alabama, 13–0 – Newspapers.com
74. The Big Orange, 181
75. Tennessee routs Alabama, 13–0 – Newspapers.com
76. Tennessee Volunteers whip Louisiana State Tigers 14 to 6 as three governors watch game – Newspapers.com
77. Six Seasons Remembered, pg 20
78. The Big Orange, 182-183
79. Six Seasons Remembered, pg 20-21
80. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 40
81. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 26
82. The Big Orange, 191
83. Mighty Vols batter Alabama Tide, 21–0 – Newspapers.com
84. Vols shade Auburn, 7–0, receive Rose Bowl bid – Newspapers.com
85. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 39
86. The Big Orange, 188
87. The Big Orange, 193
88. The Tuscaloosa News – Google News Archive Search
89. The Big Orange, 200
90. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 38
91. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 41
92. The Big Orange, 202
93. The Big Orange, 202
94. Alabama Defeats Inspired Tennessee Eleven, 9-2 – Newspapers.com
95. 30,000 See Tennessee Defeat Ole Lou Eleven – Newspapers.com
96. Vols Defeat BC, 14-7, On 4th Period Score – Newspapers.com
97. Volunteers Beat Vandy, 26 to 7 – Newspapers.com
98. Research Starters: US Military by the Numbers | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans (nationalww2museum.org)
99. Vols down fighting Vandy, 19–7, take Sugar Bowl bid – Newspapers.com
100. The Big Orange, 204
101. Vols make breeze of Tulsa’s Golden Hurricane, 14–7 – Newspapers.com
102. The Big Orange, 206
103. The Big Orange, 206
104. Vols smother Gators, 40–0 – Newspapers.com
105. Vols, ‘Bama play 0–0 tie – Newspapers.com
106. Southern California wallops Tennessee in Rose Bowl, 25–0 – Newspapers.com
107. The Big Orange, 204
108. Deacs look good in Knoxville tilt – Newspapers.com
109. Alabama blights Tennessee bowl hopes by 25–7 defeat – Newspapers.com
110. The Big Orange, 210
111. The Big Orange, 211
112. The Big Orange, 213
113. Vols decision Duke gridmen, 12–7 – Newspapers.com
114. The Big Orange, 213
115. Tennessee drops Crimson Tide from undefeated ranks, 12–0 – Newspapers.com
116. The Big Orange, 213
117. Rice Owls win over Tennessee by 8–0 score – Newspapers.com
118. The Big Orange, 215
119. Duke Humbles Tennessee 19-7 – Newspapers.com
120. Neyland Jinx On Cats Continues As Tennessee Sinks Kentucky 13-6 With 4th Period Score – Newspapers.com
121. Vandy Bows 12-7 To U-T’s Power – Newspapers.com
122. Duke gridders tie Tennessee – Newspapers.com
123. Vols smash Alabama 21–6 before homecoming crowd – Newspapers.com
124. North Carolina Tar Heels defeat Vols 14 to 7 – Newspapers.com
125. The Big Orange, 216
126. Tennessee smears Tar Heels, 35–6 – Newspapers.com
127. The Big Orange, 220
128. Vols bowl over Kentucky, 6 to 0 – Newspapers.com
129. The Big Orange, 220
130. The Big Orange, 221
131. Tennessee blasts Duke, 28–7 – Newspapers.com
132. Vols smash Bama 14–9 in annual grid classic – Newspapers.com
133. The Big Orange, 223
134. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 92
135. Last-half rally gives Tennessee 20 to 14 victory – Newspapers.com
136. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 93
137. The Big Orange, 225
138. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 83
139. Six Seasons Remembered, pg 73

1951: 10-1 (340-138-34) [234-50-14]

Last year’s team went much beyond our expectations, and the big factors were spirit and incentive. Having gone through a successful season last year and having played in the Cotton Bowl and won, that fine edge of ambition is certain to be dulled.[1] Such was the sentiment of Coach Neyland following their 1950 Championship season. Greater drive and discipline would be needed to have a chance to repeat while ranked the top team in the nation. Every game they would play, their opponent would be giving UT their best game.

It started with a potential revenge game against Mississippi State. The Maroons had been the lone team to defeat UT in 1950. In the safe confines of Shields-Watkins Field, the Vols handed them a comfortable 14-0 loss. Revenge achieved. Duke, looking to avenge their loss to Tennessee the previous year, came to Knoxville determined. They left with a round goose egg for their score, while the Orange and White scored 26. Chattanooga fell easy, 42-13, matching the points Alabama scored the next week. But while Bama scored 13, Tennessee more than doubled them up, winning by 14 points. Tennessee Tech and North Carolina were both shut out for UT wins, and both Washington and Lee and Ole Miss scored, but nowhere near enough to challenge Tennessee. Even Kentucky, ranked 9th at the time, went down easy, 28-0.

The final game of the season was at home against Vanderbilt. The Commodores were also eager to avenge the previous season’s loss, a 43-0 pasting. It was the second largest UT win in the series after a 45-0 win in 1945. Vandy was middling at 6-4, and played #3 ranked Georgia Tech to a narrow 8-7 loss. But close only matters in horseshoes and handgrenades. Tennessee ran up a 21-0 lead against Vanderbilt, but Vanderbilt did not bow out of the contest at that point. They made a real game of it, eventually getting to within 28-27. UT was attempting to run out the clock to preserve a win, but Vanderbilt overloaded their attack on the ball carrier enough to spring a big run on a reverse and Tennessee scored a quit touchdown after that to win 35-27.[2]

Tennessee ended the year with a perfect record, they were named unanimous National Champions, and they had accepted a Sugar Bowl invitation against #3 ranked Maryland. Ted Daffer repeated as a First Team All-American, and he was joined by Bill Pearman, Doug Atkins, and Hank Lauricella. Lauricella also finished second in Heisman voting for the year. By dumb luck, the Heisman runner-up had his worst game in the Orange and White in the Sugar Bowl. He was picked off twice, once for a touchdown, and fumbled away another ball which led to another touchdown. Maryland needed just a minute into the second quarter to lead 21-0. Maryland’s Second Team All-American, Ed Modzewlewski, ran 28 times and “gained nearly twice as much as the Tennesseans combined.”[3] Maryland won easily, 28-13 to end the season on a sour note. Tailback Hank Lauricella finished as Heisman runner up, but he was a great player, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981.[4]

1952: 8-2-1 (348-140-35) [239-50-15]

General Neyland had done a remarkable job coaching back-to-back National Championships. However, it was not a very rare feat. Three-peat teams, however, were much more rare. Minnesota had done it in the mid Thirties, and Cal in the early Twenties. But that was it since the modern adoption of rules. Previously, Michigan, Yale (twice) and Princteon had been at least three-peat champs.

Tennessee again opened against Mississippi State, but this time the win was narrower, being only 14-7. The next week, Tennessee headed to Durham to play against #10 ranked Duke. The Blue Devils secured a shutout to win 7-0 against Tennessee. This may have been unsurprising to Coach Neyland. He predicted “the 1952 team fortunate if it wins half the games on its schedule.”[5] This was less about pessimism and more due to Tennessee losing three First Team All-Americans from the previous season.

Tennessee held up well thereafter. UT not only beat Chattanooga 26-6, but shut out Bama 20-0 at home. Wofford, North Carolina, LSU, and 18th ranked Florida were all beaten by at least 14 and by as many as 50 points. Kentucky came next, and at 5-3-1, they were far from imposing.

But the UT team should have kept in mind the early Neyland years. During that time, Kentucky or Vanderbilt would ruin prefect seasons annually. Though Tennessee already had a loss, the Wildcats still played a fiery game. They held Tennessee to only 14 points, and UK scored twice in the fourth quarter to tie the game up. The field was a morass of mud and ice, given the 22 inches of snow which had fallen the previous day in Knoxville. Given the field conditions, offense was hard to come by, and UT was held to a draw.[6]

In Nashville, the Vols set a new program record against Vanderbilt. They ran up a 46-0 win for the largest in the series for Tennessee. It also drew UT to within a single win in the series. Though Tennessee had enjoyed recent success against the Commodores, the series record was 21-22-4 in favor of the Black and Gold.

Though a loss and a tie were both dark marks for Tennessee, they returned to the Cotton Bowl in 1952 against Texas once again with two First Team All-Americans in Doug Atkins and John Michels. Prior to the game, on Christmas Eve 1952, Coach Neyland announced his retirement from coaching due to his health, effective immediately. The end result of the game, in light of the General’s announcement, was far more unfavorable than the previous season’s game. In addition to lacking Coach Neyland, Captain Jim Haslam was ineligible due to playing in 1949 and exhausting years of eligible play. Star back Kozar had sustained an injury against Florida, and was out. Texas stamped down on Tennessee’s offense, winning 16-0.[7]

Thus ended Coach Neyland’s career as Head Coach at Knoxville. He had been the greatest coach in the program’s history. Between military service, he coached 21 years over three stints. Continuously matched up against great Alabama teams within conference, he still compiled a 173-31-12 record and four National Championships. He brought Tennessee out of anonymity, making them one of the great programs of the age. He also took over as Athletic Director following his retirement from coaching, a position he would hold for a decade. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a Coach in 1956. In honor of his contributions as coach on the gridiron, as well as in designing the stadium and putting forth plans which would guide continued expansions to the seating capacity, Shields-Watkins Field would be named in his honor for the 1962 season, the season following his passing.

In addition to losing their great coach, Guard John Michels and End Doug Atkins ended their playing careers. Both were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (in 1996 and 1985, respectively). Michels would coach four Super Bowl appearances in the NFL as an assistant, and Doug would be voted SEC Player of the Quarter Century for 1950-1975, as well as going in the first round of the NFL draft and leading a career as an NFL Hall of Famer as well.[8]

1953: 6-4-1 (354-144-36) [243-52-15]

Twice previously Coach Neyland stepped aside. The first hiatus resulted in a dismal but not to unexpected regression from 8-2 in 1934 to 4-5 in 1935 under W. H. Britton. The second time, John Barnhill took over a 10-1 National Championship team and went 8-2 before going 9-1-1, 7-1-1, and 8-1. In 1953, Neyland had officially retired, not merely stepped away for military service, and left a team which had gone 8-2-1 and lost the Cotton Bowl, in the capable hands of his assistant coach, Harvey Robinson. However, General Neyland stayed on with the University in the role of Athletic Director.

Robinson had played under Coach Neyland in the 30’s before taking over as coach of the Knoxville Central High School. As a high school coach, he achieved an 85-5-5 record, and his team was voted as National Champions in 1936.[9] He had left Central to join Neyland’s staff following World War II and had been coaching with the team in varying capacities from that point on.[10] Robinson was joined on the sideline by a new member of the Tennessee Vols football fraternity; Smokey the Bluetick Hound. Reverend Bill Brooks volunteered his prize winning pooch to be the team mascot for both the 1953 and 1953 seasons. Since then, multiple dogs have served in this prestigious role.[11]

Additionally, the rules of the game had changed. The NCAA, with the contributions of General Neyland, had rescinded the rules allowing offensive and defensive players to be separate, and returned to the One Platoon system familiar to the early days of Iron Man football.[12] The season did not start off well. Robinson’s troupe were only able to win a single game after four weeks of play. Mississippi State and #12 Duke both handed UT losses in Knoxville, a rarity for most of the Neyland years. Chattanooga at home was easier, garnering Tennessee their first win of the season 40-7.

Against Alabama, future NFL champion Bart Starr was completely stymied by the Orange and White defense. The news recap notes he only completed three passes for a net of eight yards on the day, while also referencing turnovers as being the main focus of the game. Tennessee was able to force fumbles in the shadows of their own goal posts to stop long drives, and escaped close shaves by barely avoiding a safety. While the defense was amazing, the offense was non-existent, and the game ended 0-0.[13]

Tennessee went on a win streak after that. They would obliterate Louisville 59-6, handily defeat North Carolina in Chapel Hill 20-6, take a fairly easy win over LSU 32-14, before edging out Florida in Gainesville 9-7. Florida played the better game overall, but had failed to score consistently. At the end of the game, the Gators were driving to score, but time was running out. Instead of going for a touchdown on the final play from over 20 yards out, they opted for a field goal to win the game. The 38-yard attempt missed, and Tennessee hung on for the win.[14]

Potentially a mixture of elation and exhaustion stayed with the team following the nailbiter against Florida. The next week, in Kentucky, the #13 Wildcats were waiting to pounce. Bear Bryant had never won against UT, but had drawn the previous season against them. Without Neyland, the field was ripe for harvesting a win. Kentucky dominated the game statistically, but, like FLorida the week before, the Vols scored when they needed to. By game’s end, Kentucky would have the edge in rushing yards 313 to 53 and first downs 23 to 9. But UT picked off three passes as well as recovered three Wildcat fumbles. Tennessee had the lead near the end of the game 21-20, but a touchdown scoring run with seven minutes remaining by UK player Ralph Paolone gave UK the first victory since 1935 under Coach Britton, and only the second win since 1925.[15] In other words, it was the first win for Kentucky against a non-interim coach since before Coach Neyland took over.

The following week, Tennessee was slated to play Vanderbilt at home. So far in 1953, Tennessee had earned a draw against rival Alabama, and a loss against rival Kentucky. Now, Public Enemy #1 and In-State foe Vanderbilt was coming to town. The Commodores were not a stellar team in 1953. They were 3-6 with a lone SEC win on the season. They fell rather easily to Tennessee with the final score of 33-6 allowing UT to tie up the all-time series at 22-22-4.

The final game of the season was a December matchup in Texas against Houston. The game was UT’s “most inept performance” of the year in falling 33-19 to a team which finished one position from the bottom of their own conference.[16] It ended a poor, but not too unexpected season on a particularly bad note, and gave Coach Robinson very little breathing room moving forward.

1954: 4-6 (358-150-36) [246-55-15]

Robinson was a good high school coach. Exemplary, really. But his first season with UT left a great deal to be desired. Following the success of Neyland’s four National Championship teams, losing seasons were not common place, nor were they to become accepted practice.

Possibly no single practice of Tennessee football encapsulated the 1954 team better than winning 10 pre-game coin tosses, and electing to kick the ball each time.[17] Such practices contributed to the collapse of team success. Tennessee had sustained success through the previous two-plus decades while largely winning games against their rivals. In the early years, Duke, North Carolina, and Georgia Tech were frequent opponents in the Southern Conference. Even after moving to the SEC, games against these teams were fairly regular. Within the conference, both SoCon and SEC, Alabama, Kentucky, and of course Vanderbilt were the main enemies. However, a rivalry would bud and grow with Florida.

In Robinson’s second year at the head of the Vols football program, Tennessee handled a few opponents outside of their conference. Three non-conference games were won in Knoxville against Dayton, North Carolina, and Chattanooga. Not one of the wins was by greater than seven points. Mississippi State would also be dispatched 19-7. This gave the Orange and White four wins on the year.

But that was all the success Tennessee would muster. Duke edged them by one point in the second game of the season in Durham. Alabama, even without their Starr, bounced into Knoxville to take a 27-0 win from the Volunteers. Georgia Tech scored 28 on UT and only allowed 7 points to take a win at home. Florida shut Tennessee out at homecoming 14-0. Second to last game, the WIldcats handed Tennessee their second straight series loss. Kentucky had not sustained a win streak against UT since the mid-Twenties. The final game of the year, Vanderbilt shutout the Vols 26-0 in Nashville to retake the lead in the overall series, and deliver UT their 150th program loss..

On the year, Tennessee lost to all their main rivals, as well as losing to either past or future strong rivals. Bama, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt each handed a humiliating defeat to the Knoxville team. Robinson was deemed too cautious, to conservative, to adequately coach the team to success. On December 1st, Director Neyland dismissed his former player, former assistant, and friend. Neyland described dismissing Robinson as “the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”[18] The following year, Bowden Wyatt would take over as head coach.

1955: 6-3-1 (364-153-37) [249-57-16]

Bowden Wyatt had a strong year with Arkansas in 1954, earning a Cotton Bowl invitation. He also had a two year period coaching Wyoming where his teams went 19-1, winning the Gator Bowl in 1950. Following a 3-7 season upon arriving at Arkansas, he came back strong to post an 8-2 record to go to the Cotton Bowl. In the press conferences leading up to the game, with papers in Knoxville were printing Wyatt would come to town as the next coach, Bowden responded saying “I don’t know anything about it. I have never been approached by anyone connected with Tennessee in regard to the job.” Coach Wyatt was toeing the line on a technicality; a UT booster had gone to offer him the job, which he accepted, but he had never spoken with a school employee.[19]

Wyatt, ironically, pulled into Knoxville in a $20,000 Cadillac bought by Arkansas fans to show appreciation for a Southwest Conference Championship season.[20] But a Caddy does not win games. Mississippi State again started UT’s season with a loss, 13-7, and Duke spanked them even worse, 21-0. Both of these games were at home. A 5 year, $15,000 per annum contract was suddenly looking risky. But It was a half-decade deal for a reason; patience. Coach Bowden led a win over Chattanooga 13-0, which portended a rough game against Alabama.

As tough a time as Tennessee had had the previous few years, Alabama had been riding the glory of their 1952 Orange Bowl team, had the 5th best record overall in 1953, but won the conference because they did not lose in the SEC. In 1954, they stumbled to 4-5-2; still ahead of a Tennessee team tied for the worst conference record with Vanderbilt. But in 1955, Bama had yet to win a game when they met UT in Birmingham. Johnny Majors, a 165-lbs tailback, led the charge on three touchdown drives to knock-out Alabama 20-0.[21]

Dayton and North Carolina were next in order, and Dayton went down hard. 53-7 was the final, but it was never close. Dayton fumbled three times in their first five plays with the ball; once on the opening kick, once on the first snap, and again on the third snap.[22] North Carolina, oddly, was hardly better. Majors scored twice in the first quarter in dealing the largest margin of victory for Tennessee over UNC in series history, a record which stands to this day.[23]

#8 Georgia Tech came to Knoxville to square up against the Orange and White as seven-point favorites, even as the visitor. 56,000 players watched a defensive struggle as Tennessee scored early, but was held off late. Georgia Tech scored late, but was held off early. It was In the final minute when Tennessee was able to get a pass into the hands of a receiver behind coverage for a score to take the lead, but a flag was thrown for an ineligible receiver downfield, and the game ended in a draw.[24]

Florida was defeated in Gainesville 20-0, and #19 Vanderbilt, in the last game, was also beaten, but by a much narrower margin of 20-14, drawing even in the series records again. Kentucky, in the middle of the SEC pack, bounced all Tennessee hopes away in the penultimate game by demolishing UT 23-0 with Majors hurt. It gave UK three straight wins. Even missing portions of the games late in the season, Johnny Majors ended the year with over 1,100 total yards, joining only a few players to scrimmage to accumulate such a yardage total in team history.[25]

1956: 10-1 (374-154-37) [255-57-16]

A palette cleanser can be a great thing; following a delicious meal, a small piece of dark chocolate can give an edge of sweetness without leaving a craving for more, thus ending the meal. In following up a legendary coach, the successor was almost doomed to fail. Robinson not only failed to meet the success of Coach Neyland, but he led the first losing season since interim coach W. H. Britton in 1935. With the palette cleansed, winning seasons, not championships, were the new goal, and Bowden Wyatt succeeded by essentially matching Robinson’s first year. Continued winning seasons would likely be good enough to not raise the ire of the wolves.

Tennessee opened their season against Auburn, a team they had played sparingly in the previous 50+ years. Playing at Legion Field, where UT would more typically contend against Alabama, the Vols ran up 35 points on the Tigers, only allowing a touchdown by the Auburn defense. Duke was also scored on with ease, but the defense was not quite as sharp in a 33-20 win over the Devils in Durham. The Orange and White’s season opener at Shields-Watkins was also a chance for win 250 at home, and against a near cupcake like Chattanooga, confidence must have been rather high. Edd Cantrell, a starting End for the Vols, ran an interception back for a touchdown, but eventually broke a vertebrae and missed the remainder of the season.Johnny majors was held out of the game game, but five players aside from Cantrell scored touchdowns giving UT a solid 42-20 win, number 250 at home.[26]

But the time the Third Saturday in October had rolled around, Tennessee was back to being undefeated for the annual matchup. Bama also had a perfect record; they had failed to win a game. Things did not improve much for the Tide against UT in Knoxville. Johnny Majors got back to playing winning football by scoring from over 40 yards out, and Tennessee scored in every quarter to win 24-0. Maryland, the team which spoiled Tennessee’s perfect season in 1951, went down hard in Knoxville 34-7 as Johnny Majors threw three touchdown passes on the day. North Carolina came to town for Homecoming, and Tennessee took care of business with a 20-0 win.[27]

Georgia Tech, ranked second in the nation, hosted the Vols next. Coach Dobb, he of All American fame at Tennessee under Coach Neyland, was still leading the team. Dodd would lead his team this year to a National Championship and a Gator Bowl win over Pittsburgh. With Tennessee in town, Tech did not run away. The game was encapsulated by a single play. The home team was facing a 4th and 4 from Tennessee’s 28. It would have been a long field goal attempt, or a tough conversion if Tech went for it. Instead, scoreless at that point though early in the game, Dodd elected for a short punt hoping to pin the Orange and White against their own goal line. Georgia Tech never got a better chance to score and lost 7-0.[28]

With the Vols popping into the #1 rank in College Football, they took on the Ole Miss Rebels at home. Ranked #19, Ole Miss fell to Tennessee in Knoxville 27-7. The Narrow win over Tech and the convincing yet not dominant win over a ranked opponent seemed to not impress voters as Tennessee dropped back to #2. Unperturbed, Tennessee ended their losing skid against Kentucky with a 20-7 win.

To end the season, the Vols traveled to Nashville with a frightening prospect. It took over 20 years from the first game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt for UT to get a win. It had been over 60 years since the first game, and Tennessee had never led the series. Johnny Majors again figured conspicuously in the game, but Tommy Bronson led the scoring with two trips across the goal line in winning 27-7, and taking a series lead.[29]

The team was invited to the Sugar Bowl to play Baylor. But four intercepted passes and a late fumble at their own five were costly for Tennessee, and Bruce Burham nearly broke his neck after a play.[30] Disheartened and mistake prone, UT lost 13-7 to the Bears, and spoiled what is considered to be one of the program’s great seasons.[31]

Johnny Majors was the Heisman runner-up with his second straight season of over 1,100 yards, and a First Team All-American. He was joined by teammate Buddy Cruze on the honored list. Majors finished his UT playing career with a pair SEC Player of the Year awards, and would also earn a National Championship coaching Pitt. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.[32]

1957: 8-3 (382-157-37) [259-58-16]

A team can get lucky, and still have a great season. Sustained success is where coaching begins to shine. Bowden Wyatt’s second season at the helm was likely beyond the average expectation. Winning every scheduled game, but falling short in the Bowl, was something frequently experienced during the years Neyland coached the Vols. But Neyland was able to do it multiple times. Could Bowden?

That question was answered immediately for the University of Tennessee. Auburn had been consistent the last three years, failing to win three of their games each of the last three years. At the end of September, the Tigers came to Shields-Watkins Field and walked out winners. Auburn Blanks Tennessee the headlines read. Auburn’s defense was credited with smothering UT’s offense. The Vols offense was stuck in neutral most of the day, netting only 24 yards in the first half, and only 35 in the second. With the game never out of reach, Auburn did a great job consistently stymying the UT ball carriers in front of the largest ever opening game in Knoxville.[33]

In a spot of hope, Auburn would remain undefeated the rest of the year, being named AP National Champion despite not garnering a Bowl invitation. With Auburn set to run the table, Tennessee got going against Mississippi State at home, edging them out for a 14-9 win. By the time Chattanooga came around the next week to watch the Volunteers win 28-13, only about half as many fans showed up as did opening day. The trip to Alabama had the chance to make or break Tennessee’s early season hopes. Bama was in the midst of a terrible season, so a loss would be devastating to UT. While the Vols Offense did not really get going, it did enough when paired with a defense which allowed zero points. Tennessee made the trip home with a 14-0 win in the bag.

Having allowed progressively more points to progressively worse teams the first three weeks, it was welcoming to witness the defense step up. And the progress continued. In the next three games, UT’s defense allowed only six points. Maryland, the last opponent in October, only totalled 78 yards and no points. North Carolina, the opening game of November, was able to muster up a few more yards, 101 total, but still lost 35-0. Both of these games were also away games for the Vols, making them more impressive. The third game of the stretch was Homecoming against #18 Georgia Tech which UT won 21-6. A remarkable part of this win is the players switched from their single-wing offense which had been a mainstay for decades to a T-formation offense, shocking everyone, including Coach Wyatt.[34]

Two more travel games ended in losses for Tennessee, though. Ole Miss prevailed 14-7 in Memphis. Ole Miss was the second best team in the SEC in 1957, at least. However, if UT beat the Rebels, in all likelihood the Vols would have been second best to Auburn. Ifs and Buts get you nowhere, though, and the loss stands. Tennessee stumbled further in losing the next week to Kentucky, 20-6. Fortunately, Tennessee was able to flip the score around the next week at home against Vanderbilt, winning 20-6 and extending their win streak against the Commodores to three games.

Even with their late season stumbles, Tennessee had accepted an invitation to play Texas A&M in the Gator Bowl. College Station was being led by familiar opponent Bear Bryant, who the next season would take over the Bama job and return to coaching in the SEC. Neither offense could get moving all day, and the time was about to expire with UT holding the ball in field goal range. Coach Bryant voiced confidence his team would get a block, and so quietly celebrated UT’s attempt. The snap was high, giving A&M an edge to penetrate the UT line and get their hands up, but Sammy Burklow’s kick was true, and Tennessee won 3-0. It was estimated over 50 million people watched this game on television.[35]

Bill Johnson was the lone First Team All-American for the squad. The team won their first bowl game since Neyland’s third National Championship season. Also, coach Bowden Wyatt showed he could stack success.

1958: 4-6 (386-163-37) [261-62-16]

Consistency is key. The great teams do the little things right, limit mistakes, and capitalize on opportunities. They are reliable, and execute their assignments with near perfection. Coach Neyland had Seven Maxims of football…

The Team which makes the fewest mistakes will win.

Play for the breaks, and when one comes your way – SCORE.

If at first the game, or the breaks, go against you, don’t let up: Put on more steam.

Protect our kickers, our QB, our lead, and our ball game.

Ball, oskie, cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle; this is the winning edge.

Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made.

Carry the fight to our opponent and keep it there for 60 minutes.

…If all of these guidelines were followed, success would come. But Full Consistency is impossible. Humans are fallible and fickle, at times, and are not perfectly calibrated robots. So continued improvement, even with hiccups and mistakes, are understandable. Under Coach Bowden, the Vols football team improved their record from a losing record under Robinson, then to a perfect season before a Bowl loss, then a good season with a Bowl game win. Improvement, with some variance. Continuing with this level of success would be demonstrative of Bowden’s chops as a coach.

Instead of 1958 solidifying Bowden’s ability as a coach, the team largely played to the level of their opponent, with some exceptions. The season started with Auburn’s 15th straight win. Auburn, following a perfect season, defeated UT 13-0. The Tigers rushed for over 230 yards while Tennessee failed to gain a single first down.[36] UT finished with negative yardage totals on the day, and one reporter said “Several beautiful broken field runs enabled Tennessee tailbacks to get back to within two or three yards of the line of scrimmage.”[37] In this case, the obviously better team won out.

As the season went on, the Vols lost to Florida State, gaining the dubious honor of being the first SEC team to lose to the Seminoles.[38] The Orange and White also dropped games against Kentucky, Georgia Tech, and lost at home to Chattanooga, making a mockery of Knoxville. In every case, Tennessee should have had the fortune to demonstrate being the better team, yet fell short. Ranked North Carolina became the second team which was expected to be better than UT, and proved it by winning 21-7 in Knoxville. It was the first Tar Heel win in the past 10 contests. The four losses at home tied 1909 for the most home field losses in program history.

For all the failures, the team was able to scrape up four wins. #11 Mississippi went down 13-8 against the Vols immediately after the Auburn game. Alabama, in their first year under Bear Bryant, lost 14-7 to Tennessee in Knoxville. Shields-Watkins was the site of UT’s next win when 7th ranked Ole Miss was sent home 18-16 losers. And #15 Vanderbilt was also defeated, and in Nashville, 10-6. Most of the rivals were beaten, and three ranked opponents were vanquished, only one of which was at home.

The roller coaster season netted no First Team All-American honors for Vols players, and no bowl invitation. The 2-4 home record was abysmal, and every non-conference game had resulted in a loss, which included the ignoble Florida State loss. In all, no one could adequately put their finger on this team.

1959: 5-4-1 (391-167-38) [265-64-16]

After not only a failure to improve, but failing to even maintain success in 1958, Coach Bowden set out to prove himself as a legitimate coach and leader. Tennessee once again opened their season against third ranked Auburn. The Tigers had won the previous two matchups, shutting out UT both times. Auburn had torn through the SEC once again in 1958, not losing a single time, and being selected by Montgomery as National Championship. The Vols’ continuous stumbles combined with Auburn’s 24 game streak without a loss made Auburn an easy bet for a win. Tennessee returned to prime 1958 form by playing to the level of their opponent. The Tigers failed to score once, Tennessee corralled a triplicate of interceptions, and a 20-yard Vols field goal spelled victory in Knoxville.[39]

Mississippi State was taken care of without too much trouble with a final score of 22-6. Georgia Tech, now ranked #3 themselves, came to Knoxville next. Tied halfway through the game, compliments of a Vols’ 4th down touchdown pass, Tech was able to score another touchdown in the third to go up 14-7 and hold on for the win.[40] Alabama was in the midst of only losing one game on their way to a Liberty Bowl invitation in a crowded SEC field which ended the season with four teams in the top 10. Playing in Alabama, Tennessee was able to keep it a tight game and drew against their rivals 7-7.

Chattanooga, spoiled by their first win over UT since being Grant University over half a century earlier, was shutout 23-0. A loss to UNC from 1958 was avenged with a 29-7 win. A 4-1-1 UT team then hosted #1 ranked LSU, AP National Champions from the previous year. LSU had not allowed a touchdown all year, and had only surrendered 9 points overall. Tennessee was doing well for itself, especially given the misery of the previous year. The Tigers came in to below freezing temperatures, and resorted to quickly buying long underwear for the game. With the talented and successful LSU team, the conditions, and the presence of Heisman Winner Billy Cannon in the Tiger backfield, a great game was almost guaranteed.[41]

Tennessee held off a quick LSU charge to prevent a TD, and the field goal attempt also missed. The next drive, LSU ran in a 26 yard score to take the lead. After halftime, LSU started with another promising drive, but the UT defense tightened down in the red zone, and LSU missed another kick. LSU’s defense continued to not allow a touchdown, but the Tiger offense was intercepted for a 59-yard pick six, and the game was tied. When Tennessee’s offense finally did get a score, following a forced fumble of the LSU offense, police had to escort a fan off the field who joyously jumped the barrier. With Tennessee leading 14-7, LSU scored another touchdown, but kicking woes worried the Tiger coaching staff, and a 2-point try was made, and failed. Trailing by one, LSU successfully blocked and recovered a punt for one last chance to win, but another turnover ended any comeback bid, and LSU fell to Tennessee.[42] The game is held is high regard and esteemed as one of the games to recall and repeat. With the game turning on a defensive touchdown before stopping a game winning two-point conversion, the battle had all the necessary drama necessary.[43]

Already with more wins than 1958, Tennessee collapsed going forward. Games against Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt were all lost with the Vols scoring a collective 7 points and allowing over 70. UT Started off with wins over #3 Auburn, followed up with a close loss to #3 Georgia Tech, handled the #1 team at home. But Ole Miss, ranked #5 at the time, burst Tennessee open 37-7 on their way to a National Championship from a handful of outlets. Kentucky’s only SEC win was UT, and Vanderbilt was middling at best, but both teams shut out the Vols. Bowden could flash success, but sustaining it was proving to be a major issue.

1960: 6-2-2 (397-169-40) [269-65-17]

College football is a vastly different animal than the pro game, especially before the advent of the modern free agent game. The entire team was turned over every four years, for the most part, and a major focus of a staff was on recruiting to ensure athletic and talented players continued to come through the entrance while well coached players were using the exit. A good coach can take talented players and win more than lose with them. A great coach can take a less than stellar class and win. The best coaches win year in and year out no matter who joins the team.

This had been Coach Wyatt’s shortcoming thus far. In only his second season, his squad went undefeated before losing the Sugar Bowl, then won the Gator bowl the next year. But a dismal losing record would follow in the next two years. Bowden needed to get the team winning, and keep them winning.

1960 started off well with a trip to Auburn. Tennessee was described as “resourceful” in halting three Auburn thrusts near the goal line, and the running backs as “brilliant” in scoring the first touchdown for UT against Auburn since 1956.[44] Tennessee pulled out a narrow 10-3 victory against a team which would rank in the top 10 going in to their last game of the season.

The following week, the offense never got going effectively. Mississippi State met with the Vols in Memphis again, and they should have won. State outrushed Tennessee. State out passed Tennessee. State picked off three UT passes, and Tennessee didn’t snag one. State completed 13 times more passes than Tennessee. The game ended with Mississippi State fittingly intercepting Majors, but he was tackled at midfield to preserve a less than exciting 0-0 tie.[45]

The next game was another rather boring affair, but for a vastly different reason. Tennessee rolled up a lopsided 62-7 win over Tampa in non-conference play at Shields-Watkins Field. This set the stage for yet another battle of the undefeated teams against Alabama. Bear Bryant’s squad came to Chattanooga to fight, but it was Tennessee landing blows first. Bill Majors passed for a touchdown in the first half, and it was accompanied by a 45-yard interception returned for a touchdown and a short rushing touchdown to go up 20-0 on the Tide. Alabama’s offense was stuck. Their only points came on a lone touchdown pass in the second half. Bama’s defense at least made a better effort in the second half to prevent a blowout, and their loss stood at 20-7.[46]

The following two weeks, Chattanooga and North Carolina both fell at Shields-Watkins Field as well. Chattanooga failed to score, and UT rolled up five touchdowns. North Carolina, the last non-conference game of the year, at least made it a contest in scoring 14 points. Georgia Tech spoiled the season by pulling off an upset. A kick return covering nearly the entire length of the field won the game for the Yellow Jackets. The scoring play was the longest kick return in Tech history, and tripped up the Vols when they could little afford it.[47]

It is likely UT was looking ahead to the Ole Miss game, as is typical for teams lacking a great coach. Ole Miss was gunning for a National Championship, which outlets would award it at season’s end. It had been over a decade since Ole Miss had won a game at Shields-Watkins, giving UT fans hope for an upset. But the odds don’t play the game. Over 45,000 homecoming fans were witnesses to a 24-3 shellacking of the home squad. A single sentence surmised the game; Ole miss struck with destructive force, combining a devastating ground attack with an overhead barrage that not even the Vols – ranked No. 2 in the nation in pass defense – could master.[48]

As stumbles go, this one continued against an otherwise overmatched Kentucky squad. Tennessee should have handled them and won, leading 10-0 at half. The defense had only allowed the Wildcats a single yard. But something changed during the intermission, and it was the Vols failing to score and UK scoring 10 points in the latter half to tie up 10-10.[49] Tennessee had not won over Uk since 1951.

Vanderbilt, the winners of the 1959 match, hosted Tennessee last. The Commodores had yet to win a conference game, and were itching to spoil UT’s end of season even further. The Vols held small but noticeable edges in yards on the ground and through the air, but the big difference was UT pulling down more Vanderbilt passes than Commodore players. Tennessee’s four interceptions helped the Vols score 35 points and allow zero to earn an acceptable end to a tumultuous season.[50]

Wyatt’s squad was once again inconsistent. The loss to Ole Miss was understandable. The loss to Tech less so. And the ties against Mississippi State and Kentucky were frustrating, but better than losses. More frustrating, the team was so moribund, not a single player earned all-conference honors on the season.[51]

1961: 6-4 (403-173-40) [274-66-17]

Struggling for consistent success, Coach Wyatt kicked off his season with another match against Auburn. Even when ranked No. 3 in the nation, Auburn had fallen to UT in the season opener each of the last three years. 1961 started off the same manner. Tennessee ran away to start the game. Forcing and recovering fumbles, UT took a commanding 21-0 lead. But almost inexplicably, Auburn was able to claw back to a 21-21 tie at halftime. In the third quarter, the Tigers kicked a field goal to take a lead. Tennessee, having scored so many points so quickly, should have been able to mount a comeback, but failed to score again in the contest, and dropped their home opener 24-21.[52]

Mississippi State was up next. Even though it was the second straight home game, and only the second game of the season, it was homecoming for the Knoxville team. State’s offense was mostly bottled up, and Tennessee won comfortable, if not spectacularly, 17-3. Tulsa came to town next. Fullback JW Carter, a bruiser at 200 lbs, was off to a great start to the season. He had 21 carries for 113 yards in the first two games, on pace for nearly 600 yards rushing on the year, which would more than double his career output in one year. But on the second play of the game, he tore his knee, and was lost for the season. Tulsa was still dispatched 52-6, but the offense needed to be reworked to make up fo rCarter’s loss.[53]

The Third Saturday in October was not expected to be a good weekend for the Vols. Alabama was ranked fifth in the nation, and the game was to be televised on ABC. Tennessee played hard to start, and scored on a field goal to go up 3-0. Next, Bama scored. Then again. Then again. Then again. The Tide scored 34 straight points, shutting down Tennessee’s offense the rest of the game.[54] Bama would go undefeated the rest of the year and win a unanimous National Championship at year’s end.

Likely anticipating the rough game Bama would be, Chattanooga was a good palette cleanser following a team with perennial National Championship aspirations. Chattanooga did not go down with great ease, but a 20-7 win was good enough for the 400th win in program history. The next week, North Carolina hosted the Vols. With Tennessee leading 21-14 with time running out, the Tar Heels scored a touchdown. An extra point would tie it up, but UNC went for 2, converted, and celebrated a win at home 22-21.[55]

The schedule did not ease up. Georgia Tech, ranked #9, and Ole Miss, ranked top 5, were the next two games. Tech fumbled, which led to a quick UT field goal. Tennessee scored again on a touchdown thereafter, and held Tech’s offense to only a single touchdown in the 4th quarter to win 10-6.[56] Ole Miss Held the Vols’ offense back all day. While the Rebels scored 24 points, including a punt return touchdown of over 50 yards, Tennessee was only able to earn a field goal with their offense. A fourth quarter pick-six made the final look a more respectable 24-10, but Tennessee was thrashed.[57]

As was typical, the season ended against rivals UK and Vadnerbilt. The Wildcats were beaten without too much difficulty. With a final score of 26-16, Tennessee had their best offensive output of the year against a conference opponent. Vanderbilt went even easier. Facing a record long losing streak if they lost, the Commodores should have put up a fight. Instead, Tennessee scored a touchdown before their offense hit the field with a blocked kick, recovery, and return for a score. Mallon Faircloth scored on a 65-yard rush on his second carry, and finished the day with 110 yards on 10 carries, even with leaving the game early. He finished the year with over 450 yards each passing and rushing. Vanderbilt did not score until a 4th quarter touchdown, and fell in Shields-Watkins Field 41-7[58]

Tennessee football was once again consistently inconsistent. They failed to defeat easy opponents at times, yet could top top ranked teams. Once again, no First Team All Americans were named from UT.

1962: 4-6 (407-179-40) [277-69-17]

After being hospitalized in January, General Neyland, who was still UT’s Athletic Director, passed away in March. He was critical to the national recognition and success the University of Tennessee enjoyed. Coach Wyatt took over as interim Athletic Director following his passing, and it likely hampered his ability to coach a good team. Additionally, he refused to surrender on the single wing offense, which likely led to failures in recruiting good players. In-state players who were focused passers, like Steve Spurrier who opted to go to Florida, looked elsewhere for greater opportunities to excel with their arms as well as their legs.[59]

Looking to avenge their season opening loss to Auburn, Tennessee matched up with the Tigers in September. They took another big lead in the game, without needing turnovers to spur them on. But history repeated itself, and scoring 21 points once again was not enough for the Vols. Auburn was bale to squeak by on a single point to win 22-21.[60] Next, Tennessee lost to Mississippi State. Facing a 7-7 tie wif Tennessee nailed their PAT, Coach Wyatt went for a 2 point conversion and the win. Instead, they failed the attempt and lost 7-6.[61]

To add embarrassment, Georgia Tech shut out UT 17-0. Then Alabama, en route to an Orange Bowl win over No. 8 Oklahoma and a single loss season, smashed Tennessee 27-7. Chattanooga was once again defeated 48-14, followed by a win over Wake Forest, 23-0. Tulane was also dispatched 28-16. No. 3 Ole Miss, on their way to a National Championship and a Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas, was played well, but UT still lost 19-6.

Only Kentucky and Vandy remained. Tennessee was in position for an exciting win. They were up 10-9. Kentucky had a huge 58-yard touchdown pass to take a lead, but they failed on a 2-point conversion to sit at 9 points. Tennessee forced a turnover and returned it 76 yards to the UK 1 yard line. The first offensive play after, they punched it in, then scored the PAT to lead 10-9 with about 3 minutes remaining in the game. The Wildcats went on a 16 play, 81 yard drive to be in position to win. UK’s kicker had failed to convert a single kick before this game, as well as missing kicks in the game. However, he nailed his attempt with 16 second left to take a 12-10 lead UK would not surrender.[62]

Vanderbilt, who had only stopped their record losing skid the previous week by besting Tulane, was easily handled. Tennessee won 30-0 to give some semblance of respect to the season. But it wasn’t enough. Bowden Wyatt was fired after 8 seasons, and his assistant, Jim McDonald was appointed to take over for 1963.

An interesting tradition was also started in 1962. Traffic to the stadium on gameday was very modern in the sense it was so often hectic. To avoid such frustration, long-time gameday broadcaster George Mooney decided to take a boat on the Tennessee River to be dropped off near the stadium. His actions led to the formation of the Volunteer Navy, where tailgate parties occur on the water instead of the parking lot before divulging their devoted fans ashore for the game.[63]

1963: 5-5 (412-184-40) [280-72-17]

Jim McDonald, former Wyatt’s assistant coach, took over the team for 1963. Not wanting to face Auburn week 1, UT beat up on Richmond at Neyland Stadium, renamed in the honor of the General himself, winning 34-6. This did not seem to help much. Tennessee choked against Auburn again, dropping a 12-0 lead to lose 23-19.[64] Mississippi State clamped down on the UT offense, and slipped by with a 7-0 win. Georgia Tech came to town and also walked away victors, 23-7. It was a terrible home start, with a dismal 1-3 record. Hardly an honor for the respected General.

Bama kept the heat and pressure on Coach McDonald. Le dby eventual NFL great Joe Namath, and on track for a Sugar Bowl victory over Ole Miss, #9 Alabama rolled over UT 35-0. At least this game was away from the confines of Knoxville to dull the sting of defeat and dampen the shame of losing.

Tennessee’s season was largely over by the time Chattanooga came to Knoxville. Neyland Stadium experienced a win once again as Chattanooga was defeated 49-7, then Tulane was also handled 26-0, and in New Orleans. Ole Miss, ranked third and undefeated, won without difficulty 20-0 in Memphis. Their only loss on the season would eventually be against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. To salve the wounds, rivals University of Kentucky and Vanderbilt were both shut out by UT’s defense, and the offense, though far from dominating, did more than enough to win. 19-0 and 14-0 final scores earned wins, and eased Tennessee’s football record to a perfect .500. Middling at best. However, Mallon Faircloth finished the year with over 1,100 total yards, and Steve DeLong was the first UT player to earn First Team All-American honors since 1957.

1964: 4-5-1 (416-189-41) [282-75-17]

Coach McDonald was not considered the long term solution, and the average success solidified the intention to move on. Looking for a player’s coach who could connect with and teach new generations of teams, the Athletic Commision at UT pegged Doug Dickey as the new Head Coach. He played successfully at Florida despite his moderate at best athletic traits due to his intelligence and dedication to studying the game. Standing 6 foot 3 and with time in the Army, he was deemed to be the next leader on, and off, the gridiron.[65]

The Dawn of Dickey came with the introduction of the checkered endzone. Painted in alternating squares of white and orange, it created a whimsical and entertaining endzone design which is, at times, replicated by the fans in the stands.[66] Dickey also largely formalized the helmet design still seen on the field today, with an orange stripe down the middle, and the Power T on the side.[67]

The play on the field, however, was less than whimsical. Chattanooga, usually an annual cupcake, fought hard against Tennessee, and it was a much narrower than typical 10-6 win. A harbinger of things to come. Tennessee had a golden opportunity to defeat Auburn yet again the next week, but the lone points were an Auburn field goal. Tennessee had lost to Auburn four times in four seasons by 9 total points.

Mississippi State was defeated 14-13, and Boston College 16-14. But #3 Alabama took care of business, handing Tennessee a 19-8 loss on the way to a National Championship. The Tide was able to block multiple kicks and force three fumbles, directly leading to 16 of their points on the day. Alabama didn’t even have Joe Namath playing for them. Sadly, this game was winnable, but Tennessee did not win in the realm of fundamentals.[68] LSU, ranked 7th, hosted the Vols next. The usual night game was played during the day, the schedule change made to accommodate a television broadcast. Tennessee kicked a field goal, as did LSU, for a 3-3 tie. The UT offense went to sleep, though, and could hardly get anything going. They were sleep walking to manage only six first downs, and fewer than 100 yards. LSU, however, failed to score again. Steve DeLong helped anchor the defensive line and stopped the Tiger’s Rusty Schwab a foot from victory. The defense also helped force incompletions on three field goal attempts within 30 yards of the end zone. In this case, a 3-3 tie was a win.[69]

Next, Georgia Tech hosted UT. Ranked 7th after LSU dropped from the same position due to Tennessee’s playing spoiler, Tech was expected to win, and easily. But Tennessee played spoiler again, and Tech lost 22-14 to the Vols. But the good times ended there. Ole Miss, UK, and Vanderbilt all defeated Tennessee, totalling nearly 50 points, while Tennessee only scored 7. In the end, this season was less about the success in winning games, but in laying groundwork, changing the offense, instilling the culture. However, losses to Bama, UK, and Vanderbilt in the same season is a tough pill, and it was the first time since 1954 UT had lost to all three. A sign of success, however, was Steve DeLong again being named a First Team All-American as well as earning the Outland Trophy, despite the team’s failures. He was the team’s first back-to-back All-American in over a decade. The 1964 team Captain and 1965 NFL First Round selection was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993.[70]

1965: 8-1-2 (424-190-43) [287-75-18]

Coach Dickey took the opportunity to again have things shaken up. For starters, he moved the Tennessee sideline. The new perspective also allowed for the start of a new tradition; Running through the T. Players emerge from the tunnel and charge onto the field through a giant T formed by the Pride of the Southland Band.[71]

As for the games themselves, Dickey also continued to alter things. After playing Auburn not first, but second the previous year, Coach stuck with the idea, but changed the execution. Tennessee opened up against Army at home. Army was beyond its glory years. Under Earl Blaik, they had won three straight National Championships during World War II, posting only one losing season in nearly 20 years. Paul Dietzel, Army’s coach from 1962-1965, had coached only the second losing season since 1940, and would be gone at year’s end. UT won going away, 21-0.

Hoping to be prepped for Auburn, Tennessee went into the game determined to get and keep a lead, to not blow it and lose to the Tigers yet again. Tennessee was able to again take a lead against Auburn. The Vols scored first, and led almost the entire game. In the fourth frame, they had 13 points, and Auburn was sitting at six after missing a PAT in the first half. Tennessee had forced Auburn into turnover trouble, with the Tigers giving up the ball five times. Tennessee had also lost it three, when a UT pass was picked off, and Auburn converted their drive into a touchdown to tie the game with barely over two minutes remaining. The score ended 13-13. At least they got a lead early and didn’t lose.[72]

Tennessee had their third straight game at home to open the season, but somehow called it Homecoming. They hosted the South Carolina Gamecocks, and won 24-3 as a prepper for Alabama. Bama was on its way to a second National Championship and an Orange Bowl victory over #3 Nebraska, and 70,000 fans descended on Legion Field in Birmingham to see the Tide wash over the Vols yet again. But where the breaks seemed to go Crimson way in 1964, they broke Orange in 1965 just enough. Twice the home team fumbled in the red zone, losing golden scoring opportunities. But the game was tied 7-7 in the fourth when Alabama again got within only a few yards of the winning score with time running out. Kenny Stabler was running the offense, and on third down had scrambled for what he in the moment was a first down. The next play, pursued and facing a sack, he threw the ball out of bounds to stop the clock and allow a kick attempt to win with only six second remaining. This would be a great idea, if it were any other down aside from fourth. Which it was. 7-7 was the final, and Bama would neither tie nor lose the rest of the season.[73]

Gamewise, the rest of the season was mostly good. Houston fell in non-conference play 17-8. #7 Georgia Tech was defeated 21-7, with over 50,000 people attending the game in Neyland Stadium. Kentucky and Vanderbilt both lost to UT. Tennessee had been invited to the Bluebonnet Bowl against Tulsa, but squared off against UCLA in Memphis before the game. A fight which broke out after the game did not change the final score. Tennessee, down with seconds remaining, watched desperately as their quarterback attempted to run for a score on fourth down, enmeshed with Bruin players attempting to force a tackle, and likely pushed forward by his own teammates attempting to move the mass of humanity toward a score, all while trailing by four points as time was running out. “After a lapse of time that seemed like an eternity to Vol partisans, [the Quarterback] Dewey finally finished circling left end [and t]he referee raised both hands skyward, and Tennessee had won.”[74]

But they hadn’t won yet. Time remained. UCLA fielded the kickoff, and started to drive. They moved into UT territory, determined to at least force a tie. The Bruins then made a costly error. They threw the first interception of the day, and UT raced toward a score before being tackled nearly 50 yards later, right into the Bruin bench as time expired. The fight ensued from there, but a Vols victory was preserved.[75]

After that, Tulsa was easy. Tennessee won 27-6 for their first Bowl win in nearly a decade. Also, Frank Emanuel was named a First Team All-American, the third straight year UT had a player honored. Emmanuel would go on to be admitted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004. After being hte first overall pick by the Miami Dolphins, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1966 to illustrate the bidding war between the AFC and NFL.[76]

However, this season was not without tragedy. Following the victory in tying Alabama, three UT coaches, including Bill Majors who was a star for UT from 58-60, died when their Volkswagen was struck by a train. The team nearly canceled games to deal with the loss, but played on. Wins on the field cannot make up for the loss of human life. But for those who devoted their life to the game, it can honor their memory.

1966: 8-3 (432-193-43) [291-77-18]

As if the loss of three coaches the year before was not enough, three players were involved in a car accident on the way to spring practice in early 1966. Tom Fisher, a linebacker who had been tabbed as a probable All-American after being a second team All-SEC behind his teammate Frank Emanuel the year earlier, and John Crumbacher lost their lives. Gerald Woods was also in the vehicle. Though he lived, he never played football for Tennessee again.[77]

Tennessee started off the season against Auburn yet again. The Tigers had been a thorn in the side of UT football for half a decade. Tennessee had repeatedly jumped out to leads, only to falter and not earn a win. So when Tennessee took a 7-0 lead into the fourth quarter, there were likely those who continued to hold their breath. Sure enough, three touchdowns were scored in the final 15 minutes of play. Tennessee scored on a run, the second touchdown pass from Dewey Warren on the day, and another pass from the backup quarterback.[78] Tennessee’s 28-0 win was a good sign. Warren was already slinging the ball around. In an interview, he said “I love to hum that tater.”[79]

Rice was also walked over, with UT winning 23-3. Georgia Tech, ranked in the top 10, held off Tennessee in a tight contest 3-6 after three field goals were kicked in the second quarter. Both defenses held their opponent scoreless thereafter, and Tech avoided being upset again.[80]

No. 3 Ranked Alabama played hard, but so did the Vols. Tennessee, down 11-10 in the final minutes, drove down the field to go for the win. Coach Dickey, confident in his fullback, called for a rushing play to score with seconds left. The safe call would have been for a run to the middle of the field to line up a chip shot field goal, but the play went to the outside, likely hoping to trick the defense. But the rush was stopped, and the kick from the 3-yard line missed by mere inches, allowing Bama to also escape with a narrow win.[81] As disheartening as defeats are, the UT defense played well against future NFL Hall of Famer Kenny Stabler, who was incomplete on every pass in the first half, but came back well in the second with a rushing score to start the comeback, and completing it by accounting for 43 yards on the game winning drive.[82]

After two narrow losses to vastly superior foes, Tennessee dispatched South Carolina 29-17. They then defeated Army with an emphatic 38-7 win. Chattanooga, back on the schedule, went down to the Vols 28-10. But Ole Miss once again proved a tough nut to crack. The Rebels won for the eighth straight year with a 14-7 game. Facing questions on bowl eligibility, Tennessee knuckled down and refused to snowball the loss. UK played a feisty enough game to make it exciting, but UT prevailed 28-19. Vanderbilt, such a challenge for Tennessee through the first two decades, folded over 28-0.

The wins earned Tennessee a game against Syracuse in the Gator Bowl. Syracuse had been a massively successful team with a great running game for some time, but UT proved too much for them. Tennessee was able to post an 18-12 win for back-to-back bowl wins. In addition, Paul Naumoff, Austin Denney, Ron Widby, and Bob Johnson all earned First Team All-American honors, the most prolific AA team for UT since four players were honored in 1951, tying a program record set in 1939.[83] Dewey Warren also lived his dream of slinging taters. He passed for over 1700 yards and 18 scoring throws on the year, setting a program record by over double the yards.

1967: 9-2 (441-195-43) [296-77-18]

Tennessee kicked off the season in dramatic fashion. The football team traveled across the country to play in Los Angeles against the Bruins. UCLA, ranked 8 th at the time, was the far superior team on the day, regardless of the score. Though it seemed close at 20-16, Tennessee was only able to make it into the end zone when they recovered fumbles within spitting distance of the goal line.[84]

The risk of snowballing losses always seemed imminent for UT. This seemed especially likely with Auburn, Georgia Tech, and Alabama next, and LSU after that. But the Tigers were handled with ease, 27-13. This may in part be due to Dickey completely changing his defense leading up to the clash with the Tigers in an effort to stymy the vaunted Auburn offense. If so, it worked.[85]

After Auburn, Georgia Tech went down 24-13. But #6 Alabama loomed large. It was especially likely Bama would win with starters Dewey Warren and Charles Fulton unable to play due to injuries. But eventual First Team All-American Albert Dorsey picked off three Tide throws in the fourth quarter alone, and Tennessee stunned the world with a 24-13 win.[86] The third interception was a pick six for the final points of the game. Defense truly stood tall that day, as a 2-point attempt was also stopped by Jack Reynolds, pushing Alabama to go for touchdowns instead of field goals.[87]

As much as “Bear” Bryant tended to roll over Tennessee, they had given him fits early in his coaching career. Game hero Albert Dorsey recalls how much Bryant would give heed to his upcoming games against Tennessee, no matter what the record was or the narrative game statistics told. Dorsey believed Coach Neyland was still a part of this team in Bryant’s mind, and so the Vols should never be counted as down and out.[88]

LSU gave Tennessee a fight. The Vols positioned themselves for a win by taking the lead. But Tigers, though called Bengals at the time, are hard to tame. Auburn had won over Tennessee through comebacks for years, and the memory of Tigers coming from behind must have put fear in the hearts of the Rocky Top faithful. It didn’t help that LSU had a speedy returner who had already returned a kick 100 yards for a score. Kicker Karl Kremser, a German born soccer player who walked on as kicker, was trying to play hero by kicking a game leading field goal in the final frame and squib kicking to avoid LSU’s returner.[89] Tennessee had played the better offense most of the day, but they also lost two fumbles and recovered zero. LSU rode their good fortune, and, trailing by three with minutes remaining, trudged downfield and set up for a 36-yard field goal with half a minute remaining in the game. The kick went wide right, though, and UT held on for a 17-14 nail biter.[90]

Tampa and Tulane were no issue. Tennessee scored at least 35 in each game, and only allowed a total of 14 points in the two contests. Ole Miss, the bane of UT fans for the past eight years, was solidly defeated as well. Tennessee was able to score more points in the second quarter than the Rebels scored the whole game. Memphis was filled with over 50,000 fans as Tennessee did enough to warrant Orange Bowl consideration.[91]

Tennessee completed a season sweep of their three main rivals in the following weeks. The Wildcats were again beaten, this time 17-7, to give Tennessee three straight wins over UK. It seemed control of the series was again shifting Orange. Vanderbilt also went down for the third straight year,

continuing a trend where the Commodores would win a game, only to see the Vols go on another win streak. Tennessee’s lone loss remained against UCLA in the season opener. UCLA would not lose again until eventual AP National Champion USC at the end of November. With the only blemish against a team which was largely dominant to start the season, Tennessee was rightfully lauded. Because of their success,

the outlet Litkenhous named UT National Champion. It was the first time a Knoxville team not coached by Bob Neyland had been awarded a National Championship at season’s end. Coach Dickey, despite the turmoil of the first season, was able to rally the team, and accomplish the task of winning recognition as the best team in the nation, even if it was not the AP vote. Additionally, three players, Bob Johnson, Albert Dorsey, and Richmond Flowers, all earned First Team All-American Honors. Richard Flowers was also a recipient of All-American honors as a hurdler.[92] Bob Johnson, a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer, was also an Academic All-American, first overall pick in the 1968 NFL Draft, and a member of the SEC All-Quarter Century team.[93][94]

But the season was spoiled with the bowl game. Oklahoma charged away early and commanded a 19-0 lead at half. Tennessee had to claw back into the game, scoring 24 points in the second half against OSU’s 7. UT was able to be in position to win the game at the end with a kick. Karl Kremser, with 10 made field goals on the season, confidently stepped on to the field to attempt a 44-yard kick. The kick missed, though, and the Sooners won the game.[95]

The season is celebrated for sharing the National Title, and a string of success between the UCLA loss and the Bowl Game defeat. While having a disappointing beginning and conclusion, the victories and triumphs earned this team consideration among the great seasons in program history.[96] To add to the legacy and tradition of the history of UT football, 1967 was the year Felice and Bondleaux Bryant wrote the song “Rocky Top” in well under an hour, though it would not be played at a UT game for another half decade.[97]

1968: 8-2-1 (449-197-44) [301-77-19]

Prior to the start of the 1968 season, the University of Tennessee made the decision to install Tartan Turf from 3-M as their playing surface. The new turf resulted in a loss of the checkered endzones, but that was not the only debacle.[98] Installation of the material went into summer, and caused an uproar previous to the opening game of the season against Georgia.

Playing surfaces are pivotal to the health and wellness of players as a new surface grips differently and reacts differently to water. Attempting quick cuts on grass as opposed to turf is a vastly different experience. As such, Georgia threatened to boycott the game, showing little respect for the accommodation Tennessee offered. In the end, nothing changed, and the game was played. A last minute touchdown and successful 2-point conversion sealed up the game in a tie.[99] Georgia remained undefeated until their bowl game loss.

The Alabama game played in October was the next exciting match. It came down to a battle of kickers. Tennessee trusted their guy, whose miss the year before resulted in a loss. They sent him out to nail a 54-yard attempt, which would reset the conference record. He hit the kick to take a 10-9 lead. After taking back over, Alabama lined up for a game winning kick with only 5 seconds left on the clock. Tennessee was able to get the necessary penetration, and blocked the attempt to win the game. In winning, Tennessee became the first team in a decade to defeat the Tide in back-to-back seasons.[100]

Auburn was the only team to beat UT all season. Ranked going into the game against their rival, Auburn would eventually lose to both Georgia and Alabama to end their season. The Tigers reversed the trend of the last few years where Tennessee would run away early, but falter late, and won without much fanfare. 28-14 was the final, ending Tennessee’s bid for uncontested SEC supremacy.[101]

The rest of the season was mostly not worth a great deal of notice. Memphis State put up a fight, but lost 24-17. Rice was blown away in a 52-0 rout. Georgia Tech was bested 24-7. Even UCLA, who conquered UT the previous season, was dispatched 42-18. Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt combined for 14 points, but UT scored 65 on them. Vanderbilt was their closest contest with a 10-7 win. Tennessee only took their final lead late in the third, and it took an interception in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory.[102]

Steve Kiner and Jim Weatherford earned First Team All-American honors on defense at Linebacker and Defensive Back, respectively, and Charles Rosenfelder earned it for his offensive guard play. Tennessee made a trip to Texas for the Cotton Bowl against the other UT, the other Orange and White team, Texas Longhorns. But it was hardly worth going into detail about such a game. Texas rolled up a 36-13 victory. Texas so thoroughly defeated their counterparts in color that a Tennessee player who had been throttled remarked “We could have played 10 more games, and they would have beaten us 10 more times.”[103]

1968 was also the year John Ward and Bill Anderson began their combined efforts in the broadcast booth. They were able to paint the picture fans could not see

while listening to the radio. Even after games were broadcast for viewers, it was known that “families across the state preferred to turn down the television sound and turn up Ward and Anderson to tell the story of the day with substance and style.”[104]

1969: 9-2 (458-199-44) [306-77-19]

1968 had been mostly a success. The only loss in the regular season came not to Alabama, Kentucky, or Vanderbilt, who had, at times, dominated the rivalry. It came at the hands of the Auburn Tigers. Auburn had become a consistent threat to successful seasons, winning four straight season openers and tying a fifth from 1961 through 1965. The game was frequently played at Legion Field, where the rivalry with the Tide was played in the state of Alabama. This helped spark the flame of conflict into a rivalry, though a far less consistent one in recent years. Auburn was not a regularly scheduled opponent up until the mid-Fifties and again after the start of the Nineties. However, the Tigers played the Vols every year from 1956 through 1991.

With the Auburn game week two circled, Alabama circled week five, and Kentucky and Vanderbilt to end the regular season, every rivalry game was already a focus. As a warm up for conference play, University of Chattanooga was played at Neyland Stadium and defeated 31-0. This win was even more impressive a score given how Tennessee put the ball on the ground frequently, losing five fumbles during the game. Seeing as how the Moccasins appeared to be owned by the Vols anyway, the school was absorbed into the University of Tennessee system thereafter.[105]

Auburn was next, and Tennessee’s defense was the one which started to stumble. The Tigers were on their way to spoiling another big lead by scoring on touchdown passes of 34 and 70 yards. It was 24-19 with Tennessee still holding the edge in the fourth quarter, but specters of failure floated in the minds of the players. UT played aggressive ball thereafter, and scored three touchdowns going away. The defense did their work in the fourth quarter, forcing turnovers for the offense to score points on, and the final score was a far more comfortable 45-19 finale.[106]

After Auburn, Memphis State and Georgia TEch were both handled without much fanfare needed. Tennessee won 55-16 over the Memphis State Tigers, and 26-8 over the Yellow Jackets. Alabama hosted the Vols the next week after a surprising loss to Vanderbilt put the Tide at 3-1. Tennessee kept up the offensive fireworks by pouring on over 40 points, and it should have been worse. UT scored 21 in the first quarter. Steve Kiner was nigh unstoppable with five sacks as well as four hurried passes, an interception, a forced fumble, and made a total of 14 tackles. Bobby Majors, the fifth and final of the Majors brothers to come to UT, had a 70-yard punt return touchdown negated, byt scored on a 71-yard return.[107]

Georgia, ranked #11, fell 17-3, and South Carolina, Tennessee’s Homecoming opponent, likewise fell 29-14. But the Gamecocks were a fight to the end. South Carolina was pushing for a tie or even an outright win before Tennessee scored twice in the final minutes to make the score look better than the game felt.[108]

Tennessee’s defense had performed well and was forcing turnovers, the offense was performing admirably, and the last three games all appeared to be mostly breezy. Only Ole Miss had a winning record, and Kentucky and Vanderbilt would end the season in the cellar. But Ole Miss, despite three losses, and only two conference losses by two total points, had also won against #6 Georgia and #8 LSU and would win over #3 Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl at season’s end. On this day, Archie Manning led the Rebels to a slaughter of the Vols. Manning tore up the defense through the air, and the tailbacks found plenty enough space on the ground. The final score of 38-0 left the fans of UT with their jaw agape, and ruined any hopes of National Championship laurels.[109]

Success after a failure of that magnitude can frequently not make things alright. Kentucky very nearly upset Tennessee, but lost 31-26 in Lexington. Kentucky, following Arhcie’s example, took to the air and passed for 440 yards on the day. The newspaper described the UT team as “half asleep” in trying to win the game, but succeeded in holding on at the end for a win after recovering an onside kick once UK scored a touchdown near the end of the game.[110] Vanderbilt was easier to score on, but just as hard to wrangle. The Commodores fought hard to the end, and it was a closer affair than the 40-27 final would indicate.

Tennessee traveled to the Sunshine State to take on Florida in the Gator Bowl. In the end, it was more than a game they contended with. Doug Dickey, son of a UF Professor and graduate of the school, had been offered and accepted the Head Coach position with the Gators prior to the game against them. The incensed fans demanded he be relieved of his position immediately. But the game was played with Dickey on the UT sideline, and the game was lost with him there as well. Florida won 14-13 with Tennessee limited to its second worst offensive production of the year.[111]

So much went right for Tennessee in 1969, but what went wrong was atrocious. The loss to Ole Miss was a slaughter of epic proportions. The loss of Dickey to Florida was a nightmare. But UT still had three players honored as All-Americans, Chip Kell and two linebackers, Jack Reynolds and Steve Kiner, who, due to his having also been a First Teamer the year before, became a College football Hall of Famer in 1999.[112][113] A season of great promise and talent, ruined.

1970: 11-1 (469-200-44) [312-77-19]

While few people would consider Coach Dickey a legend, he had directed the team to earn recognition as National Champions and brought a level of consistent success to Knoxville. In departing, he recommended Jimmy Dunn, an assistant coach under him at UT, for the head coaching position. Given the manner in which Dickey took the Florida job, many people were suspicious Dickey was merely attempting to be succeeded by a less than qualified and poor replacement. In the end, Athletic Director Bob Woodruff took a page from Florida’s book, and pilfered a rival team’s staff, and settled on Bill Battle from Alabama. Battle played End for Alabama in the early 60’s, and coached for the team starting in 1966. At only 28 years old, he was a risky pick, but Woodruff stuck to his gut, and in January, 1970, Bill Battle was anointed as coach.

Coach Battle won his first game as a coach with a 28-3 victory over Southern Methodist University. SMU was about a decade away from Eric Dickerson’s glory years with the team, and they were throttled the Mustangs offense without difficulty. Auburn proved more challenging as the Tigers. The Tigers were methodical and referenced as being almost medically surgical in their offensive approach. Not even 142 rushing yards on 29 carries from Curt Watson and 119 yards on 25 from Don McLeary were able to win the day. Auburn reeled off points with relative ease and won 36-23 in their home stadium to send the Vols packing in defeat. [114]

Army was much easier. They bowed to the Vols 48-3. Even Georgia Tech, which was ranked 13th at the time, was swatted 17-6. This set up a clash with Alabama, which already had two losses in five games on the season. Coach Battle awaited his coach and mentor in Bear Bryant, and the Tide came to Neyland Stadium to fight. Battle wanted to assure his players it was not a Bryant-Battle affair. “Coach Bryant won’t make a single tackle out there and neither will.” But a fight seemed to be lacking. In the end, Tennessee ran away with a 24-0 game.[115]

Florida, the poachers of Coach Dickey, were next. The teams wrote quippy and needling songs of each other in the lead up to the match. Coach Dickey was concerned how he would be received back in Knoxville given his exit. But his worries were misplaced. He was sent off with a standing ovation following a dominant 38-7 UT victory over the Gators. He called it “one of the most touching moments of his life.”[116]

Only South Carolina came close to beating UT the rest of the way. The Gamecocks came within two points of a tie in Columbia the week after Tennessee played Wake Forest in a 41-7 victory. Kentucky came to Neyland Stadium for Homecoming and left 45-0 losers. Vanderbilt fell 24-6. UCLA even got in on the losing action with a 28-17 defeat. In 11 games, Tennessee totaled a school record 57 takeaways en route to a Sugar Bowl game against Air Force. Vols players snagged another 8 turnovers to bring the total to 65 in 12 games and a 34-13 bowl win. The most exciting part of the game may well have been a dog which spent 10 minutes on the field. [117]

In his first year, in addition to setting a record for turnovers forced by the defense in a single season, Bill Battle matched the most wins in program history for a season, won a Bowl Game after three straight losses, and coached his players to All-American honors. Chip Kell at Guard and Jackie Walker at Linebacker both were First Team players. As a freshman coach, Bill Battle directed one of the celebrated seasons in UT history, finishing well ahead of expectations, and closing the season ranked #4 in the nation.[118] Chip Kell was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006, a recognition of earning two AA honors, three time All SEC, a two time Jabobs Trophy Winner, and, though not football related, he was also a three-time SEC Shot Put champ.[119]

1971: 10-2 (479-202-44) [318-78-19]

Bill Battle exceeded expectations by far in his first season. But, as has been stated many times before, consistent success is the measure of a great coach. By season’s end, Tennessee would play three games against teams ranked in the top 5 in the Nation before Bowl season rolled around. Getting to double digit wins would not be miraculous, but it would be remarkable.

UT opened at home against UC Santa Barbara. It was about as easy as could be, with the Orange and White steamrolling to a 48-6 win. Auburn, ranked 5th, took Tennessee for a wild 10-9 game which consisted of three Vols field goals and a single Auburn field goal prior to the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. The Tigers were led by Pat Sullivan, who was gunning for Heisman, which he would eventually win. In the last quarter, he led a charge which ended in the lone touchdown of the game, and a PAT gave Auburn the edge it needed to win.[120]

Tennessee took out its frustration at losing to Auburn on Florida first, winning 20-13, before also edging out Georgia Tech 10-6. The Crimson Tide evened the coaches series for Battle by beating the Vols 32-15 in Alabama. From then on, though, it seemed smooth sailing for the conference. Mississippi State fell 10-7, followed by out of conference opponents Tulsa, 38-3, and South Carolina, 35-6. Kentucky and Vanderbilt put up better fights, but still lost 21-7 and 19-7. Penn State was on their way to the Cotton Bowl, but Bobby Majors, playing for the last time as a Vol in Neyland Stadium, did more than all the Lions combined. He averaged 41 yards on punt returns for the day, scoring once, and averaged over 50 yards on kick returns during a 31-11 win. His return prowess may have been what earned him First Team All-American honors, along with defensive Captain Jackie Walker.

Even the Liberty Bowl ended in victory. Arkansas, which frequently squared off against SEC opponents come bowl season, barely fell 14-13 to the Vols. It was only the second time in school history the football team won back-to-back bowl games. It also brought Battle’s win total to 21 in his first two seasons. As for players, a detail oriented and organized guard, Philip Fulmer, ended his playing career with UT after this wonderful run of success which included program records in offensive output alongside the envious record the team had earned.[121]

1972: 10-2 (489-204-44) [323-79-19]

Tell me if you have heard this one before: a young Head Coach of a storied SEC team stumbles against Alabama based teams Auburn and Alabama, but otherwise mostly breeze through their season, including wins over Penn State and a Bowl Game victory. Such was the result of the 1971 season. With a few modifications of opponents, this is just about how 1972 played out as well.

Georgia Tech and Penn State fell in the first two weeks, and Wake Forest the week after that. Penn State was the toughest game by far, with a final score of 28-21. Tech and Wake were bested by a combined 79-9. The Penn State game was played at night, and “ushered in night football at Neyland Stadium.”[122]

A trip to Alabama to play Auburn once again ended in heartbreak. In an upset, Auburn overcame a 14-pt underdog status. Tennessee did not even score half that by the end of the game. Coach Battle denounced the likelihood of a jinx by stating Auburn simply “whipped us physically up and down the field.”[123] The Tide also replicated their win from 1971 in Neyland Stadium in front of over 72,000 fans. Labeled a “defensive classic,” Bama and the Vols slugged it out to a 17-10 win for the Tide, and Bear gained an advantage over his protégé.[124] This was also the first game Tennessee football played “Rocky Top.”[125]

Memphis State provided Tennessee with an easy enough opponent for a 38-7 win after Auburn and before Alabama. After the Tide rolled over UT, Hawaii folded 34-2. Georgia was next and lost 14-0. Ole Miss was the Homecoming opponent, and Tennessee got their win streak going 17-0 over the Rebels. Kentucky and Vanderbilt once again wrapped up the year by providing wins for UT, 17-7 and 30-10.

Tennessee was once again invited to the Bluebonnet Bowl, but the opponent was intra-conference LSU played in Houston. Tennessee charged out early, taking a 24-3 lead to start the game. But shades of Auburn lurked. LSU started driving, started scoring, and the lead was cut. The Tigers pounced more than once, and came within seven points of a tie. But the UT defense tightened up, and held on for a 24-17 win and their team record third straight bowl victory.[126]

All-American honors went to Conrad Graham, Ricky Townsend, and Jamie Rotella. Rotella, a linebacker, marked the fifth straight year Tennessee had a linebacker named as a First Team All-American. In three years on the job, Bill Battle accumulated 31 wins to go along with three bowl victories. While Coach Neyland only had one loss and two ties in the first three seasons, much better than Battle’s five losses, Battle’s win total outstripped Neyland’s win total by four games. By all appearances, Bob Woodruff had done a great job as Athletic Director in hiring a coach.

1973: 8-4 (497-208-44) [328-80-19]

Coach Battle had achieved a level of success few would have considered attainable in his first three years. He tied Coach Neyland for most wins in any three year period in program history. He won three straight bowl games. But the team’s stumbles to Auburn and Alabama stood out like a sore thumb. In order to attain greatness, those teams needed to be beaten.

Tennessee opened against former frequent opponent Duke. These two teams had played 20 times from 1931-1956, and annually for just over a decade. While Tennessee held a massive edge in rushing yardage, outgaining the Devils on the ground by over 100 yards, the team was down late in the fourth quarter. The reason was “Tennessee handled the football like a wet bar of soap,” and lost five fumbles during the course of the game. The tides appeared to have turned, however, when Duke lost a fumble of their own within field goal distance for the Vols. Down 17-14, a kick would tie it. But facing 4th and 4 on the six yard line, Tennessee went for the yardage, not the kick. UT’s quarterback ran with the ball and leaped through the air to pick up just enough distance for a first down, and Tennessee punched it in from there to win 21-17.[127]

Army was a much easier opponent. Playing in Michie Stadium in West Point, NY, Tennessee ran amuck and scored a 38-18 win over the Black Knights. Ranked in the top-10 by the AP, Tennessee prepared to host Auburn in Knoxville. The Tigers had a 2-0 record on the season to this point, but neither opponent was tough, much like UT’s schedule. Tennessee proved to be more capable in this matchup, however. Auburn was held without a point for the first time since 1967. And while the Orange and White offense was nothing to laud on the day, it did enough in scoring 21 points to win, with the defense chipping in a pick six. Tennessee also converted their 101st consecutive PAT on the day.[128]

Confidence brimmed on this team. Kansas and UT met in Memphis the next week, and the Vols held up to a sparky opponent to nab a tight 28-27 win. Tennessee free safety Eddie Brown broke two front teeth on a play where he blocked a field goal attempt by the Jayhawks in the first quarter. He also recovered a fumble in the third quarter before returning a punt 48 yards in the fourth quarter which led to a tie two plays later. Kansas put up around 400 passing yards, scoring a touchdown on a 17 yard pass on fourth down, but a 2-point conversion failed, and UT won.[129]

Georgia Tech went down easier than Kansas, but the game was still close. Tennessee won 20-14, but it should have become apparent to fans and coaches alike this team had struggled in four of five wins so far. When Alabama hosted UT, the Luck of the Orange had run out.The flood gates opened wide as Bama posted a 42-21 win over Tennessee, crushing any dreams of perfection on the season. And while TCU was toyed with the next week 39-7, Georgia spoiled homecoming with a 35-31 win, then Ole Miss played spoiler as well winning 28-18.

Facing a desperate need for wins to salvage their season, Tennessee found themselves on the ropes in Lexington against the Wildcats. The game had ebbed and flowed, but as time was running out, UT was clinging desperately to a 16-14 lead. Kentucky was driving for the win, though. Starting on their own seven, the UK squad ran and passed down the field to get to the red zone. With the ball on the Tennessee 18, UK lined up for a field goal. The kick went up, it was straight, and it fell short. Tennessee prevailed 16-14.[130]

Vanderbilt also got pesky on the year. Eddie Brown, the toothless wonder from the Kansas game, scored on an 80-yard punt return, and Tennessee also got a touchdown on their first offensive series. But the Commodores had still forced a tie game at 14-14 before UT kicked a field goal to take a late lead. Vandy, though, kicked field goals when needed to claw back to a tied game. Things fell apart for the visiting team when the Commodore punter attempted to run instead of kick on fourth down yet failed to reach the first down marker. The Tennessee special teams took over the ball, and kicked the winning field goal soon thereafter to win 20-17.[131]

In the end, UT accepted an invitation to, and lost, the Gator Bowl to No. 11 Texas Tech 28-19. Eddie Brown earned well-deserved First Team All-American honors along with Ricky Townsend who made it a back-to-back honor. And while Auburn was finally vanquished, Bama still won, and back-to-back losses to Georgia and Ole Miss were borderline inexcusable.

1974: 7-3-2 (504-211-46) [333-81-20]

Tennessee entered 1974 with aspirations to leave the failures against Alabama behind and continue the success at beating Auburn. UT once again used the 11-game season to add a game against UCLA, a team they had beaten in 1968 and 1970. The nationally televised contest was an exciting affair hosted at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee started to run away with the game, taking a 10-0 lead, but when their QB, Conredge Halloway, was knocked out with an injury, the Vols’ offense stalled. The Bruins took the reins and scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Halloway returned to the game after a negative x-ray, and piloted a beautiful drive covering 80 yards in a mere 8 plays, and capped off with a 12-yard rush by the injured QB himself to make it a tie game after the PAT. UCLA, refusing to lie down, drove themselves down the field in the final minutes. With 14 seconds remaining, they lined up for a 40-yard field goal attempt, only to miss it, resulting in a draw.[132]

Kansas was less exciting, with a 17-3 UT win. But Auburn got revenge for the 1973 game with a 21-0 win themselves, a mimic of the score the year prior. Tulsa went down 17-10, but in a combined four games, the UT football squad had yet to score over 17 points. This poor showing by the Orange and White continued with back-to-back losses to LSU, 20-10, and at home against Bama, 28-6.

Tennessee finally got the ball moving at home against Clemson, but then the defense struggled. Scoring 21 points before the end of the game, Clemson was sitting pretty with 28 when Tennessee took over the ball. Halloway again tried to play hero, and drive his team down for the score. However, it was the ball carrier Stanley Morgan who scored the potentially tying touchdown on the ground. Facing a tie, Halloway lined up the offense for a 2-point conversion attempt. Clemson clamped down in coverage, chasing Halloway back and forth across the field, but always backwards. As multiple Tiger defenders closed in on the QB, he heaved the ball toward the end zone where his end caught it to take the lead, and win the game.[133] The victory not only stopped the bleeding and got the offense clicking better, but it also was program win number 500.

Tennessee never failed to score more than 21 points the rest of their schedule. Memphis State was a 34-6 walk, Ole Miss was defeated 29-17 to avenge the 1973 game, and Kentucky was bested 24-7 for Homecoming. Vanderbilt was finally improved and was 7-3 going into the game. Tennessee had tied the Commodores win streak of 9 straight wins in the series the year before. With bragging rights and supremacy on the line, Tennessee scored twice right off the bat to lead 13-0. But it was Vanderbilt that took a 21-13 lead into the two-minute warning to end the game. With under two minutes to go, a punt would likely put the Vols out of range for a comeback. However, the Commodore punter once again gave UT the ball in a favorable position, fumbling it away. It was recovered by the Vols only 11 yards from pay dirt. Tennessee crashed in on a rush, but needed a 2-point conversion to tie it. In a replica of their game against Clemson, Halloway passed for the 2-pointer to Larry Sievers to convert, but this time it was merely for a tie, and ended Tennessee’s streak at 9 wins.[134]

The Liberty Bowl against Maryland was a largely boring affair. Maryland scored a field goal in the second quarter, but Tennessee did not score a point until another fumbled special teams snap by the opponent gifted Tennessee the ball inside their opponent’s red zone, leading to a touchdown. Larry Sievers once again played the hero, scoring the winning goal on a reception. The Terps responded by driving down to nearly score a touchdown of their own, but the receiver was out of bounds when the catch was made. The next play was intercepted by Tennessee for a UT win.[135]

The season was middling. The three losses were mostly acceptable. Bama’s lone loss came to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Auburn’s only loss to No. 11 Florida in Gainesville and to Bama, but won their Bowl game against Texas. LSU was a bad loss as their only conference wins were Tennessee and Ole Miss, which failed to win an SEC game. Tennessee earned no All-American honors.

1975: 7-5 (511-216-46) [338-83-20]

After winning 31 games in his first three seasons, Bill Battle was on pace for only about 22 wins in his subsequent three. He would need a great season to recapture the magic of his start. He kicked off the season by hosting their Liberty Bowl opponent from 1974, Maryland, and beat them 26-8. Then, they traveled to Los Angeles to play UCLA again, which had been good to UT as a 3-1-1 opponent. But 1975 was different UCLA ran up 34 points on the Vols. The Bruins held leads of 27-13 and 34-20 on the strength of nearly 350 rushing yards on the day, and the final score was 34-28, Bruins.[136]

Fortunately, back-to-back games against the Tigers went well enough. Auburn went down 21-17, and LSU was tamed 24-10. With two of the previous season’s three losses avenged, attention was turned to Bama, the next opponent up. Alabama was less accommodating. The Tide ran through Richard Todd, which proved the catalyst for success. The Crimson Tide scored three touchdowns on the ground and another through the air. 30 points for Bama was more than enough given Tennessee only scrounged a single end zone visit.[137]

To make matters worse, Alabama must have laid such a licking on UT that they did not get ready for North Texas State the next week. A middling team, they bested UT 21-14. And while Colorado State and Utah were defeated 28-7 and 40-7, Ole Miss once again proved a devil of an opponent. Tennessee was held to a season low 6 points while the Rebels rolled up 23. UK was a less than stellar win with a 17-13 final. Most unfortunately, even Vanderbilt got a win on the Vols, and in Knoxville. It was Vandy’s first win in the series for over a decade, and their third win in Knoxville since 1954, which was the last time Vanderbilt won at home against UT. A good kick in the fourth quarter and a tough defense to end the game earned the Commodores the win.[138]

Tennessee did not garner a bowl invitation, but did travel to Hawaii to play in Aloha Stadium. The Hawaii team was handled easily, 28-6, to give Tennessee an almost respectable 7-5 record. Larry Sievers, who prevented at least three losses the year prior, earned First Team All-American honors after posting over 800 receiving yards on the season. But the majestic success of Battle’s early years had seemingly faded.

1. The Big Orange, 226
2. The Big Orange, 227
3. Terps score 28–13 Sugar Bowl upset – Newspapers.com
4. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 42
5. The Big Orange, 233
6. Kentucky counts twice in fourth period to tie Tennessee, 14–14 – Newspapers.com
7. The Big Orange, 235-236
8. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 43-44
9. The Big Orange, 236
10. The Big Orange, 211
11. Big Orange Country, pg 16
12. The Big Orange, 244
13. Tennessee gains 0–0 deadlock with Alabama – Newspapers.com
14. The Big Orange, 247
15. Kentucky gains first victory in 18 years over Tennessee – Newspapers.com
16. The Big Orange, 247
17. The Big Orange, 247
18. The Big Orange, 250
19. The Big Orange, 251
20. The Big Orange, 252
21. Majors, Vols rip Tide, 20–0 – Newspapers.com
22. The Big Orange, 262
23. Tennessee blasts Tarheels, 48 to 7 – Newspapers.com
24. The Big Orange, 262-263
25. The Big Orange, 264
26. The Big Orange, 266
27. The Big Orange, 266
28. The Big Orange, 265
29. The Big Orange, 268
30. The Big Orange, 268-269
31. Big Orange Country, 27
32. Big Orange Country, 39
33. Auburn blanks Tennessee, 7–0 – Newspapers.com
34. The Big Orange, 279-280
35. The Big Orange, 276
36. Auburn’s late push trips Vols, 13–0 – Newspapers.com
37. The Big Orange, 286
38. The Big Orange, 282
39. The Big Orange, 293
40. Undefeated Vols fall before Georgia Tech – Newspapers.com
41. Big Orange Country, 47
42. The Big Orange, 293-294
43. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 95
44. Tennessee tops Auburn, 10–3 – Newspapers.com
45. State holds Tennessee to 0–0 tie at Memphis – Newspapers.com
46. The Big Orange, 302
47. Williamson races Georgia Tech by Vols, 14 to 7 – Newspapers.com
48. Gibbs leads Rebel raid on Vols, 24–3 – Newspapers.com
49. The Big Orange, 302
50. Glass leads charge as Tennessee raps Vanderbilt 35–0 – Newspapers.com
51. The Big Orange, 302
52. The Big Orange, 302
53. Vols warm up for Alabama; Rout Tulsa, 52–6 – Newspapers.com
54. The Big Orange, 302-303
55. The Big Orange, 304
56. Vols upset Engineers, 10–6 – Newspapers.com
57. Powerful Ole Miss belts Vols, 24–10 – Newspapers.com
58. Tennessee Vols crush Vanderbilt, 41–7, in finale – Newspapers.com
59. The Big Orange, 307
60. The Big Orange, 306
61. The Big Orange, 306
62. Kentucky springs upset on Tennessee – Newspapers.com
63. Big Orange Country, 4
64. The Big Orange, 308
65. The Big Orange, 312, 316
66. Big Orange Country, 11
67. Game Day: Tennessee Football, 5
68. Crimson Tide captures Vols, 19–8 – Newspapers.com
69. The Big Orange, 318-319
70. Big Orange Country, 39
71. Game Day: Tennessee Football, 28
72. Auburn holds Volunteers to 13–13 deadlock – Newspapers.com
73. The Big Orange, 320
74. The Big Orange, 325
75. Late Tennessee score upends Bruins – Newspapers.com
76. Game Day: Tennessee Football, 48
77. The Big Orange, 328
78. Vols lambast Auburn, 28–0 – Newspapers.com
79. The Big Orange, 328
80. Georgia Tech kicks Tennessee – Newspapers.com
81. The Big Orange, 327-328
82. Late Alabama comeback nips Tennessee, 11–10 – Newspapers.com
83. Football All Americans – University of Tennessee Athletics (utsports.com)
84. The Big Orange, 330
85. Six Seasons Remembered, 102
86. The Big Orange, 331
87. Six Seasons Remembered, 108
88. Six Seasons Remembered, 109
89. Six Seasons Remembered, 110
90. Vols stave off rush by Bengals to nab 17–14 SEC victory – Newspapers.com
91. Vols stomp Ole Miss 20–7 – Newspapers.com
92. Six Seasons Remembered, 116
93. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 48
94. Big Orange Country, 39
95. The Big Orange, 331
96. Big Orange Country, 28
97. Game Day: Tennessee Football, 17
98. Big Orange Country, 4
99. The Big Orange, 332
100. Eugene Register-Guard – Google News Archive Search
101. Auburn crushes Big Orange 28 to 14 – Newspapers.com
102. Tennessee survives Vandy bid 10–7 – Newspapers.com
103. The Big Orange, 335
104. Game Day: Tennessee Football, 31
105. The Big Orange, 337
106. Vols gun down Auburn, 45–19 – Newspapers.com
107. The Big Orange, 338
108. The Big Orange, 338
109. Manning steals thunder to shock Tennessee 38–0 – Newspapers.com
110. Vols finally tree a clawing Cat – Newspapers.com
111. The Big Orange, 343-345
112. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 51
113. Big Orange Country, 40
114. Dr. Pat operates nicely as Vols go down, 36–23 – Newspapers.com
115. The Big Orange, 349
116. The Big Orange, 352
117. The Big Orange, 352
118. Big Orange Country, 30
119. Chip Kell
120. Sullivan finally whips Auburn past Vols 10–9 – Newspapers.com
121. Game Day: Tennessee Football, 75
122. The Big Orange, 353
123. Auburn does it to Tennessee again, but this time it’s an upset – Newspapers.com
124. Alabama drops Vols 17–10 in defensive classic – Newspapers.com
125. Game Day: Tennessee Football, 17
126. Quick-striking Vols muzzle Bengals’ late charge – Newspapers.com
127. Vols finally slip past tenacious Blue Devils – Newspapers.com
128. Tennessee stifles Auburn offense for 21–0 win – Newspapers.com
129. Jayhawks gamble and lose – Newspapers.com
130. Steele’s Kick Falls Short And Kentucky’s Hopes End – Newspapers.com
131. It’s Holloway to rescue in 20–17 Vol win – Newspapers.com
132. Vols’ rally ties Bruins, 17–17 – Newspapers.com
133. Tennessee’s surge nips Tigers, 29–28 – Newspapers.com
134. Tennessee ties fumbling Vandy in final 7 seconds – Newspapers.com
135. Late Tennessee touchdown beats Terps, 7–3 – Newspapers.com
136. Sciarra propels Bruins past Tennessee – Newspapers.com
137. Tide raps Vols, 30–7 – Newspapers.com
138. Vandy ends UT streak, 17–14 – Newspapers.com

1976: 6-5 (517-221-46) [341-87-20]

Tennessee had once again reached the level of successful mediocrity. They were doing well enough to be considered for bowl games, but had missed out in 1975 with their highest number of losses in a decade. 1976 started off on the wrong foot. Duke came to Knoxville and walked out 21-18 winners. A record crowd of over 82,000 fans witnessed the Blue Devils running up a 21-12 lead. Tennessee would claw back to bring the score to 21-18, but a failed fake play blew up in their faces, and sealed defeat.[1]

TCU was polite enough to fall 31-0 in Neyland Stadium, but Auburn came back to haunt Tennessee with a 38-28 loss for the Knoxville faithful. Clemson and Georgia Tech were defeated 21-19 and 42-7. The Tech win was some evidence the offense may be opening up more, but Tennessee had yet to score fewer than 18 points. The real struggle thus far was the defense, giving up 59 points in two losses, and barely holding back Clemson in a two point win.

Bama and Florida were played back-to-back, and both opponents were held to 20 points. But this was when the Vols offense finally sputtered. At home against Bama, in front of another crowd of over 82,000 spectators, Tennessee was only able to score one touchdown to go with two field goals in a loss.[2] Florida was a closer game, with Tennessee scoring twice in its first two drives. But the offense went into neutral from there while Florida woke up. The 20-18 loss was again in front of over 82,000 fans jammed into the seats of Neyland Stadium.[3]

While offense once again got going against Memphis State in a 21-14 win and Ole Miss in a 32-6 dismantling for Homecoming, Kentucky bottled up the UT ball carriers and receivers. The Wildcats only scored one touchdown, but it was enough for a 7-0 win, snapping an 11-game win streak in the series for UT. Thankfully for the Vols faithful, Vanderbilt was again defeated, but with a close final score of 13-10. This game was also at home with over 80,000 fans watching. The lone score for UT was a short pass followed by a long run for a touchdown of over 60 yards.[4]

While Larry Sievers earned another spot as a First Team All-American, though it was his teammate Stanley Morgan who was a first-round pick by the New England Patriots. Morgan would average over 19 yards per catch for his career with the Patriots and be inducted into their team Hall of Fame. Morgan had finished his Vols career with 36 touchdowns, a record until 1994, to go with over 1000 receiving yards and just shy of 2000 rushing yards.[5]

Individual accolades accounted for about the only real success the team enjoyed in 1976. The failures against Alabama, the continued trip ups against either Kentucky or Vanderbilt, Auburn frequently beating UT around, as well as the apparent misuse of Morgan who was a much better receiver than running back, led to Bill Battle’s tenure with UT to end with the conclusion of the 1976 season.

1977: 4-7 (521-228-46) [345-90-20]

There are times when a change is needed. Bill Battle had exceeded expectations in his first three seasons, but never reached the same heights in the following four. Even so, he won 28 games during the span of bad seasons, better than any four season stretch outside the start and close of the Neyland years. But the program appeared to have stagnated to a degree, and the team simply could not keep up with the likes of Alabama, and frequently fell victim to Auburn as well. It was time for new blood.

Well, not entirely new. The newly appointed coach was not only a familiar face, but also a family member of a group dubbed Tennessee’s First Football Family. He earned First Team All-American honors in 1956 after totalling over 1,100 yards on the season. He narrowly lost the Heisman to multi-threat Paul Hornung, the only time a player won the Heisman on a team with a losing record. His brother Bobby earned First Team All-American in 1971 after making over 100 tackles, and intercepting 10 balls the year prior. Coming to man the helm at Rocky Top was Johnny Majors.

Johnny was coming off an undefeated season where he won a National Championship and Coach of the Year honors with Pittsburgh, where he had been coaching since 1973. In taking over for a squad which had failed to go to a bowl game in two seasons, but having been to ten straight prior to that, expectations were high.

Majors’ team tripped right out of the gate. The Cal Golden Bears, who would end up losing four games, but all to conference opponents ranked as well or better than themselves, won in Neyland Stadium without much fanfare 27-17. Boston College was handled 24-18 at home, but then Auburn once again reared its head and won 14-12, still in Knoxville. The Tigers once again rallied to win, while also stopping three opportunities Tennessee had to score in the second half.[6]

Oregon State gave a reprieve from losing as UT handled them without difficulty 41-10. But next came a brutal stretch of games. Georgia Tech, Alabama, and Florida all beat the Vols by at least 10 points each. After an expected win over Memphis State, 27-14, Tennessee dropped games to Ole Miss 43-14 and Kentucky, 21-17. Tennessee scored first, had it tied up at 14-all, but just like Auburn, could not close the deal.[7] At least Vanderbilt was defeated 42-7.

Knoxville changed horses before the season with the hope the new coach would inspire positive change. Instead, Tennessee football won fewer games, set an ignoble record for most losses in a season with seven, and failed to earn All-American honors. They lost to Alabama and Auburn again, Ole Miss once again embarrassed them, and Kentucky got in on the beating as well, though it was one of the best UK squads in decades. Not the change the team was looking for.

1978: 5-5-1 (526-233-47) [349-92-21]

Johnny Majors first season as head coach was less than stellar. But progress is not always smooth. Majors had taken over a team which appeared in decline, so a drop in his first year may be justified. Even with this in mind, setting a program loss record two years running would immediately put him in the hot seat. Improvement was necessary.

Tennessee kicked off the 1978 season with four of five games at home. Top 10 UCLA, Top five Alabama, and Auburn were all included in that five-game opening. With the home field advantage, Tennessee fans could very reasonably expect a 3-2 start. Just under 86,000 fans appeared for the season opener against the Bruins, but the offense seemed to stay at home. UCLA won 13-0. The next week, another West Coast team, Oregon State, came to Tennessee. The previous year, the Beavers fell 41-10. In 1978, they would only win three games, and not a one by more than three points. But with 82,000 fans in attendance, the Beavers scored 13 points in the first half, and UT failed to score at all. The third quarter, both teams went scoreless. It wasn’t until the final five minutes of the game that UT’s offense finally moved. They scored at the end of an 80-yard drive with only about three minutes left. After attempting, and failing to recover, an onside kick, Tennessee forced, and recovered, a fumble, then hit a 44-yard touchdown pass to tie. An extra point would grab the lead, but the kicker missed to the right. It took an interception to end the Beaver’s ensuing drive, and the game ended deadlocked.[8]

Auburn once again defeated UT, making it three straight and the seventh time in the 70’s. Furthermore, they won 29-10, not even marking a close game. Thankfully Army rolled over for the Vols, and a game was finally won at home 31-13. The reprieve was short lived, however. Alabama came in the following week and crushed the Orange and White 30-17. Tennessee had won four in a row against the Tide from ’67-’70, but now Alabama was on an 8-game win streak. The article from the day claimed attendees only needed to pay “close attention for about 15 minutes” before the matter was settled. Tennessee only scored three points prior to nabbing two garbage time touchdowns to give the final score a decent appearance of respect. The Tide rolled over the UT defense for score after score.[9]

While Alabama would go on to win the AP National Championship, Tennessee fell further. They dropped their contest against a Mississippi State team which would eventually finish below them in the SEC. They also fell against No. 14 Notre Dame in South Bend. The Fighting Irish being a good squad was hardly comforting. The best outcome from this dismal season was a 4-1 finish. Prior to the loss to Notre Dame, Duke was beaten 34-0. After the trip to Indiana, Ole Miss was finally handled, and for Homecoming, 41-17. UK was easily beaten 29-14, and Vanderbilt fell against the UT team 41-15 in Nashville.

The 5-5-1 finish was at least an improvement over the previous year. But the losses to Auburn and Mississippi State combined with the draw with Oregon State stung. Tennessee’s defense frequently played well in wins, and the defense was commendable for holding UCLA to only 13. But the offense struggled early and often. Mississippi State was the only loss Tennessee scored more than 17. The team continued to struggle for consistent performances.

1979: 7-5 (533-238-47) [354-93-21]

For a team needing wins, scheduling multiple out of conference games against top 10 ranked teams at the start of the year is unwise. The 1979 season rectified this slightly by keeping Notre Dame on the schedule, as a top 10 ranked non-conference game, but eschewing UCLA for Utah, and keeping Boston College. However, Rutgers was also added. Though rarely ranked in the previous four seasons, the Scarlet Knights had a mere 8 losses over those years. On paper, the schedule looked easier, but it was likely just as challenging as 1977 or 1978.

The designed schedule worked as hoped to start. Boston College was beaten 28-16 in Boston. The next week, Utah came to Neyland Stadium and Tennessee had one of their best games in years. UT had not scored over 50 points since 1969 against Memphis State. And while Utah was able to score 18 points on the day, Tennessee totaled more than that in an eight-minute stretch of the second quarter to take a 21-10 lead into the halftime break. One minute into the third quarter and Tennessee had already scored on an 80-yard drive. Utah’s last score was when Tennessee already had over 40 points, and it was garbage time.[10]

Auburn was the next game. The Tigers gave up a score on a 98-yard kickoff return to Tennessee’s Gary Moore to start the game. Moore scored again in the second quarter on a 10-yard rush. The Tennessee defense led 28-10 when Auburn scored on a 52-yard run, but the defense held tight thereafter to give the game a 35-17 final, and breaking Auburn’s three game win streak in the series.[11]

Riding high with a three-game win streak, Tennessee headed to Memphis to play against Mississippi State. Tennessee bracketed the scoring on the day with a field goal to start the game and take a 3-0 lead, and a touchdown to close the game. In between, however, the Bulldogs clamped down on UT, and ruined the start of the season. State scored four touchdowns in upsetting Tennessee, which was finally ranked after a four-year hiatus.[12]

Tennessee got back some offense and defense the next week. Georgia Tech was beaten 31-0 to return some mojo, but Alabama smashed the Vols 27-17 in Birmingham yet again. Rutgers, so frequently unranked but consistently winning games, triumphed over UT in Knoxville for Homecoming 13-7. It was not with excitement or confidence the Vols welcomed the Irish to town.

Notre Dame made their first visit to Neyland Stadium for this game. After the game, Irish Coach Dan Devine claimed his team had an “inability to tackle and defend” on the day. Tennessee impressed the Bowl committees which were sent to scout Notre Dame while romping to a 40-18 victory. A record crowd of 86,489 saw Hubert Simpson tie a school record of four rushing scores. Notre Dame led first, scoring a touchdown but missing the PAT for a 6-0 lead. Tennessee scored seven in the first quarter, 23 in the second, and 10 in the third to win going away.[13]

With wins over Notre Dame and perennial hazard Auburn under their belts, Tennessee turned their attention to Ole Miss. They should have paid more attention. The Rebels once again pounded UT for a 44-20 embarrassment. But Kentucky and Vanderbilt both bowed down to UT, 20-17 and 31-10, to earn Tennessee a bowl invite again. Though the Rocky Top faithful witnessed a saddening 27-22 defeat to Purdue, UT at least rallied to make a game of things in the end.[14]

Not only did Tennessee return to the bowl world, but Roland James earned First Team All-American honors by forcing fumbles, picking passes, and returning punts. He was the first All-American of the Majors coaching era, but not the last by far.

1980: 5-6 (538-244-47) [356-98-21]

Whatever lessons Coach Majors had learned in 1979, regarding taking a slightly easier schedule to win a few more games, it did not carry over into 1980. Georgia, ranked 16th to open Tennessee’s season, scored a narrow 16-15 win over UT. The most dissatisfying part is the Vols led 15-0 in Neyland Stadium before collapsing late. Georgia was only able to muster 14 points from their offense, but the winning points came courtesy of a safety. It was freshman tailback Hersechel Walker who sparked the rout, carrying the Bulldogs for on his 220-lbs frame for both second half scores.[15] Georgia would remain undefeated and be the unanimous National Champion at season’s end.

Next, USC, ranked fifth, secured a narrow win over UT. Rocky Top was packed with over 95,000 fans for the second straight week only to witness defeat. A draw was in the making until USC kicked a time-expiring field goal for a 20-17 edge and the W. Marcus Allen scored to help the Trojans win and the Rocky Top team fumbled to lead to scoring opportunities for the visitors.[16]

Tennessee made a worthy go of salvaging their season. They scored successive wins over Washington State, 35-23, and Auburn, 42-0. After the turmoil and havoc the Tigers had caused for so long, it was a wonder UT had a win streak going, especially given Auburn was ranked. However, Auburn would only win a single SEC game on the year. Georgia Tech also fell to the Orange and White wave, 23-10, giving the Vols a winning record heading into their game against top ranked Alabama.

A record crowd of nearly 97,000 spectators attended the match. Tennessee had to wait until over halfway through the third quarter before they earned their seminal first down. In total, Tennessee had to muster everything they had for a mere 59 yards of offense. The Tide totaled for 383 by game’s end. Fittingly, Alabama’s 27th straight win was a 27-0 shutout over their rival.[17]

As could be expected, Tennessee snowballed. Pitt, Majors’ previous coaching position, stomped Tennessee in Knoxville 30-6. Virginia won 16-13, giving UT three straight home losses. Ole Miss once again took advantage of the Vols’ struggles, snagging a 20-9 victory, one of only two conference wins for the Rebels on the season. UK and Vanderbilt also bowed down, but that was hardly something to write home about. The two Tennessee rivals combined for only one SEC victory in 1980.

Tennessee was effectively in shambles. After playing hard in two opening losses, they collapsed against stiffer competition. Their three conference wins were against teams who went for a combined 1-17 conference record. The team earned no bowl consideration, and was once again without All-Americans.

1981: 8-4 (545-248-47) [362-98-21]

After season number four under Johnny Majors saw the progress of 1979 disappear, season five required a rebound. No matter the past connection with a school as a player, consistent failures as a coach should not be tolerated. For the second season in a row, Tennessee opened up with back-to-back games against top 10 ranked Georgia and USC. Herschel Walker, who finished 3rd in Heisman voting as a freshman after rushing for over 1600 yards and 15 scores, was the leading force for the Bulldogs as a true sophomore. The running back played like a demon, rushing for 161 yards on 30 carries, not counting a 47 yard score negated by penalty. Georgia’s defense did even better. The final, a 44-0 blowout, could have been even worse.[18]

Against USC, Tennessee at least scored. Torn apart by another future NFL star, Marcus Allen scored four times and ran for over 200 yards in two minutes more than a half of play. He was pivotal in leading the Trojans to a win. Three quarterbacks attempted to lead the team to points, but only a single touchdown was scored by UT. USC managed 43. To highlight the disparity, USC earned 532 yards to UT’s 159.[19]

A month later, Tennessee sparred with Alabama, once again to disastrous effect. Bama doubled up UT’s score, winning 38-19. The Tide offense was described as a monsoon in their destruction of the Orange and White defense. The game review made mention of it being Bear Bryant’s 311th career win, “and surely there are some frustrated Vol rooters who feel he legendary skipper may win 311 more before Tennessee snaps the string of Crimson Tide victories over the Big Orange.”[20]

Kentucky also repeated the feat of doubling UT’s score by winning 21-10 over the Vols in late November. UK would finish the year at a dismal 3-8, but the Wildcats were too much for Tennessee. Tennessee led first with a field goal, and scored on a big play touchdown pass for over 60 yards thereafter. But then the cats got out and ran up 21 unanswered points for the win. Even with the dismal loss, Tennessee had done enough to earn a bowl invitation.[21]

Rocky Top earned the bowl invitation by winning a big non-conference difference over Colorado State. The Vols handled the out of state team 42-0. Auburn followed, and the faithful fans in Neyland Stadium were treated to a scare. While UT kicked a field goal for the first points, Auburn came back the next quarter for a touchdown, and the lead. Auburn put the ball on the ground five times on the day, but Tennessee was only able to grab one of them. It was enough for a touchdown of their own. But come the fourth quarter, the Tigers started marching. Auburn drove 15 plays to the six yard line. But that was as far as they got. Time ran out before another play was run, and Tennessee earned the narrow win.[22]

Georgia Tech perfectly replicated the 10-7 score, with Tennessee once again came out on top. Memphis State was turned away 28-9. Wichita State, played for the first time, was an exciting Homecoming opponent with a 24-21 win. Tennessee needed a second half rally to take a lead, and then won out on their kicker’s foot after Wichita State tied things up with a touchdown and two-point conversion.[23]

The Rebels were beaten 28-20, a far too narrow victory given Ole Miss again only scrounged a single SEC win. And following the Kentucky loss, Vanderbilt followed. The Commodores had a lot going offensively, as did Tennessee. UT scored 38 in the game, but Vanderbilt nipped at their heels all day. The Commodores scored a late touchdown with a chance to draw within three points. Commodore Coach George MacIntyre skipped the easy points for a two-point try, which failed. When Vandy got the ball back, it required a touchdown to win. Their attempts fell short, and UT was able to hang on for an exciting 38-34 win.[24]

To end their season, Tennessee traveled to New Jersey to play in Giants Stadium against the Wisconsin Badgers. But the Badgers, perennially ground-and-pound football teams with beefy offensive lines and big, powerful running backs, seemed to be plagued in the 80’s with the same problems they are plagued with now; they don’t have the horses to keep up. “Tennessee’s Speed Burns Wisconsin” was the title of the game summary. Willie Gault, a 1980 Olympic competitor, and Anthony Hancock provided highlights all day. Hancock caught 11 passes for 197 yards. Gault scored a dazzling 87-yard touchdown on a return. Both set bowl records for their performances. Tennessee was back to winning bowls.[25]

1982: 6-5-1 (552-253-48) [367-99-21]

Tennessee in 1981 had experienced a successful season. Though Rocky Top experienced losses to three ranked opponents who all were in contention for the National Title, it was only the loss to Kentucky which was really unexpected. And only Alabama had really run away with the game. A Bowl win was also a mark of success, and gave Coach Majors some breathing room.

The breaths started coming in ragged gasps right away for this Vols team. The Duke Blue Devils came with plans to spoil the season opener for the Orange and White. Duke got help along the way with a school record 88-yard touchdown pass. A 100 yard kick return score highlighted the big play ability of the Devils. Tennessee’s Alan Cockrell played a fantastic game at the quarterback position, completing 20 of 25 passes and averaging nearly 10 yards per attempt. But the ball bounced Duke’s way just enough. On one scoring drive for the Blue Devils, a fumbled Duke ball bounced out of bounds as it was being wrapped up by the Vols, so Duke kept it. Moments later, a Vols defender got both hands on a pass, but dropped it. In the end, Duke spoiled the opener 25-24.[26]

Tennessee next won over Iowa State at home 23-21, only to drop a game against Auburn, of course, 24-14. Tennessee next traded a win over Washington State in Knoxville with a tie to 14th ranked LSU. The game was played in Baton Rouge, and Tennessee nearly pulled out the win. Kicker Faud Reveiz missed a 52-yard attempt, a distance he had made from earlier in the game to force the tie. The miss left two seconds on the clock, and the Tigers tried for a desperation heave, but UT intercepted the ball on their own 20 to end the game.[27]

The following game was Alabama. Ranked second in the nation, Alabama had just routed Penn State 42-21, but was played tough by Vanderbilt, winning a narrow 24-21 decision. But Alabama’s momentum was rolling well, and they were looking to extend their series record 11 game win streak. Tennessee wasn’t without weapons. Willie Gault, the Olympian, was able to score from over 50 yards out on a pass from Alan Cockrell. Chuck Coleman was able to average just under 7 yards per attempt on 20 carries, and also scored a touchdown from nearly 40 yards out. But Alabama led 21-13 at the half. Bear Bryant’s squad was considered by some the best he ever had. But after the half, the UT defense came on strong. Twice the Crimson offense put the ball on the ground, and both times in scoring range. Defensive leader Reggie White came up with a blocked field goal. With the game on the line, and Alabama driving for a touchdown in the final minute, UT corralled an interception off a tipped ball in their own endzone, and secured the victory.[28] It would end up being the last game Coach Bear Bryant coached against UT.

The celebration could have lasted all year. It likely lasted at least all week, because Georgia Tech beat the Vols down 31-21 to end the honeymoon period with Tech’s defense strangling the offense from the outset. Fortunately, the Orange and White came back with wins at Homecoming over Memphis State, 29-3, at pesky Ole Miss 30-17, and walked away from Kentucky 28-7 victors. But this time Vanderbilt got the best of UT. Tennessee had already accepted a Peach Bowl invitation, and Vanderbilt had little to lose. They played deep ball with their passing game and Vandy’s QB completed 24 or 42 passes for 391 yards. Vanderbilt won on a 1-yard plunge after a 65-yard bomb with less than three minutes remaining.[29]

Tennessee ended the season with a matchup against another Big Ten school. After beating Wisconsin with speed in 1981, they faced Iowa in Atlanta. But Iowa proved tougher than UW Madison, and the Hawkeyes walked away 28-22 victors. Tennessee garnered two First Team All-American players in Willie Gault as well as Jimmy Colquitt. Gault was a double star, setting multiple records in Track and Field and earning six SEC crowns and two NCAA Championships on the track. He also set a dozen school records for football. A prolific return man, he also set Conference records, mainly with his return skills.[30]

1983: 9-3 (561-256-48) [371-102-21]

Tennessee football under Coach Majors was a grab bag. While his first year had obviously been his least successful record wise, his teams had continued to perform with consistent inconsistency. Losses to superior foes have always been acceptable, but hanging tough and showing promise during such losses is helpful. Even grabbing a win or pushing the opponent to the brink was a good sign. However, frequently losing a few games just about every season to teams who were unranked and non-threatening before the contest had become a staple of the Majors era.

1983 opened with another game against a top 10 ranked opponent. Pittsburgh came to Rocky Top to face their former head coach after grabbing a 30-6 win in 1980. Tennessee and Pitt both brought defense to the game. In the first half, the Panthers were held scoreless and looked about rudderless, while UT was able to make a 49-yard field goal in the second quarter. But special teams did little thereafter to help the Orange and White with two misses of over 50 yards, including a 57-yarder which hit the crossbar and bounded out. Tennessee led 3-0 at the hald, though. Halfway through the third quarter, the dams broke, and Pitt scored a touchdown on a 56-yard pass play to take the lead. Two field goals followed to give Pittsburgh a 13-3 win and a 2-0 series lead.[31] To make matters worse, the loss was the program’s 100th home defeat.

New Mexico was next up and UT did what they were supposed to; handle and beat a weaker opponent. The Lobos went down 31-6. Auburn was less accommodating. The Tigers put UT in the corner and beat them up. Neither team scored in the first quarter, but Auburn started taking an advantage in each frame moving forward. Auburn had a 10-7 advantage in the second quarter, 6-0 in the third, and an 18-7 edge in the final 15 minutes of play, spurred by an 81-yard punt return.[32] As a consolation, Auburn would be named National Champion and end the season with a Sugar Bowl win over Michigan.

The Citadel was used as a “get right” game, and UT won 45-6 before inviting LSU to town in preparation for Alabama the week following. LSU could not find their A-game all season, and would fail to win against any conference opponent. Tennessee won 20-6. The Tide, played in Alabama, had lost the week previously to Penn State, 34-28, but had scored at least 40 points in their previous three wins.

Alabama got some breaks going their way when an option play by the Vols offense was miscommunicated: the quarterback and running back went in opposite directions, and the pitched ball fell to the ground for an easy Tide pick up in field goal range, leading to points for Alabama. Facing a 34-31 deficit, Coach Majors made a peculiar call; on a 3rd-and-24, his punter came out and booted a 55-yarder to pin Bama on its own 11. When they could make no progress, they kicked back, putting UT in a good position, resulting in a game tying field goal. Tennessee’s defense again flexed some late strength in stopping the ensuing Tide drive, and Bama kicked back. UT was on their own 27-yard line with a few minutes remaining. They could take their time, move forward, and kick a field goal to win. But Majors called the option play again, this time to the right, but UT QB Alan Cockrell decided it should go left, and checked it at the line. Fortunately, running back Johnnie Jones got the message, took the pitch, and ran 66 yards for a touchdown and a 41-34 win.[33]

Buoyed by success, Tennessee routed Georgia Tech 37-3, then avenged their loss to Rutgers with a 7-0 win. But Ole Miss spoiled Homecoming 13-10. At least Ole Miss was a better team this year, and they did not obliterate UT as had so frequently happened before. Kentucky and Vanderbilt were also beaten by 10 points each to give the Knoxville faithful an 8-3 team bound for the Florida Citrus Bowl against 16th ranked Maryland.

The Terps had only lost to #20 West Virginia, #3 Auburn, and #17 Clemson. As UT was unranked, Maryland fans likely felt safe. But Johnnie Jones, the first UT rusher to gain over 1,000 yards on the ground in a single season, with 1,116 in the regular season, gained 154 in the bowl game. Maryland All-Time great Boomer Esiason was knocked out of the game early with a separated throwing shoulder, and the game had a burst of four touchdowns in less than 10 minutes in the second half as well as having seven lead changes. Tennessee came out on top 30-23 over the ACC Champions.[34]

1983 was the most wins in a season since Bill Battle’s third year. A loss to Ole Miss aside, the team met each challenge well, and National Champion Auburn was the only team to run away, and it took until the fourth quarter. The individual accolades for UT players included Jimmy Colquitt earning his second straight First Team All-American, breaking his Uncle Craig’s school records for punting. Joining him was defensive standout and 2002 Hall of Fame inductee, Reggie White.[35] The man who would one day be known as the Minister of Defense set a school record with 15 sacks on the season in addition to 72 unassisted tackles. He hit triple digit tackles on the season, a remarkable feat for a lineman, and was named SEC’s Player of the Year.[36]

1984: 7-4-1(568-260-49) [375-104-22]

Success breeds success. This is a phrase which has been used through the years to help explain why some people seem to just win or achieve everything, or momentum in a sports contest. Those who cheered in Orange and White on Saturdays in the fall hoped this saying would hold true for their team following the best season in a decade for the Volunteers.

Even without The Bear prowling Alabama’s sidelines, the SEC was a strong conference. By season’s end, four teams would be ranked in the top 20 nationally. These ranked opponents beat up on each other within the conference, preventing any from making any serious run for the National crown. And UT was caught in the middle. Tennessee opened with three home games in a row, and were able to go 2-0-1 to start. Washington State and Utah were beaten 34-27 and 27-21, but Tennessee’s points scored dropped each week and Army drew with the Vols 24-up.

Auburn and Florida, both ranked, were up back-to-back against Tennessee. Both won. The Tigers ran away 29-10 and though Tennessee increased their scoring from the previous week for the first time all season, Florida still scampered to a fairly relaxing 43-30 win. While little consollation, Auburn had been ranked #1 in the preseason polls, and Florida finished the season undefeated in the SEC, and with a single draw to LSU.

Following these successive defeats, Tennessee matched up against Alabama. In an exciting affair, Alabama took a 27-13 lead with under ten minutes left. After tying up at 10 a piece in the first half, the Crimson Tide had seemingly worn down and worn out the Orange defense. But the offense had done little most of the day as well, with only a single touchdown halfway through the final quarter. But Tony Robinson took charge of the Vols playmakers and led the team on a 70 yard touchdown drive to get within seven points. The defense was able to make a stand, as well, with good swarming, tackling, and defending the pass as well, leading to a Bama punt. A freshman, Andre Creamer, was back to return on the Vols side of the field. He corralled the kick, and sprinted all the way to the Crimson 11 yard line. Four plays later, Tennessee was an easy kick away from the tie. But Johnny Majors opted for some trickery, and a fake pitch allowed Robinson to run in for two, and a 28-27 lead. Tennessee not only held on for the victory, but tore down the goal posts in celebration, much as they did in 2022.[37]

Georgia Tech was another nail biter, and Tennessee came to be reliant on their kicking game. The newspaper account of the game stated “Johnny Majors would rather go to war without a gun than play football without a solid kicking game.” Jimmy Colquitt averaged over 60 yards per punt, and Fuad Reveiz became UT’s all-time scoring leader on the day. Georgia Tech and Tennessee both benefitted from good production from their Quarterbacks, with Tony Robinson contributing both a running and a passing touchdown on the day. But with less than a minute to go, it was Reveiz who won the day by converting his 14th consecutive kick.[38]

Memphis State was easily dispatched for Homecoming, and Ole Miss, so frequently a stumbling block for UT, was similarly beaten by a comfortable margin. In both games, Tennessee scored 41 points, and Memphis State and Ole Miss combined for 26. Kentucky was up next to bat.

UK had lost three of their previous five games. Each loss was to a ranked team, and their wins were against North Texas State and Vanderbilt, who combined for a total of seven wins on the season. Tennessee had decent enough reason to expect to win, but the Wildcats were up to scrap. Largely carried by tailback George Adams, who scored both UK touchdowns on the day, it once again was a kicker who won the game. UK’s Joe Wortley chipped in a kick from 34 yards out, giving Kentucky a 5-point lead, and pressuring Tennessee. They needed a touchdown to win. While UT was able to drive down and nearly score, time ran out on them, and Kentucky won for the second time in four years, and their first win at Neyland Stadium in nearly a decade.[39]

Tennessee ended the season on a poor note. While they got past Vanderbilt without trouble, Maryland tripped them in the bowl game. Despite shutting out Maryland in the first half while scoring 21 points themselves, and even with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown in the third quarter, Maryland surged beyond containment in the second half, and won by a single point. Tony Robinson sadly fumbled away the chance of victory 25 yards from the Maryland endzone, and the Terrapins held the ball the rest of the game.[40]

By many accounts, it was a season with success. Despite a faltering finish, and a stumbling start against teams who experienced better records than Tennessee on the year, UT still went bowling. Also, Bill Mayo earned First Team All-American honors as a guard, who started a then school record of 46 games, and was pivotal in aiding running back Johnny Jones earning 1290 rushing yards on the year. Tony Robinson broke the school record for season completion percentage record set by his head coach nearly 30 years previous, and was within 60 yards of the season passing yardage record. Tim McGee set the school record for catches in a season. For most other programs, 1984 would be a successful season. For a school with the history of UT, the year felt like the barest minimum of acceptable.

1985: 9-1-2 (577-261-51) [380-104-24]

Johnny Majors was facing the prospect of needing to continue improvement. His squads had fought hard, but come up short too many times for acceptance. Tennessee had talent abounding on the team, and though the gauntlet of games facing the Vols was daunting, UT was craving sustained success. But the first opponent was going to be tough.

UCLA was led by Terry Donahue, who had coached the Bruins since 1976. Entering his tenth season at the helm, he was two wins shy of the program record for coaching wins, as well as being the only coach in the nation with three straight New Years Day bowl victories.[41] Things kicked off well for UCLA as they got past defending National Champion BYU in a 27-24 game before visiting Knoxville.

Things were not looking quite so rosy for UT as they were going to be without their starting cornerback, and were pressed to start their fifth-year Senior Chris White, who had never made a start in his college career before. This against All-Americans across the Bruin team, and a history of record setting success from the Quarterbacks, who were passing to a pair of future NFL receivers who were setting school records for receptions and yards. To add insult to possible injury, a Chattanoga native was anchoring the linebacker group.[42] Chris White faced this daunting offensive juggernaut, but kept his composure. He was able to intercept three Bruin passes, playing a pivotal role in tying with UCLA to open the season.[43]

UT took a week off after their opening tilt, and good thing, too. They were facing the Bo Jackson led Auburn Tigers next. Auburn was ranked #1 in the nation following a lofty pre-season status of #2, and dispatching two teams by 11 and 42 points to start the year. Jackson, considered by some to be the greatest pure athlete in NFL history, and was on his way to winning the Heisman. But in 1985, Tennessee did more than enough to stifle the Tiger offense. While the Vols were able to score 38 points on the day, Auburn didn’t earn a point until the final frame, and were losers at the final whistle, with UT winning 38-20.

Tennessee was able to squeak past Wake Forest 31-29, but then stumbled against the Florida Gators. Running back Neal Anderson was the engine of the Gators team. He rushed for his 3th career 100-yard game, a team record, and scored two touchdowns, bringing his career total to 24 runs, another school record, after setting the rushing yardage record the previous week. The game was considered over when Tony Robinson’s pass was tipped and intercepted within the final two minutes of the game. But the Gators defense has been playing phenomenal ball, with Tennessee’s TD being the only one in the previous 2 ½ games, and the Gators’ skipper, Galen Hall, remains undefeated at 12-0-1.[44]

The prospect of winning a fourth straight game over Alabama encouraged the Vols following their loss to Florida. Tony Robinson was guiding the Big Orange offense to a ho-hum day, but as the fourth quarter started, they led the Crimson Tide 16-7. But Cornelius Bennett put an end to Robinson’s day, and season, when he hit the QB for a loss. Mike Shula, the Tide QB, took advantage, and led a quick scoring drive with big pass completions to draw the game closer, 16-14. A game winning kick was of course the end result, with Bama booting a 61-yard attempt for the win. Despite an interception almost ending the Tide hopes, they played tough defense and put themselves in position to win, but the kick missed, and Vols were victors of four straight.[45]

Buoyed with hope, but missing their quarterback, Tennessee stumbled against Georgia Tech, drawing 6-6. But Tennessee was all but uncontested the rest of their season. Rutgers was hosted, and sent home with a 40-0 shut out. UT traveled to Memphis State for a closer 17-7 win, but cam home to pound Ole Miss 34-14. Kentucky was blasted 42-0, and Tim McGee, who would set the school record for career receptions and yards, would pull down three touchdown grabs in the game. Vanderbilt was likewise swatted away with ease, 30-0.

Due to Florida being deemed ineligible, Tennessee was named SEC champions, their first since Doug Dickey was coaching the Vols in the 60’s. The success earned Rocky Top the ignoble honor of facing off against the Jimmy Johnson coached Miami Hurricanes, ranked #2 in the nation. With future NFL stars at every level of the Canes team, it was a foregone conclusion Tennessee would be folded and put up wet by the superior Miami team. The final score was a convincing 35-7 drubbing, but it was Miami which was the loser. Daryl Dickey, the replacement quarterback for Tony Robinson, started off a comeback in the second quarter. Vinny Testaverde had thrown a touchdown to Michael Irvin in the first quarter, but Miami did nothing beneficial thereafter. Dickey threw a touchdown of his own to draw even, the defense got seven sacks and six turnovers, including a nation leading ninth interception by injury replacement turned First Team All-American Chris White, and the Big Orange were winners on a big stage once again.[46]

Tim McGee earned First Team All-American Honors alongside Chris White. Tennessee only lost once, to a powerhouse Florida team, and UT won a New Years’ Day Bowl game against an overwhelming foe in overwhelming fashion.

1986: 7-5 (584-266-51) [384-107-24]

Johnny Majors was a legendary player for Tennessee. He was a National Championship coach just prior to returning to UT, and won his first SEC Championship as skipper. He had compiled a record of 60-40-4 in 9 years of coaching, and against stiff competition. In his tenure as coach through the 1985 season, no fewer than two SEC teams had finished the season ranked, and more often than not at least three teams were ranked. Due to the level of competition, stringing together improving seasons had proven difficult. The only time Majors’ had improved on his win total in consecutive seasons had been after his first season, when he improved by one win , then two wins. It had become a theme of the Majors era that success needed to be compounded.

Tennessee started off well with a home win over New Mexico. The Aggies were hardly stiff competition, though, and the 35-21 win did little to improve the national view of UT. However, the next week provided a permanent perception from the poll voters on UT. Mississippi State could do little to slow down Tennessee rusher William Howard. Described as “a 235-pound bowling ball disguised as a tailback” and “a bulldozer” by Bulldogs linebacker Jerry Leggett, the Vols running back had 34 attempts on the day, scoring three times and covering 184 yards. Mississippi State couldn’t get out of their own way, being penalized over 100 yards on a back breaking 14 flags. But even though the visiting Quarterback only completed half his passes, he averaged nearly 8 yards an attempt, threw three touchdowns, and even ran 14 times for over 100 yards, and another score. Tennessee, ranked 8th going into the game, fell out of the polls entirely following their narrow 27-23 loss.[47]

With a chance at redemption, UT traveled to Auburn to take on the Bo Jackson-less Tigers. Tennessee played a marvelous game the previous year, and had the opportunity to win again. Auburn was being talked down by sports media due to lack of strong competition, despite their wins. To get a win, what most likely needed improvement was their defense, which was on a 2 game streak of giving up at least 400 yards. Against Auburn, Tennessee only surrendered 61 yards through the air on 6-10 passes. But they got torn up on the ground, as the Tigers backfield ran amuck for over 350 yards. The game was a lopsided defeat for the Big Orange, and the 34-8 loss was an insurmountable impediment to being ranked again in 1986.[48]

UTEP, again a weak opponent, was best 26-16, but even Army was too much for Tennessee to overcome. Despite a 21-7 lead going into the fourth quarter, and an interception with less than a minute and half to go while holding a lead, Tennessee found a way to lose. Coach Majors noted Murphy’s Law in reference to a blocked punt returned for a touchdown as the deciding play. It swung the game from a three point lead for UT with barely over 30 seconds to play to a disastrous 25-21 lead, and eventual final score favoring the Cadets.[49]

And though Bama had been beaten by Tennessee for 4 years in a row, The Tide rolled hard against UT in 1986, doubling them over with a 56-28 win. Georgia Tech earned a win as well, with Carlos Reveiz, described as “automatic,” slipped on a potential game winning kick. Instead of winning 16-14, Tennessee went home losers, 14-13.[50]

Tennessee was able to end the season well. They blasted Memphis State, 33-3, beat 20th ranked Ole Miss 22-10, easily dispatched Kentucky 28-9, and Vanderbilt, mostly an afterthought by this time in the rivalry, was beaten 35-20. The best game for Tennessee was almost certainly their victory over Ole Miss. The Rebels were ranked, easily seen as the better SEC team, UT had yet to grab a win in conference, and the Rebels scored a touchdown on their first possession to take a quick 7-0 lead. The defense finally stepped up when really needed; against a good team. Tennessee was trailing after the first half ended, but both the offense and defense improved tremendously after the break. Ole Miss was held to merely 60 yards and 3 points on 10 total offensive plays. William Howard, who rushed so well against Mississippi State, had fallen to fourth string fullback by the Ole Miss game, but ran the ball 16 times in a row for Tennessee to salt away the game and earn a win.[51]

The latter portion of the Vols’ season was successful enough to sneak into a Bowl game against Minnesota. Lou Holtz had left the Gophers after the previous year to coach the Fighting Irish, and interim-turned-head coach, John Gutekunst, had led his team to a 6-5 regular season record. Not great at all, but it was actually the second best season in nearly a decade. The game was short on fireworks, but it was still an exciting game at the end. After scoring 14 points in the first half, Tennessee took a 14-3 lead into the locker rooms. The Gophers defense got even better in the second half, and UT was prevented from scoring until after Minnesota tied the game up 14-all in the 4th. Tennessee got the ball moving again just after the tying field goal. They drove 66 yards in barely two minutes, and scored on a passing touchdown to Joey Clinkscales. With over 11 minutes left in the game, UT had to play defense to hold on for the win.[52]

There were some real low points in the 1986 season. The plastering from Bama was embarrassing, as was getting destroyed by Auburn. The losses to Mississippi State and Georgia Tech were more than troublesome. There were also no First Team All-American picks from the UT squad. But the season was not entirely a failure. Majors’ was able to lead a serviceable second half of the season rebound, complete with Bowl victory, to salvage what could have been an unmitigated disaster. A factual point could also be made about the 1986 season. While no coach in UT history still has even coached as many games as General Neyland, and especially not approached the total seasons as head coach, Johnny Majors’ uninterrupted streak of ten seasons at the helm earned him the longest tenure as head coach in UT program history.

1987: 10-2-1 (594-268-52) [390-107-25]

In the DVD “Blue Collar Comedy Tour” from 2003, Ron White is telling a story about being arrested for being drunk in public. He then interrupts the story to give some background by telling a story from when he was much younger and arrested for being… drunk… in public. Fellow comedian Jeff Foxworthy states “There seems to be a pattern here.” Rocky Top faithful must have had a similar feeling. As has been stated, the Vols team under Johnny Majors had been consistently up then down, never stacking successful seasons, but avoiding consecutive seasons of increasing losses. With such patterns in place, the Orange clad Knoxville fans could anticipate at least an 8 win campaign.

Tennessee’s year started with an extra game. It took nearly 15 seasons before UT played their first football game in September, and almost another 10 before playing their second September game. It had taken nearly a century for them to play their first varsity game in August. Called the Kickoff Classic, it was played August 30th against Iowa, and was the lone game heralding in the new season. Iowa wound up being a good team. Iowa’s quarterback was Mark McGuire’s little brother, but it did not serve him all that well that day. Iowa was on the precipice of a touchdown in the second quarter, and McGuire ran outside on an option play. The play wasn’t just blown up, but UT linebacker Darrin Miller intercepted the ball at the Tennessee 4-yard line. Teammate Terry McDaniel made a heads up decision to run interference without actually blocking to avoid a penalty, and Miller ran 96 yards for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead. Tennessee running back Reggie Cobb also earned 133 yards on the day, but still UT was trailing halfway through the fourth quarter. Kicker Phil Reich kicked a game winning field goal with only 8 seconds remaining in the game to win.[53]

Colorado State and Mississippi State were the next two slated teams. With neither ranked, the expectation was for Tennessee to win, and hopefully win big. In this case, expectations may have even been exceeded. Colorado State visited Knoxville, and were the unfortunate recipients of a 49-3 whalloping. Mississippi State played host to UT in Starkville, and the Vols started slow on offense, but were great on defense. At half, they led 10-0, and an explosion of points in the last two quarters brought the final to 38-10 in favor of the Knoxville team. Johnny Majors mentioned explicitly the combined efforts of defense forcing fumbles and running back Reggie Cobb’s gaining “more maturity in cutting, continuing to give the second effort and just playing very well in only his freshman year.” Terry McDaniel, the player Majors referenced with forcing fumbles who was timed at a 6.15 second 60 yard dash, chased down a State ball carrier from behind, relying on his speed to catch up, but was just as quick to diagnose the location of the ball, and recognize an opportunity to knock it out.[54]

Knoxville played host to Auburn next. The Tigers were ranked third in the nation, and this game had just about every indication it could turn into a slugfest. Again, expectations were met. Auburn was buoyed and Tennessee partially sunk by special teams. While Auburn was able to convert both field goal attempts, both from over 50 yards, Tennessee’s kicker only converted two of his four kicks. By one description, UT’s kicker missed “wide left by about 20 yards.” Reggie Cobb was once again the offensive machine, scoring two touchdowns for Tennessee, and pulling the team back from defeat to draw with Auburn.[55]

Tennessee was able to stay home for their next game and play host to the Cal Bears. It was, once again, an easy victory. After winning 38-12, Tennessee had to feel confident in visiting Alabama for their annual Third Saturday in October game. Tennessee was able to grab more first downs than the Crimson Tide, but 4 thrown interceptions doomed UT. But Alabama was also getting big production from their passing game, averaging 22.9 yards per completion. Bama also rushed 53 times for 237 yards compared to Tennessee’s 28 attempts for a measly 68 yards. Alabama had 28 points before Tennessee’s first score, and coasted to a dominant 41-22 win.[56]

Tennessee traded a two touchdown win against Georgia Tech at home with a two point loss to Boston College in Massachusetts. Tennessee lost both the fumble battle and interception battle to lose by less than a field goal. But Rocky Top rallied for huge wins over Louisville, 41-10, and Ole Miss, 55-13. Tennessee only needed to get past Kentucky and Vanderbilt to end the regular season.

UK wasn’t going to lay down, though. Despite a paltry 1-4 SEC record to that point, the Wildcats came out swinging. UK seized a 17-7 lead in the first half. Tennessee was able to draw closer by the break to make it 17-14, but Kentucky scored again in the third to make it 20-14. After a responding field goal, Tennessee drove down for a leading touchdown, their first lead of the game. Kentucky took off marching, though. A quick 7 yard pass was followed by a 17 yard run. A false start moved them back five, a sack lost 12, and then UK threw a possibly game ending interception. However, Tennessee was flagged for pass interference, and UK retained the ball. Kentucky continued to move the ball well, getting down to the Vols 5-yard line. A pitch gained 3 yards, but another run was stuffed for no gain. Another run gained one, but UK burned up their final two timeouts to keep a chance to win. On fourth down, from one yard out, UK running back Higgs, who rushed for close to 150 yards, took his 30th carry of the day, and was stuffed. With little time left, UT burned through a few runs before taking a deep snap on a punt and running out of bounds for a safety to win 24-22. Reggie Cobb was again the offensive leader, gaining 144 yards on 26 attempts, and never losing a yard.[57]

Vanderbilt awaited as the final game. And it kicked off much the same as Alabama. The Commodores ran out to a quick 28-3 lead. Tennessee was able to claw back to get within 28-18 by halftime, but the start had been disastrous. Reggie Cobb’s 145 rushing yards were the big catalyst for Tennessee’s offense. He earned more than one and a half yards per passing yard on the day. And in the second half, the tide stayed with UT. After closing the first half on an 18-10 run, Tennessee kept up the fireworks. They scored 35 straight against Vandy, and a late Commodore touchdown was not enough to keep pace. UT won, 38-36.[58]

Tennessee ended up matched up against and 8-3 Indiana squad in the Peach Bowl. The Hoosiers had started the season 6-1, with the loss being to Kentucky, 34-15. Their season ended poorly, however, as they lost games to Iowa and Michigan State, the top two teams in conference with a combined 13-2-1 Big Ten record, along with wins against Illinois and Purdue. Against Tennessee, Indiana fell behind quickly. Tennessee raced out, taking a 21-3 lead, but the Hoosiers notched a touchdown before half, then scored another in the 3rd quarter, and another in the final quarter, taking a 22-21 lead, due to a pair of failed two-point conversion attempts. Reggie Cobb was the Vols workhorse for the final time this season, rushing 21 times for 151 yards and two scores. Vols QB Jeff Francis was highly efficient. He completed 20 of 26 passes, with a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions. Indiana, in contrast, was less than stellar, to be kind. Their leading passer went 18-33 with 2 picks and a score, and their leading rusher gained 73 yards on 18 carries with a single endzone visit. In the end, efficiency won out. Reggie Cobb scored his second touchdown in the final quarter, and a 27-22 lead. A pick on the ensuing Hoosier drive put the nail in the coffin, and “Tennessee closed the 1987 season the way it began way back in August, posting a come from behind win over a Big Ten rival.”[59]

Tennessee not only won a bowl game to earn 10 wins on the season, but they also made a return to the First Team All-American team. Guard Harry Galbreath earned the honor, though he was also the last Vol drafted in the 1988 draft, behind Terry McDaniel and Anthony Miller as first rounders, co-guard John Bruhin in the 4th round, and William Howard, a back-up running back, in the 5th. An 8th rounder, Harry did outplay Bruhin, despite the lower draft status, and earned a spot on the All-Rookie team, playing nearly 100 more games and starting 125 more.

1988: 5-6 (599-274-52) [392-111-25]

With a season ending in glowing success, the Vols headed into the 1988 season with excitement and hope, but also trepidation. Rocky Top fans would be well served being cautiously optimistic for the ‘88 season. Game one was against #12 ranked Georgia. Games against top ten ranked LSU and Auburn were in the first two months, and, as always, Alabama loomed large near the end of October. That made four games which, at best, Tennessee could reasonably be considered the underdog or a toss up.

In order to not dwell on bad times by giving all the details, it suffices to state UT lost every one of those games, which included both LSU and Bama at home. Georgia literally ran away with their game. They amassed 421 rushing yards, including a 200 yard rusher, on only 23 attempts, a 144 yard rusher, and another runner who gained 60 yards. While Jeff Francis passed for over 350 yards for UT, he also was intercepted twice with no touchdown passes. Running back Reggie Cobb was stifled on the ground, but was the leading UT receiver with 6 catches for 82 yards.[60] LSU and Auburn both left UT in the dust. Tennessee lost 34-9 to LSU, not scoring until they were down 24-0 in the 3rd quarter.[61] Against Auburn, UT never made it into the endzone, gave up a 21 point 3rd quarter, and lost an embarrassing 38-6 game.[62] The Vols never led against the Crimson Tide, either, and though they drew closer, they still needed a late comeback to even make it a respectable 28-20 loss.[63]

To make matters worse, Tennessee also dropped both games to non-conference foes in the opening weeks. Duke, a middling team at best, squeezed out a 31-26 win in Knoxville. Washington State, however, blew Tennessee away at Neyland Stadium, more than doubling up the Vols, 52-24.

As October came to an end, Tennessee was a terrible 0-6. The defense had been abysmal. The fewest points UT had given up after six weeks had been 28. If Tennessee was to have anything close to a defensible season, the team needed to stop hemorrhaging points. As a sign of improvement, Memphis State may have supplied a get right game. Tennessee scored their largest point total of the season while also allowing their lowest total in a 38-25 win. A game against Boston College, who upset UT the previous year, was an even better defensive performance, but even with a measly 10 points scored, the Vols won 10-7. Ole Miss was again defeated, 20-12, and Kentucky provided another win, a fairly ho hum 28-24 contest. Kentucky came on late, but couldn’t catch up to UT.

Vanderbilt, typically a bit of a pushover in the Johnny Majors Era, was again the last opponent. Vandt had only once under Majors won, and the margin of victory was normally large, averaging a 19.7 point margin, including 1987’s nail biting 2-point win. Vandy had one win, a 28-21 affair in 1982 during a down year for UT. But 1988 was a season where anything could happen. The game was tumultuous. Vols QB Jeff Francis had a forgettable day as a passer, throwing three interceptions with no scores. But he ran amuck. Fortunately, the ground game was mostly just treading water. Even with 224 positive yards rushing, they were also tackled behind the line frequently, losing 59 yards on the day for a net of 165 yards on 52 attempts. The best unit was the punt team with two punts for 136 yards and a 68 yard average. But the most important statistic is points. Vanderbilt led 7-6, with Tennessee having failed their conversion after a touchdown, going into intermission. After emerging from the locker rooms, Tennessee gained steam. They scored a touchdown, but failed yet another conversion, and sat at 12-6 before a wild snap resulting in a safety, boosting UT to a 14-7 lead. Vandy receiver Boo Mitchell exploded for 140 yards on 9 catches, setting a school record for receiving yards in a season with 1,213 as well as moving into 9 in NCAA career history with 2,964. But it didn’t help Vanderbilt win that day. Offense was held scoreless for both teams in the final frame, and Tennessee earned a slight degree of pride in finishing the season 5-6.

In addition to a tremendous second half of the season rally, Tennessee linebacker Keith DeLong earned First Team All-American honors. After totalling 125 tackles in 1987, he improved that number in 1988 to 159 tackles, and in fewer games. He would go on to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by San Francisco. He would play five years, and win a Superbowl with the Niners his rookie season.

1989: 11-1 (610-275-52) [399-111-25]

Despite wins over Kentucky and Vanderbilt, 1988 was a failure. The season tied for the second most number of losses under Majors, and, since that 1977 season which was the first year Majors coached UT set the program record for most losses, the six losses tied for second most losses in a season ever. Not the sort of record setting performance celebrated by a program whose annual goal is “National Championship.” One of the consistent problems under Majors’ Vols had been offensive output. The team had only scored over 28 points once in 1988 after doing so seven times in 1987, but only thrice in 1986. The offense, in need of a change, was turned over to Philip Fulmer, former offensive guard As Doug Dickey ended his tenure in the late 60’s and Bill Battle in the 70’s. Since 1980, Fulmer coached the offensive line at UT. Previous to that, he spent a year at Vanderbilt, 5 years at Wichita State, and a brief stint as a student coach at his alma mater immediately after graduating. Possibly in an effort to guide UT players to the endzone, the field was returned to the checkered white and orange pattern established under Doug Dickey.[64]

1989 had a similar season kickoff as 1988 had. Strong squads with games against Georgia and LSU, who were not as good as the previous year, and what would be games against top 10 ranked Auburn and Alabama. There were also games against Colorado State and Duke, and a game against highly ranked UCLA. The season would again close with a non-conference game followed by Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt.

A sign of tough times was the first game, played in Knoxville against Colorado State. While the visitors would end up being a mediocre team in 1989, they played UT hard. While Tennessee had an efficient yet boring passing game, their ball carriers were the focus. They carried 54 times for 232 yards, but Tennessee also fumbled 5 times. The fumbles kept an otherwise unspectacular State team in competition. Tennessee was able to win an unlucky 17-14 game despite giving up a late touchdown.[65]

The win over Colorado State was the program’s 600th win. Earning 600 wins was worth celebrating, but Tennessee had to travel to Pasadena for their next game, playing visitor to UCLA. Still coached by Terry Donahue, the winningest coach in program history, faced a seemingly tall task. However, UT won fairly easily, 24-6, only giving up a late score to break a shutout. Donahue called the game “a great disappointment,” and credited Tennessee for “no penalties, no turnover. It was a flawless performance.”[66]

Duke was a similar win, with Tennessee prevailing 28-6. The Offense was not exactly stuck in the mud, but they had not had any great games yet. However, the defense had played very well the last two weeks. A complete game was needed for the next opponent, #4 ranked Auburn. The Tigers were 2-0, winning by a combined 79-3.They would also eventually best #2 ranked Alabama in the Iron Bowl at season’s end before blowing out Ohio State 31-14 in the Hall of Fame Bowl. But this Saturday, an early safety from Auburn gave Tennessee a 2-0 lead. The game would never get closer. The Vols watched Reggie Cobb score next on a 79-yard run in the second quarter before another from Auburn at the 37-yard line resulted in another safety. The TIgers tried to make a game of it late, but UT won 21-14.[67]

The offense still didn’t really get going the next week, either, but it wasn’t needed as the defense once again held the opponent to 14 points as Tennessee beat the Georgia Bulldogs 17-14. Bama, though, naked #10, broke the defense apart. The Crimson Tide won a shootout 47-30. The game was tough fought from the first set of downs. Alabama was penalized for a personal foul to give UT their first conversion, but stopped them soon thereafter before going on a long touchdown drive to take a lead they would never relinquish, compliments of winning the turnover battle 4-0.[68]

Hoping to avoid spiraling into losses, Tennessee turned their attention to LSU. At this point, LSU was 1-5, with their lone win being against the Ohio Bobcats, who would finish the season 1-9-1. The defense played poorly. The Tigers ran amuck with 39 points on the day and raced out to a 14-0 lead before the end of the first quarter. Tennessee was able to take the lead with two seconds left in the first half, scoring their third touchdown of the quarter to lead 21-17. UT scored another two touchdowns in the third quarter to lead 35-24. WHile LSU held a scoring advantage in the fourth quarter, it wasn’t enough as UT won 45-39. LSU had a much more successful passing attack throwing for 438 yards and no interceptions compared to Tennessee gaining 180 yards. But UT won the ground game, 242 yards to 57. Tennessee was the beneficiary of a 93 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the play which gave them the lead for good.[69]

A snowballing of losses avoided, Tennessee was relaxed and in charge the next three games. They bested Akron, 52-9, and Ole Miss, 33-21. Even Kentucky was beaten 31-10. After the offense had been kept quite the first few weeks, UT had scored at least 30 points each game leading to their finale against Vanderbilt. Once again, Vanderbilt jumped out to a lead, kicking a field goal to end a 12 play drive. Tennessee responded with a 10-play field goal drive of their own, but Vandy took the lead back with a 1-yard touchdown run before half. But Tennessee had the advantage in both interceptions (3-1) and sacks (4-3). Vanderbilt’s offense was stuck in mud the rest of the game, and Tennessee won 17-10.[70]

Having lost to Alabama early on in the season, Tennessee had been outside looking in until Auburn upset the #2 ranked Tide in the Iron Bowl. The Bama loss, coupled with the Vandy win, gave Tennessee their second SEC title under Majors. Due to the title, Tennessee matched up against eventual SEC member Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. Arkansas had a furious 4th quarter, surging for 14 unanswered points, but Tennessee had built an insurmountable lead, and recovered an onside kick to preserve a 31-27 win. Running back Chuck Webb scored on a 78-yard run, and Arkansas could not overcome two lost fumbles as well as an interception and a failed fourth-and-one run within Tennessee’s 10-yard line.[71]

In recognition of outstanding play, Eric Still was awarded First Team All-American honor, in part due to his pivotal role in opening holes for over 2,700 yards and a team record 408.5 offensive yards per game. In addition to being an All-American, Stills won the Jacobs Trophy, given to the top blocker in the SEC, and was a four time Academic All-SEC athlete, and second team Academic All-American.[72] The win total for 1989 tied a school record and was the best team record since Bill Battle’s first season with the team.

1990: 9-2-2 (619-277-54) [404-113-25]

The 1989 team had excelled in so many areas. The offense, which had been acceptable through the first five games, averaged nearly 35 points the last seven weeks, along with setting a school record for yards per game. The defense performed well, discounting the end of October when giving up 47 in a loss to Alabama and 39 in a victory over LSU. And yet Tennessee only had one All-American, demonstrative of a team effort in achieving the success.

To open up the 1990 season, which would culminate as the 100th year of football at Knoxville’s prestigious campus, Tennessee was once again selected for the College Kickoff game against (to risk spoiling the outcome) 1990 National Champions, Colorado University. In 1989, Colorado had finished the season undefeated, but lost their bowl game to Notre Dame, missing out on a National Title in the process. Colorado was a good team, and Tennessee had its work cut out to not start 1990 with an embarrassment. The Vols were the first team to score, taking a 7-0 lead on a Chuck Webb touchdown run from 4 yards out. But Colorado mostly took over from there, leading the scoring to a daunting 24-10 advantage in the fourth quarter.[73] But Tennessee made a game of it. Quarterback Andy Kelly had a great second half. His first half passing total was 106 yards, but he threw for well over twice that (262) after the intermission. After a Tennessee touchdown to draw within 7, Colorado again scored, making the game 31-17 in favor of the Buffaloes. Kelly got going again, and threw a 14-yard touchdown pass with about five and a half minutes remaining in the game. The defense did their part, and UT got the ball back quickly. Kelly continued his efficiency streak, completing 7 of 9 passes. He was dangerous enough the defense was likely focused on his arm from 4 yards out, but the ball went to Chuck Webb again to score on the ground. After the PAT, the game was tied up, 31-all. Once again the defense got the ball back, and Tennessee was in a decent position. With only seven seconds on the clock, and the ball on the midfield line, Tennessee once again used the Colorado defense’s fear of the pass, and Chuck Webb ran 25 yards. He streaked toward the sideline, but was tackled before he could make it out of bounds. The clock ran out, and the “opener of the 1990 college football season featured virtually everything one would want out of a game — except a winner and loser.”[74]

Given the status of their opening opponent, and the deficit they found themselves in during the fourth quarter, Tennessee could rightly consider a tie as a win. However, given how close they were to an outright “W,” it could be a disappointing end to the game. However, the team seemed well primed for success. They blew out their next three opponents. The closest game was a 40-7 rout of Mississippi State, who would go 4-0 outside the SEC, but would only win one conference contest. The next opponent wasn’t going to be the same level of difficulty. Auburn was ranked 3rd in the nation, higher than Tennessee’s ranking of #5. But the Vols took control of the game, albeit slowly. Despite four turnovers in the first half, Tennessee led 26-9 after the first play of the 4th quarter, even after an Illegal Procedure penalty against UT. But a good kick return by Auburn prompted a field goal drive to bring the game to 26-12. A run for no gain, an incomplete pass, and a short run led to a quick 3-and-out, and a punt. Auburn started within Tennessee territory, and scored a touchdown; 26-19. Tennessee moved the ball enough to get a better punt, and then Auburn was eventually forced to punt back, but Tennessee again went 3-and-out, and Auburn again was in UT territory to start the drive. It took only six plays for Auburn to tie the game on a touchdown. Tennessee finally got moving offensively again. They drove into Tiger territory, and a penalty put them in good position for a manageable field goal attempt of 34 yards. But the kick missed, and the game ended in a tie.[75]

Once again, Tennessee had experienced the fickle hand of fate. The team was 3-0-2, still undefeated, but with a favorable turn of two plays could have readily made them 5-0, with what would have been wins against two top 5 teams. To show the team could do more than beat on poor competition, Tennessee brought #9 Florida to town for homecoming, but sent them back south after pounding them 45-3. Feeling elated, the team, of course, stumbled at home against Alabama the next week. It is hard to point to exactly what went wrong, but the passing game is probably to blame. Tennessee only completed 9 of 25 passes, and for a measly 51 yards. It made the rushing game look acceptable, despite only 124 yards on 35 attempts. In a game of field goals, Bama won, 9-6.[76]

In wrapping up four home games in a row, Tennessee trounced Temple, 41-20, before falling to top ranked Notre Dame, 34-29. Tennessee had led Notre Dame multiple times, but a 17-point fourth quarter outburst was just too much to overcome, which included 2 touchdowns within two minutes of each other, which included over 100 yards in only 6 plays.[77]

Tennessee righted the ship with a 22-13 win over Ole Miss, a 14-point victory over Kentucky, and a 49-20 drubbing of Vanderbilt. Despite their two losses and two ties, and Florida’s higher finish, Tennessee won the SEC title due to the Gators’ ineligibility. Tennessee squared off against the Virginia Cavaliers in the Sugar Bowl on January 1st, 1991. Tennessee could not catch a break early on, facing a 16-0 halftime hole. A field goal in the third finally got them on the board. In the fourth quarter, Virginia would kick two field goals, but Tennessee would score a Sugar Bowl record 20 points to take the lead for the first time with only 31 seconds left on the clock. Dale Carter got his second interception of the day to end the ensuing Cav drive, and seal the game for Tennessee.[78]

Dale Carter was recognized as a First Team All-American for his contribution to Tennessee as a kick returner in addition to being the First-Team SEC Free Safety.[79] He was joined by offensive tackle Antone Davis, the 1990 Jacobs Trophy winner, who was pivotal in anchoring a team which set a new team record for total offensive yards per game with 411.1.[80] And while the team did regress somewhat from the 1989 season, history was made. General Neyland won multiple National Championships, including in consecutive years in 1950 and 1951. But Kentucky, under Bear Bryant, won the conference in 1950. From 1938-1940, Tennessee also won two National Championships to go along with outright titles, but sandwiched around a co-SEC title in 1939. Majors’ became the first UT coach since the General to win consecutive SEC championships.

1991: 9-3 (628-280-54) [410-113-25]

The novelty of winning back-to-back SEC titles must have been delightful, and it coinciding with only a small step back in the win column was a novelty of its own in the Majors era. After achieving sustained success, it became necessary to make National Championship contention the goal. Tennessee’s schedule was designed to create a challenge which, if met, would create a resume of a Champion.

Up first was Louisville, a team which went 24-9-1 over the previous 3 seasons and became Fiesta Bowl Champions the year prior with a commanding 34-7 win over Alabama. 1991 started reasonably well for Louisville. They beat in-state opponent Eastern Kentucky 24-14. However, a visit from UT went worse. Tennessee rolled to a 28-11 win. Louisville would go on to score more than 15 points only once more on the year, a 28-14 win over Southern Miss. So much for a quality opponent.

However, UCLA, ranked #21, was UT’s second opponent. BYU, ranked 25th, had fallen to UCLA the week before, so the early September match was of unbeatens, albeit teams only 1-0. UCLA’s all-time winningest coach, Terry Donahue, was still at the helm. Future NFL QB Tommy Maddox was under center. It was a game with advantages held by each team. While Tennessee had nearly 100 more passing yards, UCLA picked off three passes while UT only snagged one. UCLA gained 147 yards rushing to the Vols 99, but also lost 58 yards compared to 12 for UT, compliments of Tennessee earning 4 sacks. The result was a net rushing gain of 87 yards for the Vols, and 89 for the Bruins. UT was penalized 8 times for 82 yards, while UCLA was flagged only thrice for 22 yards. But Tennessee sustained more drives, converting 8 of 17 third downs while UCLA only managed 4 of 16. As for points, the most important statistic, Tennessee scored first on a 34-yard pass play in the first frame. UCLA got on the board with a field goal in the second. Both teams played some decent defense on the half, and a blocked punt by UT gave them the ball three yards from the endzone. It took three plays, but a touchdown was earned to take a 14-3 advantage into the locker room. UCLA’s first touchdown was in the 3rd quarter, but a 2-point conversion failed. Tennessee kicked a field goal to give the Big Orange some breathing room. But an interception in the final frame was the obvious big play. Maddox, sacked three times in the first half alone, was intercepted at the 38, and returned for a touchdown. UCLA and UT traded touchdowns after that, but Tennessee earned a 30-16 win. [81]

Tennessee was only just entering the gauntlet. UCLA marked the first ranked opponent of the season, but the next four games would also be against ranked opponents before a non-conference homecoming game against Memphis State, followed by a tussle against a top-5 Notre Dame team. Mississippi State came to Knoxville, and battled hard. The Bulldogs traded field goals with UT in the first quarter, but touchdowns from Kelly, one rushing and one passing, gave Rocky Top a comfortable 17-3 lead early in the third. Four plays later, compliments of a 63-yard gallop, Mississippi State trailed 17-10. The Bulldogs scored another touchdown one set of downs into the 4th quarter. After kicking off, they quickly were back in scoring range after intercepting a Tennessee pass, returning it 43 yards to the UT 3, and scoring yet another touchdown. Now leading 24-17, Mississippi State had roared back. A missed field goal in the second quarter was looming large now. Tennessee moved with manic desperation, but were stopped at the Bulldog’s 6-yard line. They lined up for a field goal, and this one was true, but Tennessee still trailed 24-20. The Orange defense forced a stop, getting the ball back on their own 12 with under six minutes remaining. A field goal would not suffice. Kelly hooked up on a big pass for 37 yards right out of the gate, but his next pass was underthrown. He was true on his next pass, a 14-yard gain. A pair of rushing plays netted 13 yards. Another pass earned 4 yards. The next was incomplete, but the receiver was interfered with, and UT moved 5 yards closer. Another carry earned 7 yards, but the next run lost 2. Facing 3rd and 5 from 10 yards out, Kelly went for the score instead of a first down. With a blitz bearing down on him, Kelly threw the ball up where he claims he knew his receiver would be. “It was a play we worked on all week… I layed the ball up and then was looking at the turf.” But he heard the crowd roar, and knew he won on the gamble. Tennessee retook the lead, 26-24, due to a missed extra point. Miss State could still win with a field goal, though. The Bulldogs immediately ran for a first down, but were stopped on three straight passes. Going for it on 4th and 10, but a strip-sack recovered by UT ended the drive, kneeling out to earn the win.[82]

#13 Auburn was likewise dispatched, but neither opponent would end the season as quality teams. Mississippi State was a respectable 7-5, but Auburn ended 5-6. Florida loomed large, however. Ranked top-10, the Gators were harsh hosts. While the Vols scored first via a safety on a sack, Florida scored at least one touchdown every quarter while Tennessee only earned one trip to the end zone. The final, a 35-18 embarrassment, dashed the hopes of the Rocky Top faithful. Alabama, ranked #14, completed the crushing of Orange dreams. With a 21 point fourth quarter, Alabama ran away with a 24-19 comeback victory of the Vols. It was not only the largest game at Legion Field, but also the biggest crowd in the history of the state of Alabama.[83]

Tennessee was largely playing with house money now. Memphis was bullied 52-24, with UT earning an 25-point advantage in the last three quarters, even after leading 17-14 after the first. Notre Dame, ranked #5, was next, and did not roll over as Memphis did. The Fighting Irish took leads of 21-0 and 31-7 before the end of the first half. Tennessee only scored one offensive touchdown in the first half, but got a massive break as the half was drawing to a close. Notre Dame lined up for a short field goal, but the kick was blocked, scooped up by Tennessee, and returned 85 yards for a score. Tennessee took over from there, scoring three touchdowns in the second half compared to Notre Dame’s three total points. Tennessee, aided by a timely interception as well, pulled off a massive comeback, and earned a 35-34 win.[84]

Ole Miss (36-35), Kentucky (16-7), and Vanderbilt (45-0) were each beaten, earning Tennessee a Fiesta Bowl rematch against Penn State, a frequent Bowl Game opponent during Johnny’s time as coach. The Nittany Lions trailed 10-7 at the half, but a big third quarter gave them a lead they would never relinquish. While Penn State scored 21 in the fourth quarter, Tennessee did nothing beneficial, and lost 42-17.[85]

Disappointing losses to Florida and Alabama stung, as did the Bowl Game loss. However, Majors had earned his 100th coaching win for UT against Ole Miss. Additionally, Dale Carter once again earned First-Team All American status, alongside leading UT receiver Carl Pickens. While a loss, the New Year’s Day Bowl invitation was still recognition of a good season, but given the strides and advancements the previous seasons, the failure to go to the National Championship was a stinging blow.

1992: 9-3 (637-283-54) [414-115-25]

Johnny Majors entered the season having led the Vols for 15 consecutive years, easily eclipsing General Neyland’s nine straight years. But on the eve of the season kicking off, Coach Johnny was under the knife and subjected to a quintuple bypass surgery. As a result, Majors was not able to coach the team as the season kicked off. The head coach duties were handed over to Philip Fulmer, former player-turned-coach.

Fulmer was used to being part of a winning program. He was a guard, detail-oriented and focused, helping the UT teams earn a 30-5 record between 1969 and 1971, including a National Championship and a pair of SEC championships. As a coach, he had previous stints on offensive lines and linebackers over the years, having taught and directed teams ever since graduating from Knoxville.[86] His style and knowledge and relationship with the players served well in the first game, a warm-up really, directing the team to an easy 38-3 win over the Ragin Cajuns of Southwestern Louisiana.

The Georgia Bulldogs were next, and the game was in Athens. Georgia was the better ranked team, but the Vols kickers won the battle in the first quarter. Georgia had fumbled the opening kickoff, and Tennessee kicked an easy field goal thereafter. In the first quarter, UT won the special team game, kicking two field goals, with Georgia missing one of the two attempted, to take a 6-3 lead into the second frame. Georgia was intercepted by UT to start the second quarter, and also lost anothe rfumble on a punt return, but Georgia scored two touchdowns to the Vols one in the second quarter. It was almost a 13-10 lead for Tennessee going into the locker room, but Georgia quarterback Eric Zeier completed a 40-yard touchdown pass to Andre Hastings with less than fifteen seconds left, capping a 6 play, 75 yard drive to take a 17-13 lead. Tennessee’s defense got the better of Georgia in the third, and Tennessee regained the lead after an interception led to a 10 play, 50 yard drive which ended in a 2-yard touchdown plunge. UT also scored a touchdown early in the fourth, but Georgia scored one of their own to counter. Tennessee was picked off on their next drive, but Georgia fumbled it again and UT was able to delay disaster. But the next drive went nowhere, and they punted back to the Bulldogs, who marched 79 yards in 9 plays, and scored to take the lead. With 6 minutes remaining in the game, Tennessee needed a touchdown. They were able to slowly march down the field, taking 14 plays to cover 80 yards, ending the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run and reclaiming the lead. 50 seconds remained, and Georgia covered 51 yards in 2 plays and less than half a minute. But in disastrous fashion, Georgia fumbled for the seventh time on the day, and UT grabbed it for their fourth recovery, winning the game in exhilarating fashion. In speaking about the half dozen turnovers, Georgia Coach said “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a football game where so many things have gone against us,” but credited Tennessee saying “they did an outstanding job.” Fulmer, as acting Head Coach, was less rosy, stating his team had “a million miles to go.”[87]

Florida, ranked #4 at the time, came to Neyland Stadium hoping to pound Tennessee flat. Florida would go on to win the SEC East Division crown in 1992, but on that Saturday, it was the Gators who got clapped. Tennessee rolled over them 31-14, never trailing in the game. In just a strange oddity on the day, the longest scoring drive was a 2:41 field goal drive near the end of the first half, and five of the six touchdown drives on the day were under two minutes each.[88]

By this time, Coach Majors had recovered well enough to return to coaching. It was just in time for Homecoming, as well. Fulmer graciously stepped aside, and resumed his assistant role with a sterling 3-0 record. Though Majors coached from the press box, Cincinnati was beaten with seemingly greater ease, with UT celebrating a 40-0 cakewalk. The next week, LSU was similarly, but less spectacularly, defeated 20-0. The only tough test remaining for UT was Alabama, with four relatively easy SEC opponents and Memphis State yet to play as well. Well, the wheels fell off even before the Vols got to playing Bama. Arkansas kicked a 41-yard field goal with second remaining to win 25-24 in Knoxville, having come back complements of a 71-yard punt return TD. Alabama came to Neyland Stadium and did even better in a defensive slug match. They won 17-10, and never trailed. The Big Orange was likely sorely deflated at this point, because they next dropped another one point loss, this time to South Carolina.

At 5-3, Coach Majors was facing major questions. But he rebounded well enough to end the season, leading Tennessee to victories over Memphis State, as well as beating rivals Kentucky and Vanderbilt. It was the 8th straight win over Kentucky, and 10th in a row over Vandy. But the biggest news was Coach Majors, having just wrapped up his 16th straight regular season leading the Vols, would not coach the team in their bowl game. That duty would fall to Phillip Fulmer, who would take over as Head Coach officially. In his news conference, Coach Fulmer said “I think we can take it to another level.” Having lived through some better years as a player, he spoke from a place of experience.

He lived up to his words to end the 1992 season. He led the Big Orange to Tampa for the Hall of Fame Bowl against Boston College. After the defense stepped up to stop Eagles first drive, they tackled the punter after a high snap. On the first offensive play for Tennessee, they went 42 yards. On the next, they scored a touchdown. Tennessee went hard, earning a lead as wide as 38-7 in the fourth quarter before sealing an easy win. Boston’s Coach, future NFL Super Bowl Champion Tom Coughlin, was gracious in defeat, crediting Tennessee with forcing missed tackles. Fulmer was less than effusive in his first win as official Head Coach, though UT recognizes the three wins he earned as interim coach to start the season. He said “all ball games it’s exciting for Tennessee to win and I’m really glad to be a part of it.”[89]

Tennessee was devoid of any First Team All-Americans in 1992, but given the upheaval and midseason collapse, it is understood. What should be recognized from the ‘92 season is the years of service Johnny Majors gave to the program. He served as Head Coach for 16 years. He won 116 games, including 57 SEC games, and three SEC Championships. He won a National Championship as a coach with Pittsburgh, the school he returned to as coach from 1993 through 1996, in addition to five seasons coaching Iowa State. He had obviously taken after his father, Shirley Majors, who had coached Sewanee football for 21 years, and their Baseball program for 11 . On June 3rd, 2020, Johnny’s wife, Mary Lynn Majors, gave a statement to Sports Radio WNMI saying “Johnny passed away this morning. He spent the last hours doing something he dearly loved: looking out over his cherished Tennessee River.” Johnny was laid to rest with his parents in Lynchburg, Tennessee.[90]

1993: 10*-2 (647-285-54) [421-115-25]

Coach Fulmer was now officially entrenched in the position after starting 1992 as Interim Head Coach. His record as head coach, when including his first three games of 1992, was a perfect 4-0. The schedule was teed up nicely to allow the perfect streak to continue. Louisiana Tech was the first game on the docket, and Tennessee dispatched them 50-0. Tech would go on to only win two games the rest of the year.

Georgia, the next opponent, had opened the season ranked 14th, but dropped their opener to South Carolina. Tennessee also beat them, but much more convincingly, 38-6. The Vols next made a trip to Gainesville to do battle against Florida. The Gators started fast, scoring 21 points before UT got on the board with a pair of touchdown passes, one 55-yards and one 41-yards. But Florida stretched their lead to 31-14 with an explosive passing score of their own and a field goal. UT quarterback, Heath Shuler, a future 3rd overall NFL draft pick and US Congressman, led a dangerous passing attack by scoring on another big play, this one a 70-yard touchdown strike to Billy Williams. Florida scored another 10 points in the fourth quarter as Shuler threw two more scoring passes. Though WIlliams was able to catch a team record three scores on the day (tied with Jim Powell from 1946 and Carl Pickens from 1990 for most in a single game), and Shuler got five scoring throws on the day (tying a school record with Todd Kelly from 1990), the Gators won at home 41-34.[91]

LSU, Duke, and Arkansas went down much easier. No game was closer than 14 points, and UT only ever trailed for less than three minutes after LSU kicked a field goal on the opening drive. UT scored a touchdown soon thereafter, and never looked back. Alabama was tougher than all three combined. Bama kicked three field goals to the Vols touchdown in the first half. But the second half was going Tennessee’s way. With a short field, UT’s drive stalled, but they kicked a field goal to reclaim the lead. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Charlie Garner took the ball 73 yards for a lead extending score. The Tide went three-and-out on their next drive, Tennessee used two sets of downs before punting back, Bama drove down with a couple big plays to attempt a 36-yard field goal, but missed it. After trading possessions again to no effect, UT took the ball with 3:09 to go. With a short gain, a short loss, and a short gain, Tennessee punted it away after only taking 1:25 off the clock. With 1:44 to go, The Tide got rolling. Three straight first downs, a third down conversion, and then three straight incompletions put Alabama in a 4th and 10 situation on the UT 18, down by 8 points. But Alabama got the conversion on a 17 yard pass, and rushed for a score on the next play. Needing a two-point conversion to tie, Bama subbed in a runner under center, and scored to draw the game. Fulmer said after the game he was proud of the effort, but also wished they had beaten the defending National Champions.[92]

Officially, the game is a victory, though. Alabama was hit with penalties for violations, and forfeited 11 total victories. These sanctions did nothing to help Rocky Top during the season itself. Tennessee needed to keep winning, and Florida to trip up again, having lost a game to Auburn the same day UT tied Alabama. Tennessee earned big wins over South Carolina, 55-3, and Louisville, 45-10, before trouncing Kentucky 48-0 and defeating Vanderbilt 62-14. Tennessee never trailed in any of the four games. Unfortunately, as great as UT played to close the season, Florida’s only other loss was a non-conference game to top ranked Florida State.

Though they missed out on the SEC East honors, Tennessee and Phillip Fulmer earned a Citrus Bowl invitation against Penn State. They ran out to a 10-0 lead after two drives, but Penn State took over from there. While Tennessee’s kicker scored on a bowl record 50-yard field goal, the Nittany Lions, led by Joe Paterno who was already in his 28th season with the school, outscored the Vols 31-3 the rest of the game. This was a game where the stats do not tell the whole story. Most everything listed in the box score was pretty even, with a lot even favoring Tennessee. But in the end, Penn State had significantly more points, and earned the win.[93]

John Becksvoort, the new owner of the Citrus Bowl field goal record, was the only First Team All-American on the squad. There were a few other possible candidates, but the explosive passers, rushers, and catchers at the time pushed all other Big Orange players out of serious contention for the awards.

1994: 8-4 (655-289-54) [425-117-25]

Phillip Fulmer headed into his second off season already building a legacy as a recruiter. With the intention of improving on his successful first season as skipper of the Orange and White, Coach Fulmer had made it a point of going hard after a quarterback with great promise and skill. WIth an MVP quarterback for a father, Peyton Manning was the Belle of the Ball, with scores schools attempting to recruit him. It came down to the Gators and the Vols. The Bowl Game defeat combined with the loss at Florida made an otherwise grand season bitter to swallow, but Peyton announced from a Hilton hotel bar that Tennessee was to be his next home.[94] UT had a rough and tumble schedule set to launch the 1994 season, with the hopes of competing for a National Championship. Tennessee also returned to their natural grass surface in 1994, befitting the tradition and history of the stadium, field, and team.[95]

But things started off worse than rough. UCLA hosted Tennessee in the Golden State, and scored 18 unanswered points in the first three quarters. Starting QB Jerry Colquitt was knocked out, and replaced by Todd Helton. Tennessee went on a bit of a run from there, with 23 points in the fourth quarter, but UCLA broke free for a 30-yard touchdown run after intercepting Helton. A 10-play touchdown drive lasting less than 90 seconds was not enough to overcome the deficit, and the Bruins won a nail biter.[96]

Tennessee easily dispatched Georgia 41-23, but Florida again embarrassed the Vols, this time with a 31-0 shutout in Knoxville. Even worse, Mississippi State played host the next week, and won in Bruin-like fashion, 24-21. Not even a highly anticipated recruit playing quarterback in relief of injured Todd Helton saved the Vols that day. With the season already going up in flames, though, Fulmer stuck with the freshman Peyton Manning the next week against visiting Washington State. Manning did very little to win, but he ran a clean game. His team was only penalized twice for a paltry 10 yards compared to 11 for 95 against Washington State. In addition, the Tennessee QB jerseys were kept mostly clean, while the Orange defense crushed Washington State with 6 sacks. The Rocky Top faithful were rewarded with a narrow 10-9 victory, compliments of Becksvoort’s converted kicks.[97]

With hope buoyed, Manning led the team to victory the next week over Arkansas, 38-21. The team was riding a slight win streak going into their annual match-up with Alabama. The Tide was undefeated at 6-0, but their wins had largely been narrow. Only Chattanooga had been beaten by more than 10 points. Tennessee gave them a game of things, as well. Going into the fourth quarter, the game was tied 10-10. Manning had been intercepted twice in the first quarter, as well as UT losing a fumble. But Becksvoort kicked a field goal to give a 13-10 advantage. As long as the Vols defense held tight, they would win. But Alabama efficiently drove 80 yards in 13 plays to take the lead on a touchdown run. Needing a touchdown, Tennessee got risky, and a little jumpy. Facing 3rd and 3 from the Bama 7, the Vols’ offense got flagged for Illegal Procedure, and backed up 5 yards. A deflected pass led to 4th and 8, but a Tide defender jumped offsides. While the play resulted in an incomplete pass, the penalty negated it, and Tennessee had life at 4th and 3. If not for the illegal procedure, it would have been a first down. Instead, Manning’s last ditch pass went wide, and the Tide held on for the win.[98]

The Vols bounced back the next week with a win over South Carolina. Peyton threw almost as many touchdowns as he had incompletions in an easier than it sounds 31-22 win. Memphis hung around, but Tennessee beat them 24-13 on the strength of three rushing touchdowns. It was against Kentucky when it all came together. Tennessee’s defense picked off three different Wildcat quarterbacks,and nabbed three sacks. UK only completed 7 of 17 passes. For yardage, Kentucky threw for a mere 55 yards, and rushed 35 times, but averaged barely over 3 yards per attempt. UT, on the other hand, ran 63 times for 332 yards and five scores. Mannine also completed 10 of 15 passes with a pair of scores. Tennessee waltzed away with a 52-0 drubbing of their rival.[99] While some of the stats were worse the next game, the final score was even better. Vanderbilt was run over for over 406 UT rushing yards, Manning went 10 of 16 with a pick and two scores, while his backup went a perfect 7-7 with a score. Vandy QBs were a paltry 9 of 23 passing on the day, and UT walked away with a 62-0 win.[100]

Tennessee’s rally in the second half of the season was enough to earn an invitation to the Gator Bowl against Virginia Tech. Tennessee took three trips to the end zone before Tech scored, and Tennessee was leading 35-7 before the Hokies kicked a field goal to make it 35-10 at half. Va Tech put the ball on the ground five times, but only lost possession once. Manning was efficient if unspectacular, with running back James Stewart bearing the scoring burden, running in three scores himself. Tennessee largely coasted in the second half to a 45-23 win.[101]

As a team, Tennessee was acceptable, but fell far short of their goals. They were without any First Team All-Americans, but Peyton showed he was worth the recruiting hubbub. He went 7-1 as a starter, earning SEC Freshman of the Year, with his one loss being to Alabama. While injuries at QB may have harmed UT to start the year, the emergence of Manning was promising.

1995: 11-1 (666-290-54) [432-117-25]

With Manning entrenched as the starter for 1995, Tennessee was looking to air it out. Former Vols running backs James Stewart and Aaron Hayden went in the 1st and 4th rounds of the NFL draft. Tennessee was not without a few experienced pass catchers. Also, the NCAA had changed the rules to erase draws. A new overtime rule was put in place, allowing each team an equal number of possessions, starting from the 25-yard line, until the draw was broken.

UT opened up their cupcake schedule against East Carolina at home, and celebrated a 27-7 win. But it was only a warm up, as the Bulldogs were coming to Knoxville the following week. Georgia scored first, but Manning uncharacteristically ran 8 yards for the next score, drawing the game even. Following a Georgia field goal, Tennessee scored on a touchdown pass, then a field goal to go into the tunnel up 17-10 at the half. UT made it 20-10 after another field goal, but Georgia followed up with two touchdowns, and took the lead. Tennessee surged back on another passing score from Manning, but Georgia got right back with a field goal, tying the game. With under five minutes to go, Manning was picked off, but Georgia couldn’t do much of anything with it, and missed a field goal, giving UT the ball back in good position. The Vols ran seven plays in under a minute and a half to get to the Bulldog 16 yard line. With 10 seconds left, Tennessee nailed a kick to take a 30-27 lead. Two plays later, Georgia ran out of time, and the game ended.[102]

Georgia was no world beater, and would end the season with a losing SEC record. But the luck and grit to win was still an encouraging sign from a young QB with a good but not great O-line breaking in a new stable of running backs, and a team devoid of national stars on the defense. But next up was Florida. The Gators had shellacked UT in Neyland Stadium the year before 31-0, and Peyton Manning, who had chosen Knoxville over Gainesville, was likely itching to take a swing at UF. The Vols’ offense was much better this time around. Peyton was able to direct multiple scoring drives in each of the first two quarters, and tooke leads of 23-7 and 30-14 before halftime, and would finish the game with over 300 yards, two scoring tosses, the first was which was only 15 seconds into the game, and no picks. Just before the intermission, though, Florida capped an 11-play, 69 yard drive with a passing score from Danny Wuerffel, a future Heisman winner, to Ike Hilliard, a future NFL first rounder. It was their second of the day, and the beginning of a tsunami. Florida would go on to score 48 straight points, holding Tennessee off the scoreboard in the second half until just before the two minute warning. In the end, the Vols were again shellacked, 62-37.[103]

The Orange and White were itching to get momentum. Too frequently, they had folded when the lights got bright, and the team had a history of snowballing at poor times. Tennessee had scored the most points in a loss in team history, while also giving up the most points in modern team history. And Mississippi State was next. While not Ole Miss, the Bulldogs had at times proved difficult. But Tennessee came out swinging, and only let up near the end, winning 52-14. Next, Oklahoma State fell 31-0, mimicking the score of Tennessee’s embarrassment the year before. Even Arkansas, who would go on to win the SEC West, folded to Tennessee 49-31. Arkansas kept it interesting at first, with a 31-24 game at half, but wilted as UT kept scoring.

After getting to 5-1, Tennessee braced themselves for Alabama. UT had not won the rivalry game in a decade, with Johnny Majors’ 1985 squad being the last to do so. But the Peyton led offense scored on an 80-yard TD pass on the first play, followed it up with an 11-play, 93 yard drive for a 25 yard scoring pass, and then Manning ran it in from the 1-yard line to take a 21-0 lead after strip-sack led to a fumble recovery for UT. The first monkey was off their backs, as Tennessee had finally beaten Alabama again.[104]

. Tennessee didn’t miss a beat against South Carolina, winning 56-21, not Southern Miss, winning 42-0. However, Kentucky, a team beaten a combined 134-13 in the previous three years, played hardball. Tennessee only managed 10 net yards on seven plays during their first drive, but kicked a field goal on their seconds. Kentucky countered with a quick, 65 yard, three play drive immediately after. Manning threw a pick, leading to a Wildcat field goal, before Tennessee stalled out on offense and settled for three themselves. A missed field goal on Tennessee’s next drive led to another touchdown run by Kentucky, but UT nailed a field goal to go into half down 17-9. UK’s running back Moe Williams was reaching for legendary status, as he ran for his third touchdown on the day after only two plays, seizing a 24-9 lead in the process. Manning and the Vols offense had largely been stymied, having settled for their fourth field goal, their fifth attempted. They had more turnovers than scores, and sought to fix that. First, following a great defensive stand to get UK to punt after losing 9 yards on their drive, Manning once again kept it himself from a yard out to claw closer. Next, Manning threw a 70-yard score to take the lead. Kentucky grabbed it back on their own long score, a 47-yard run by Quarterback Billy Jack Haskins seconds into the fourth quarter. UK’s lead didn’t last long, as Manning passed for another score to regain the lead 34-31 with over 11-and-a-half minutes remaining. Tennessee’s defense immediately stood tall, forcing Kentucky back four yards on their drive, leading to a punt. But UT muffed it, and UK recovered, giving them the ball at Tennessee’s 43. Kentucky drove in close, burning up time as they did, using 12 plays to move 26 yards.With five minutes remaining, Kentucky kicked a field goal to try and tie the game, but the kick was blocked, and UT snatched the ball back. It took 11 plays of their own, covering 55 yards, but Tennessee ran out the rest of the clock for the most exciting game in the series in many years.[105]

Lastly, Vanderbilt remained. The Commodores had lost their first seven games, giving up an average of nearly 31 points a contest, but had gone on a win streak thereafter with back-to-back victories over Kentucky and Louisiana Tech. They crashed back to earth with a 38-7 loss to Florida before facing UT. Tennessee, meanwhile, had not scored fewer than 27 points all year, and had an average victory of nearly 27 points. But in Neyland Stadium on that late November Saturday, the Commodores looked like contenders. At least on defense. Vandy scored a touchdown on the first drive of the game, going 80 yards in 11 plays. Tennessee punted and missed field goals every drive but one in the first half, scoring a touchdown early in the second quarter, but the extra point was blocked, so Tennessee trailed at the break 7-6. As the Vols attempted time and again to score, punting again, and again, and again, and again. Then, their luck broke. Their next drive ended not in a punt, but a lost fumble. Forcing another Vanderbilt punt, Tennessee drove with quiet intensity, bordering on desperation. They went big on the first play, gaining 21 yards on a pass. But settled for small gains there after. 9 plays later, facing a 3rd and goal at the Vandy 1-yard line, Manning took the snap, but didn’t keep it this time, instead opting to pass, and scored the game changing touchdown. UT’s defense again clamped down again, and Tennessee held on to win 12-7.[106]

With UT’s only loss being a rather humiliating defeat to Florida, they had climbed the ranks to end the regular season ranked 3rd, and faced the Ohio State Buckeyes, the 4th ranked team, in the Citrus Bowl. Ohio State scored firs, led by Heisman winner Eddie Georget, but Tennessee scored the next 14 points, a Manning pass to Joey Kent scoring once and a 69-yard rush from running back Jay Graham in the third quarter, leading the game 14-7 at the start of the fourth. Ohio State came back to tie it up in the last frame, but the defense and special teams secured the with three forced turnovers and two field goals to give UT a 20-14 final advantage.[107]

With an 11-1 record, Tennessee had improved to their best record since 1989. It was Phillip Fulmer’s third Bowl game victory, as well. As successful as the team was, they were once again denied any First Team All-Americans, with only Guard Jason Layman, a Second Round pick in the 1996 NFL draft, earning Second Team. In all, 8 Vols were picked in the draft that year, an example of the talent Coach Fulmer had acquired and nurtured.

1996: 10-2 (676-292-54) [437-118-25]

Tennessee charged out of the gates to start 1996. In another rare August match-up, UT beat UNLV at home 62-3. The next week, still at home, they bounced UCLA 35-20. Playing their third straight game at home, Rocky Top welcomed the Gators to Knoxville. Danny Wuerffel, who would win the Heisman this season, passed for four touchdowns in the first two quarters. UT played catchup from there, but squandered a recovered fumble by throwing an interception to end the first half down 35-6. Peyton, usually a safe passer, had thrown four picks in the first half alone, and lost the ball on downs. Coming out of the break, the Tennessee offense scored on a field goal, and the defense clamped down. Florida would not score again as UT worked desperately to re-take the lead. They took too long, though, coming within 35-29 after a touchdown with only 10 seconds remaining. Needing an onside kick to win, the ball was kicked out of bounds, and the game ended in defeat. Three times in three years, the team Manning abandoned to go to Knoxville had beaten his team, and in 1996, they would go on to win the National Championship.[108]

Tennessee clawed back some respectability for their season by pounding Ole Miss 41-3 before dispatching Georgia 29-17. Even Alabama went down 20-13, giving Tennessee their first win streak against the Tide since the mid 80’s. South Carolina was similarly defeated, 31-14. Memphis, an in-state opponent and on-and-off opponent was next. With a 15-0 record against the Tigers, a bottom of the barrel Conference USA team, Tennessee made the trip with likely zero concerns. But Manning was once again loss with the ball, and threw two picks to one touchdown. The score was all tied up at half, 7-7, but Memphis gained a huge upset by winning 21-17, their first, and still only, win in the series.[109]

Tennessee took frustration out on Arkansas with a 55-14 beat down, and defeated Kentucky even worse, 56-10. Vanderbilt, with only one victory in the previous 20 years, as devoid of an SEC victory in ‘96, remained. But the Commodores once again played tough. Manning was held without a score and another interception. The defense scored as much as the offense did, as Vandy’s defense clamped down hard on Tennessee. The final quarter was tense. Vanderbilt scored a touchdown after UT missed a field goal. Tennessee was punting the ball away time and again, but Vandy also threw a pick, punted, then threw another interception. Tennessee couldn’t capitalize, though, as they also fumbled the ball back to the Commodores. After a largely dysfunctional offensive last quarter, Tennessee prevailed, 14-7.[110]

Tennessee was once again headed to the Citrus Bowl, their third trip in four years. Manning took charge. Playing Big-10 co-champion Northwestern, UT grabbed a 21-0 lead early, he passed for over 400 yards. Northwestern battled back for a 21-21 tie in the first half, before throwing a pick returned for a UT touchdown to start the second half. Tennessee won 48-28 over the Wildcats.[111]

Team accolades were again rather scarce. Manning and defensive phenom Leonard Little both earned Third Team All-American honors, but naught else. The team experienced only a slight regression, still going 10-2 and with yet another bowl game victory. The poor defense against the Gators to start and the collapse against Memphis stood out in stark contrast against the rest of the season’s success. The team had maintained a high level of success, earning double digit wins three of four years under Fulmer. It was time to take the next step, or Fulmer would join the ranks of the Very Good, but not Great, coaches in UT history.

1997: 11-2 (687-294-54) [443-118-25]

After the conclusion of the 1996 season, Tennessee was at a bit of a crossroads. Peyton Manning had played three years of good football for Tennessee. Manning had played his way to an enviable 31-4 record, which included a sterling 3-0 Bowl record. He had passed for over 8000 yards and just shy of 60 touchdowns, to go along with 9 scores on the ground. He had earned All-American honors, though not at the esteemed First Team level. He had two victories over Alabama, as well. But he had somewhat regressed in ball security in 1996, and still had yet to defeat Florida, to whom his team was 0-3 against in his Vols tenure.

Due to all these factors, it was difficult to determine what Manning would do in 1997. He had the option to go on to the NFL, and the quarterback crop was relatively weak. With Manning’s natural gifts, his mental acumen, and his heritage as the son of an NFL MVP, he had a great chance to go early. Or, he could stay one more year at Knoxville and attempt to cement his status as not only a first round pick, but potentially elevate himself to #1 overall pick.

So it was with bated breath a room of expectant fans, journalists, reporters, players, and more waited. Manning entered wearing a dark suit coat, a tie hanging down from under the white collar and against a blue shirt. He approached the podium, and the room buzzed with excitement and anxiety. Peyton spoke with his typical conviction in announcing “I’m going to stay at the University of Tennessee.” The reaction was as expected. The room “erupted” as the crowd “reveled in the news.” Peyton’s decision, according to Coach Fulmer, was “the ultimate return of loyalty and commitment.” He also mentioned it was a sign of Manning’s character, and an example that, for Peyton, the game and the team are more important than what a player can gain looking out for himself.[112]

The team got things going with a big win over Texas Tech in Knoxville, 52-17. The Orange and White then made a cross country trip to Pasadena to play UCLA once again. The Manning led offense and the Orange defense both started strong, but both began to falter later. While the game ended in a 30-24 win, it was not the sort of performance they were looking for with a trip to Gainesville next on the docket.

Beating the Gators was about the only regular season goal remaining for the Manning led Vols. Of course they were gunning for National Championships and All-American accolades as the Heisman, but the Gators were constantly in the way. And while Danny Wuerffel and Ike Hilliard were gone to the NFL, Fred Taylor remained, and he was a force of nature on his own. In 1997, he ran for 134 yards on only 17 carries. Meanwhile, Tennessee managed a meager 45 net yards on 20 attempts. Florida also got Manning to throw two picks, one returned 89 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. The Vols also lost the ball via a fumble in the first half, and twice on downs in the second. Tennessee could not sustain drives, either, averaging fewer than 5 plays every possession. Florida wasn’t a great deal better in overall efficiency, but the interception return was a big boost, and the Gators once again defeated Tennessee, 33-20.[113]

Tennessee was once again embarrassed by the team Manning shunned in favor of Rocky Top. But there was another team Peyton had skipped over in choosing Tennessee; Ole Miss. The Rebels were thought to be able to recruit Peyton without problem. After all, his father, Archie, starred there before becoming the second overall pick in the NFL. His older brother went there as a WR. But Peyton forged his own path. Ole Miss appeared to have Tennessee’s number early on, and it looked like the Rebels were going to spoil another UT season. But a spectacular thing happened that day. In addition to Peyton throwing for over 300 yards, something he had done in every game thus far in 1997, the running game finally gained traction. The Vols had not had great luck with their rushing attack, and their leading rusher in games to this point had not eclipsed 43 yards. But Jamal Lewis took the reins and rumbled for 155 yards on the day as Tennessee pulled away in the second half to win 31-17.[114]

Georgia visited Tennessee next, and the Bulldogs, ranked 13th, were a tougher foe than the Rebels were expected to be. Having fallen against Florida and stumbled before getting right against Ole Miss, there was reason for concern. But not only did Manning stretch his streak of 300-yard passing games to 5 straight in 1997, but Jamal Lewis again bulldozed for over 130 yards. In fact, he went for 232, and Tennessee out ran Georgia 38-13. Additionally, Florida fell to LSU, opening the door for Tennessee. The Tide, UT’s next opponent, also folded under a 300-yard passing day from Manning, even without a massive game from Lewis, and Tennessee left Birmingham 38-21 winners.

The South Carolina Gamecocks strolled into Neyland Stadium with the confidence borne of their mascot. Having traded wins and losses early in the season, they were riding a three game win streak, all against SEC opponents and by at least two touchdowns. They defense went to work on the passing attack, and became the first team to hold Manning under 300 yards. In fact, Manning threw for a measly 126 yards, only completed 8 of 25 passes, and threw an interception with no touchdowns. The Orange defense wrecked South Carolina’s game a bit as well, sacking their QBs a combined 8 times on the day. But with Manning and the air assault stymied, Jamal Lewis took over. He ran for over 200 yards again, on only 24 carried, with a 65 yard touchdown run to start the fourth quarter for good measure. He was the reason Tennessee breathed a sigh of relief after winning 22-7.[115]

To make matters even better, Georgia took down Florida even while Tennessee struggled against South Carolina. Tennessee was now leading in the East, and needed to win out to take the SEC East crown. Southern Miss came to town next, and they had climbed into the top 25, ranked 24th. And the defense limited Jamal Lewis to a rather ho-hum 68 yards, but Manning flirted with 400 passing yards on the day as Tennessee won 44-20. Arkansas held Manning to a little over 250 yards, but Lewis carried for over 120 yards in a 30-22 win in Little Rock. Kentucky put up points, but Tennessee was prolific as Peyton threw for 523 yards against Tim Couch, who managed 476 himself. Both teams also had leading rushers with over 125 yards, and leading receivers with over 140 yards. Lexington had more offensive fireworks going that day than had been seen in a long time, and Tennessee walked away 59-31 winners.[116]

Within the standings, Tennessee had a lead on Florida, but Florida owned the tie breaker. With a win, against Vandy, Tennessee would outright win the SEC East title. Florida had finished up their regular season the week before with a big win over #2 Florida State. Georgia, who beat Florida but lost to Tennessee, was also sitting at a 6-2 SEC record. A loss by Tennessee would put them at a three way tie for first. And Vanderbilt had a habit of standing tall against UT recently. After pasting them for a 65-0 win as a true freshman, Manning had escaped with narrow 12-7 and 14-7 wins the previous two years. The record setting offense and prolific running by Jamal Lewis boded well for the Vols, though, and they went in with everything to lose.

The game started rather ugly for both teams. Vanderbilt combined for 5 of 14 passing for only 22 yards, and Manning went 7 of 16 for 89, but with a 33-yard score in there. Jamal Lewis ran for 81 yards, but was not making a large difference. Tennessee had forced and recovered a fumble, but followed it up with a missed field goal. Tennessee did get back-to-back drives to end in points, taking a 10-3 lead into the second half. After forcing Vandy to conclude the first drive of the second half, Tennessee fumbled at the Vandy 23. The Commodores gave it back on an interception, and Tennessee scored a touchdown with another Manning dive from the one, but Vandy came back with a touchdown of their own. The next three drives were disasters; Tennessee was intercepted, but the Commodores were intercepted in turn. Next, UT fumbled the ball back to them. Following the fumble, Vanderbilt was able to sneak into Tennessee territory, but stalled out, and punted back. Tennessee also got into Vandy’s side of the field, but punted from the 40. After a good defensive stand, Tennessee took over in Vanderbilt’s territory, but got almost nothing, gaining only 4 yards, and punted again, this time from the 41. Fortunately, the defense stood tall, and forced a turnover on downs, and Tennessee kneeled out for the narrow 17-10 win.[117]

For the first time since the SEC alignment into divisions, Tennessee was going to the SEC Championship game, even with a loss to Florida. There opponent was 11th ranked Auburn. Manning and Lewis combined for 500 net yards in the passing and running game, but Auburn was feisty, despite a poor running attack which netted 15 lost yards. It was the first meeting between the two teams since 1991, a UT win. Manning started out with a 40-yard strike to Peerless Price, but Auburn scored the next four times, taking a 20-7 lead early in the second quarter. UT had fumbled, bumbled, and thrown interceptions on their way to their deficit. Tennessee eventually responded with a field goal, but trailed 20-10 at half. Manning went wild from there. He threw a short touchdown pass to draw within a field goal. Auburn stretched the lead back to 28-17 with their own score, but Peyton threw another score to Price for 46 yards. However, the PAT was blocked and returned by Auburn for a 29-23 lead. On the Vols next possession, Jamal Lewis fumbled the ball back to the Tigers. Tennessee forced a punt, but Manning threw incomplete on the first play. The second, he went back to the same guy for a 73-yard score, and a 30-29 lead. Auburn immediately got back into threatening range with a 46-yard kickoff return. Tennessee quickly forced a fumble, and recovery, to end the immediate threat, but got nothing else out of it, as they punted away after only one first down. After trading a few punts each, Tennessee took over with under four minutes left. After short run, a short pass, and a short run, it was 4th and 1 at the Auburn 30. Instead of punting or attempting a field goal, Manning took the field, and kept the ball himself, running for the much needed 1-yard gain. From there, they rushed Lewis for another first down before salting away the clock for an SEC Championship.[118]

Though UT stumbled, but won, to end their season, there was little chance they would overtake either of the top 2 teams in the nation. Both Nebraska, ranked #2, and Michigan, ranked #1, were undefeated. Nebraska had an overtime win over Missouri, and a tight 27-24 win over Colorado, but all other wins were by at least 13 points, eight wins by at least 28 points, and a handful of 40 point victories. Michigan never scored more than 40 points on the year, but only once gave up more than 6 points. On January 1st, they beat the Ryan Leaf led Washington State Cougars 21-16. Matched up against Nebraska, and the Huskers were hardly slowed. They put up 42 points on the Vols, with Ahman Green and Scott Frost combining for over 250 rushing yards and 5 scores. Lewis and Manning combined for fewer yards, even when the passing total was included. In the first half, Tennessee went Punt, Punt, Fumble, Interception, Fumble, Field Goal, Punt, End of Half. Tennessee was largely embarrassed by a multifaceted run attack which had sustained great success in the 90’s, and fell 42-17, Manning’s only Bowl game loss, and his last game as a Vol.[119]

Despite the continued failure to overcome Florida, and the setback to end the season, Tennessee enjoyed their first First Team All-American in some time. Peyton Manning was elected at Quarterback, and Leonard Little was recognized as both a Defensive Lineman and a Linebacker, demonstrating his leadership of that side of the ball. Manning was also a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, but lost out to future NFL Hall of Famer Charles Woodson, the only primarily defensive player to ever win the award. Also in contention for the trophy was Ryan Leaf, the Washington State Quarterback. Leaf had passed for more yards and as many scores as Manning, despite far fewer passing attempts. After four largely successful seasons in the top ranks of College Ball, the failure to beat Florida, missing on the Heisman, not earning a National Championship, and losing their last Bowl Game had to be bitter pills to swallow, especially as Manning left to go #1 overall in the NFL Draft. With such talent, to fall short had to be damaging to morale.

1998: 13-0 (700-294-54) [449-118-25]

In addition to Peyton Manning, who received basically every award possible for a Quarterback except for the Heisman, Tennessee also bid farewell to a number of critical contributors. Gone was Marcus Nash, Tennessee’s yardage and touchdown receiving leader from 1997, and Cornerback Terry Fair, who led the defense with 5 interceptions. All three went in the first round. Leonard Little, was also gone, along with solid contributors at defensive end, offensive line, wide receiver, and defensive back. The team had some obvious talent remaining, but a stumble was very much so to be expected.

Syracuse was the first opponent, and the Vols made the trip to New York to take on the Donavan McNabb led Orangemen. Jamal Lewis was relied upon and delivered 140 yards and a touchdown on only 20 carries. Tee Martin, replacing Peyton Manning at Quarterback, focused the passing attack through Peerless Price, who had made big plays for Manning the year before. McNabb led Syracuse on a rousing comeback, outscoring UT 20-7 going into the final drive. Syracuse’s last seven drives on the day consisted of four field goals, two touchdowns, and one fumble. They took a 33-31 lead after forcing a Tennessee fumble and kicking a field goal with less than two-and-a-half minutes left in the game. With a short kick, the kick returner, running back Travis Henry, only got 14 yards, starting UT at the 18. But Jamal Lewis immediately gained 14 yards. A three yard gain sandwiched between two incomplete passes left Tennessee desperate, and they passed for it on fourth down, but it was incomplete. Fortunately for the Vols, there was pass interference, and Tennessee retained the ball with a fresh set of downs. Lewis again ran for more than 10 yards, which also got Tennessee into Syracuse territory. Peerless Price hauled in a pass for another 17, followed by two Lewis riches for a combined 16 yards down to the Orange 10-yard line. Tennessee quickly called a timeout with only four seconds remaining, and sent out Jeff Hall for the kick. Not only would his tem take a 34-33 lead as time expired if he converted the kick, but he would also pass Gene McEver, a key cog under General Neyland’s 1928-1931 squads, on the program all-time scoring list. Hall lined up, the ball was set, the kick went up and over the Syracuse line, and soared through the uprights for the win. It was the first contest with Syracuse in over 30 years, but the win kept UT perfect against the Orange.[120]

Tennessee next faced the daunting task of welcoming the Gators to Neyland Stadium, but they had the good fortune of a week off between games to prepare. Florida had beaten Manning four straight times, and also defeated Tennessee the year before Peyton started. With a five game streak favoring Florida, who had already won 49-10 and 42-10 so far, Tennessee was potentially outmatched. A record crowd of 107,653 fans attended the game, brimming with optimism that this was the Vols’ year. But Florida scored first, though only with a field goal. Tennessee responded with a touchdown from a 57-yard scamper by Shawn Bryson. The defense was phenomenal on the day, forcing Florida to take loss after loss in the running game. Florida managed a net loss of 13 yards rushing on the day. Jeff Hall once again kicked a field goal and Peerless Price grabbed another scoring pass to take a lead in the third, but Florida stormed back to notch it up 17-17. With no points in the 4th quarter, in part due to an interception by UT’s Deon Grant, something new happened for both Florida and Tennessee; an overtime game. With the rules for overtime changing in 1995, neither the Volunteers nor the Gators had yet ended regulation tied. Tennessee’s hopes for a victory dwindled significantly when UT’s offense started moving backwards. Having started at the 25-yard line, Tennessee lost 13 yards in two plays. On 3rd and 23, QB Tee Martin scrambled to gain 14, and set up Jeff Hall for a kick to take a lead. He nailed it from 41 yards out. Next, Florida’s offense came out. The Gators also could not get much going, advancing to the 15-yard line before having to send out their own kicker. But the ball never made it through the uprights, and Tennessee fans stormed the field, controlling the grass for half an hour as they tore down the goal posts in celebration.[121]

With a monkey off their backs, Tennessee stormed over Houston the next week 42-7. The offense came back to earth the next two weeks, as the Vols only scoring against Auburn was 17 points in the first quarter, though it was enough to win as the defense held the Tigers to 9 points, compliments of multiple interceptions by the Big Orange D. But the win came at the expense of Jamal Lewis, who injured his knee and would not return that season. Travis Stephens took over duties, and the offensive line, anchored by Chad Clifton, Fred Weary, Jarvis Reado, Cosey Coleman, and Mercedes Hamilton opening holes and holding off blitzes.[122]

Next, #7 Georgia held UT to 22, but only scored 3 themselves. It was UT’s 8th win in a row in the series. Having already played in Alabama against Auburn, Tennessee was benefited by hosting Alabama, a program which had begun to fall on hard times with a losing record in 1997 and at 4-2 going into the game at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee scored a touchdown in every quarter, and a pair of them in the fourth, taking an easy 35-18 victory, their fourth in a row, tying a program record for most wins in the series in a row.

To call Tennessee’s sustained success a surprise would likely be downplaying it. Having lost so many contributors, it was expected the Volunteers would face more challenges than they could handle. Instead, UT was 6-0 with wins over Alabama, #2 Florida, and #7 Georgia. A potentially great season was a real possibility, as long as the team did not lose focus. Tennessee handled their challenges from both South Carolina and UAB without difficulty, winning 49-14 and 37-13. Next, 10th ranked Arkansas came to Knoxville with their eyes set on a win. Not only was Tennessee still down Jamal Lewis, but Al Wilson, the heartbeat of the Orange defense, was missing the contest with a shoulder injury. The Razorbacks charged out to a commanding 21-3 lead in the second quarter of a rain soaked afternoon. Jeff Hall was critical in scoring field goals and PATs, and an errant Arkansas snap on a punt led to a safety, giving UT another 2 points. Tee Martin was again erratic, completing only 10 of 27 passes. But it was the Arkansas quarterback who fumbled the ball away with under two minutes remaining, and Travis Henry barrelled over the goal line for 6 points to win the game just over a minute of game time later. Defensive lineman Billy Ratliff recalls getting a solid push against the Arkansas O-line, and tripped up the QB to force the fumble using the O-line’s own legs on the muddy surface. Tennessee’s last major hurdle was cleared, and they were 9-0 with three wins over top-10 ranked opponents.[123]

Tennessee made sure to not waste their opportunity with lackluster play against Kentucky and Vanderbilt. They two rivals were embarrassed 59-21 and 41-0 by UT. The team’s perfect record was enough to send Tennessee to the SEC Championship game for the second straight year, this time against #24 Mississippi State. State had spoiled far too many UT seasons with upsets, and looked to carry the history forward by taking a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Tennessee took the lead back before half, and flurry of 21 points int he fourth quarter favored UT, with the final score of 24-14 titled Tennessee’s way. For the first time since 1956, the Volunteers were undefeated going into their Bowl Game.

Not only was the accomplishment a rarity in UT history, but Tennessee was headed to the BCS game, described as “the first-ever official national championship game.”[124] Having finished the season with a perfect record, and holding the #1 rank since playing Arkansas, UT was bracing for Florida State, the #2 team, in a neutral match up in Tempe, AZ. Tennessee took some time getting going, but scored first with from four yards out, with Tee Martin hitting the fullback. When Florida State got too eager, Tennessee’s Dwayne Goodrich jumped a pass and returned it 54 yards for a score and a 14-0 advantage. The Seminoles scrapped together 9 points in the half, and entered the lockers rooms trailing the Vols 14-9. With a scoreless third quarter, Tee Martin dialed up a bomb to Peerless Price for a 79-yard score in the fourth quarter. That was all that was needed, and UT’s defense did enough from there to win 23-16. Martin credited newly minted Offensive Coordinator Randy Sanders with making some gutsy calls, and trusting his players, in order to get the win. David Cutliffe had run the offense all year, but left to take the head job at Ole Miss, leading to Sanders’ elevation. While it lacked fireworks, the team played “hard and… smart” to get the victory.[125] To add to the significance of the event, the win was the 700th in program history.

For Coach Fulmer, the season capped a long career of just falling short in many ways. He had joined the UT football team as a player in 1968, the year after they were named National Champions by Litkenhouse Ratings. His first year starting, the team was undefeated until they were blown out by Ole Miss in the final month, ruining chances for a title. The following year, Tennessee lost to Auburn early, the only blemish on their record. As a Senior in 1971, UT again lost to Auburn, by only a point, but also dropped a game against Alabama. Coming back to Knoxville as an assistant Coach, he was pivotal in coaching up the offense to greater heights starting in 1989, but a loss to Alabama that year, their only defeat, kept them from ascending to National contention. No team finished the season with a perfect record, so that loss to the Tide stands out harshly. After taking the reins as Head Coach, and frequently with a generational talent under center, the Vols could not overcome Florida, dropping every game against them, UT’s only regular season losses in 1993, 1995, and 1997. But after losing arguably the greatest and one of the best players in UT history, along with two other first round picks and other starters along the defensive and offensive front, Tennessee somehow improved their record, swiped Florida out of the way, and defeated a Florida State squad many thought would easily dispatch the Orange and White. In trying to simplify how this happened, Coach Fulmer merely said “We were fortunate all season that the players listened to their coaches and did as they were told.”[126]

To support Coach Fulmer’s declaration, it was an all around team effort in order to go undefeated in 1998. With Manning gone, Tee Martin stepped up at QB. While he had better rushing numbers, his passing stats were significantly down compared to the previous year, and the offensive line was heavily relied upon to maintain blocks while Martin scrambled and ad libbed some plays. Peerless Price stepped up to replace the departed Marcus Nash, and all three top pass catchers on the team averaged at least 15 yards per catch. Price himself accounted for 199 yards on only 4 catches in the title game to win MVP.[127] Jamal Lewis gained a carry shy of 500 yards in five games before injurying his knee. Travis Henry and Travis Stephens picked up the slack to rush for over 1500 yards and 10 scores. Al Wilson was the center of the defense, playing through an injured shoulder for much of the year to earn First Team All-American honors, but often relegated to the sideline when the coaches wanted to keep him from doing too much damage to himself.[128] With Wilson holding down the fort up front, Deon Grant roamed deep, playing a “center field” role and picking off a team leading 5 passes, including a pass which pushed them past Florida for the first time under Fulmer.[129] Kicker Jeff Hall became the SEC’s All-Time leading scorer by coming through with clutch kicks multiple times.[130] Both Cosey Coleman and Chad Clifton would be second round picks off the offensive line. The entire team stepped up throughout the season, contributing important plays at critical times in order to finish the season with a perfect record. That team is celebrated as one of the greatest teams with one of the greatest programs in College football history.

With the team as well was Smokey VIII, who came to be the winningest Smokey iteration to date. He joined the squad in 1995, and participated in the winning of each of the two SEC Championships. His attendance as part of the National Championship team as well was a feather in the pup’s cap. He would go on to have a compiled record of 91-22 by the time he stopped stalking the UT sidelines.[131]

1999: 9-3 (709-297-54) [456-118-25]

The 1998 Volunteers potentially overachieved. However, it could also be said large handfuls of previous Volunteer squads underachieved. If Manning could have led UT to victory over the Gators, how different would history be? What if Johnny Majors didn’t lose to Bama in 1989? Or if Bill Battle’s 1970 squad didn’t drop a contest to Auburn? Or Doug Dickey’s team the year previously, getting hammered by Ole Miss? Or Neyland’s multiple draws denying him even more National Championships? Or John Barnhill in 1942, 1944, and 1945 only losing to Alabama? Well, you can wish in one hand, and spit in the other, and see which fills first. The point is, Tennessee got immense contributions from across the team. Some of those core members, Peerless Price, Al Wilson, and Jeff Hall, took their skills to the NFL. But the O Line was still potent, Tee Martin was still under center, and Jamal Lewis was now backed up by Travis Henry and Travis Stephens, who became UT legends in their own rights.

Wyoming fell hard at Neyland Stadium, 42-17, which included a team record 13 sacks by UT defenders.[132] Florida edged past the Vols 23-21. The Gators scored 20 straight points despite losing the turnover battle 5-1. Tee Martin was particularly wild passing, completing only 16 of 39 passes, and drives were not consistently sustained enough to capitalize on the defensive prowess.[133]

Memphis attempted to play spoiler in Knoxville, but the Vols were able to sneak through with a 17-16 win. The Memphis top passer, rusher, and receiver all had better days than the statistical highs for Tennessee on the day. Both teams had 3 turnovers, a mix of fumbles and interceptions, but a punt return touchdown for UT got the scoring going, and Tee Martin found Cedrick Wilson for a score with a minute left to gain the edge.[134]

Memphis was harder to beat than either Auburn or Georgia, as both were defeated easily. Auburn was shut out, 24-0, and the Bulldogs were bested by a score of 37-20. Even tenth ranked Alabama lost at home to the Vols 21-7.The South Carolina Gamecocks came to Knoxville and were sent home as 30-7 losers, tamed by a combination of good defense and efficient offense.

The next game on the schedule was a visit to Knoxville from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The history between the two schools was sparse, but lively. In 1978 and 1979, Johnny Majors went 1-1 against the Irish with each winning at home. In 1990 and 1991, Majors’ teams again split, going 1-1, but this time each team won their away game. The Irish had stumbled out of the gates in 1999. They woon against Kansas to start, but lost three straight to top 10 Michigan, 20th ranked Purdue, and then even unranked Michigan State. Four straight home wins brought some respectability to the team, but it was a flawed team. Tennessee exposed those flaws winning big, 38-14, and sparking another Irish losing streak.

Arkansas hosted UT in their next game, and while Tennessee put up 24 points, the Razorbacks posted 7 each quarter to win a close game, 28-24. The game blasted away any hopes for slipping into the SEC championship, which would have needed Florida to slip up anyway. Without a great deal to play for aside from bragging rights, UK and Vanderbilt were dismantled 56-21 and 38-10. For the first time in nearly 75 years, there was no trophy for the UK-UT game winner due to a pair of drunk driving deaths following the conclusions of UK’s regular season the year before. It was silently recognized by both schools that November Saturday the barrel would be retired and kept out of the lime light, it respect of those who passed away tragically, ending lives before they had begun to make their full impacts on the world.[135]

The 1999 squad had not reached nearly the level of success of the team previous to it. Additionally, they had not done as well as the Peyton Manning led group from 1997. However, the Nine-Nine squad included as many First Team All-Americans as the two previous seasons combined. Deon Grant, the star safety from 98, corralled even more interceptions in 99. Cosey Coleman snagged a coveted AA spot from his guard position, having earned an All-Conference honer each season of his UT career. And Raynoch Thompson followed Al Wilson’s example at the Linebacker position to the First Team after earning Third Team honors the year before..

UT was once again matched up against Nebraska in their Bowl game. Nebraska struck first and second, scoring on a run and then a punt return, and also third, kicking a field goal. Tennessee finally got going with a pass from Tee Martin to Donte’ Stallworth. In the second half, Travis Henry scored, but Nebraska put up another pair of touchdowns to put it out of reach, even after another score from Martin to Stallworth. The Huskers knocked the Vols out of the bowl game again, 31-21.[136] Another season, another disappointment, even with the success. While acceptable, exciting, and enjoyable, it still felt like a season cut short.

2000: 8-4 (717-301-54) [461-119-25]

Replacing Manning, Nash, Little, and Fair from 1997 to 1998 was well handled. The departure of Peerless Price, Al Wilson, and Jeff Hall was handled less well from 1998 to 1999. However, after Y2K, UT football lost their starting running back, Jamal Lewis, and starting defensive lineman, Shaun Ellis, both in the first round of the NFL Draft. But the second round was when All-American linebacker Raynoch Thompson, All-American Guard Cosey Coleman, All-Conference tackle Chad Clifton, and defensive backs Dwayne Goodrich and All-American Deon Grant were all taken by NFL teams. Additionally, defensive tackle Darwin Walker and quarterback Tee Martin were also drafted. Half of each side of the line of scrimmage, the quarterback, the running back, half the defensive back field, and the defensive play caller were all gone.

The potential for challenges were rather apparent early on. Ranked or not, Southern Miss had never been a challenge for UT. Tennessee was 3-0 with a point total of 142-20, no game closer than 24 points, and two shutouts. The year 2000 kicked off with a fizzle. Tennessee utilized multiple quarterbacks, mainly from Joey Mathews and AJ Suggs, completing barely half their passes for only 5 yards-per-attempt. Travis Henry carried the load at running back with 135 yards on 19 carries.Donte’ Stallworth caught a 51-yard touchdown pass from Suggs, but gained only 11 yards on his three other catches. Fortunately, the defense penetrated the offensive line with ease, totalling 9 sacks on the day, leading the way to a 19-16 win. In addition to Joey Mathews making his first start, UT was relying on a large contingent of true freshmen, including OT Michael Munoz, TE Jason Witten, DT Chavis Smith, LB Robert Peace, and DBs Jabari Greer, Rashad Baker, Corey Larkins, Tony Campbell, and OJ Owens.[137]

Florida was more of a challenge, and a school record 108,768 attendees arrived to witness the bout. While Travis Henry rushed for 175 yards on 37 carries, over four times the number of yards Florida as a team totalled, another freshman started their first game at QB, AJ Suggs, and the team was unable to finish off enough drives with touchdowns. The Vols settled for a pair of field goals from the 2-yard line, and another pair within the 20-yard line. Tennessee only once scored a touchdown after getting within the red zone, and it doomed them. Florida won out, 27-23. A single touchdown swapped for a field goal would have forced overtime. The loss also snapped a 23-game win streak at home for UT.[138]

Needing to get back on track, ULM came to Knoxville for the only game between the two programs, and Tennessee whalloped them 70-3. But Tennessee was next matched up against LSU. The Tigers had not frequently been difficult for the Vols. LSU had won three, tied two, and lost the other 18 games. But history does not play the games; players do. To close out September 2000, Tennessee quarterback AJ Suggs was slinging the ball across the field. He attempted 59 passes, completing 37 of them for 319 yards and 3 scores. His Tiger counterpart, Rohan Davey, was able to pass for more yards and touchdowns despite attempting fewer passes than Suggs completed. With the game tied in the fourth, and less than a minute to go, Davey completed passes of 19, 6 and 12 yards to help make up for a false start and a holding call to get LSU in field goal with only 2 seconds left. But UT player, Tad Golden, blocked the kick, and the game went to overtime. On the first play of overtime, Davey passed 25 yards for a score. Tennessee quickly got to the 11-yard line on their possession, but Suggs threw three incompletions and only a 7-yard gain, and the Vols lost 38-31 in overtime in Death Valley.[139]

Tennessee started to snowball with another loss the next week to ranked Georgia, giving them three losses in four games. But the ship was righted with a home win over Alabama, and a win on the road over ranked South Carolina, Memphis once again put up a scrappy fight, and Tennessee barely escaped with a 19-17 win. It was the third game in a row against Memphis in which the Vols failed to score more than 20 points. The offense did get going again the next week at least, with a 63-20 beating of Arkansas, and then a 59-20 win over Kentucky.

Tennessee’s last game was, once again, against Vanderbilt, in Nashville. Travis Henry did his best to make it a blow out early, rushing for two scores in the first quarter. After a Commodore field goal, Travis Stephens rushed for another score on the first drive of the 3rd quarter for a 21-3 lead. But a Vanderbilt field goal was followed by a pair of touchdown passes between Commodore WR MJ Garrett and QB Greg Zolman. The following kickoff was returned by Travis Stephens from the 3-yard line for 46 yards. Casey Clausen started with a missed pass before Travis Henry rushed for 4. Facing 3rd down, Tennessee took to the air for a first down to the Vanderbilt 36. Three straight complete passes for 5, 16, and 15 yards resulted in a touchdown, extending UT’s lead to 28-19. A late Vandey score cut the lead to 28-26. Tennessee’s next drive started with offsetting personal fouls by each team. It took the Vols nearly 10 plays to run out the clock, and the drive ended how it started; with a pair of offsetting personal foul penalties.[140]

A second half surge qualified UT for a Cotton Bowl against ranked Kansas State. State started to run away with this one early. Less than five minutes into the second quarter, KS was up 21-7. It took a defensive touchdown to complement a Jabari Greer interception return for a 78-yard score to draw within 21-14. But Casey Clausen was not sharp on the day. K State held the QB to 7 completions on 25 attempts, and threw 3 picks against 1 touchdown. Kansas State won 35-21.[141]

Despite some faltering play, and an early season slump, Tennessee came back well, only to lose in their bowl game. John Henderson anchored the defensive line by totalling over 70 tackles and a dozen sacks. His terrorizing of the backfield earned him the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and the Outland Trophy for his efforts, and was named as a First Team All-American.[142]

1. Blue Devils surprise Vols, record crowd – Newspapers.com
2. Bama stops Vols – Newspapers.com
3. UF rally nips Vols by 20–18 – Newspapers.com
4. Battle bows out with a win as Vols plan to stalk Majors – Newspapers.com
5. Stanley Morgan College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits | College Football at Sports-Reference.com
6. Auburn rallies by Vols, 14–12 – Newspapers.com
7. UK nips tough Tennessee, ends 10–1 – Newspapers.com
8. Tennessee Vols rally to tie Oregon State in 13–13 game – Newspapers.com
9. Vols fall prey to Tide 30–17 – Newspapers.com
10. Tennessee blasts Utah, 51–18 – Newspapers.com
11. Moore sparks Tennessee – Newspapers.com
12. Bulldogs swarm Vols – Newspapers.com
13. Irish humbles by Vols, 40–18 – Newspapers.com
14. Tennessee rally falls short, Purdue wins Bluebonnet Bowl – Newspapers.com
15. Walker rallies Georgia past Vols – Newspapers.com
16. Trojans win by a Hipp and a foot – Newspapers.com
17. Alabama overwhelms Tennessee – Newspapers.com
18. Georgia pounds Volunteers, 44–0 – Newspapers.com
19. Georgia pounds Volunteers, 44–0 – Newspapers.com
20. Tide’s first half monsoon wrecks Vols – Newspapers.com
21. Wildcats silence Vols’ thunder – Newspapers.com
22. Majors proud of Tennessee 10–7 victory – Newspapers.com
23. Tennessee dodges a Shock(er) – Newspapers.com
24. Vandy refuses chance to tie – Newspapers.com
25. Tennessee’s speed burns Wisconsin – Newspapers.com
26. Duke surprises Tennessee, 25–24 – Newspapers.com
27. LSU, Vols fight to 24-all tie – Newspapers.com
28. UT stuns No. 2 ‘Bama – Newspapers.com
29. Vandy downs UT, 28–21 – Newspapers.com
30. Willie Gault – Football – University of Tennessee Athletics (utsports.com)
31. Pitt dumps Vols, 13–3, on long touchdown pass – Newspapers.com
32. Auburn rebounds with win – Newspapers.com
33. Last quarter surge lifts Vols past Tide – Newspapers.com
34. Tennessee beats Maryland 30–23 – Newspapers.com
35. Big Orange Country, 40
36. Football All Americans – University of Tennessee Athletics (utsports.com)
37. Vols ignite to edge past Alabama by 1 – Newspapers.com
38. Tennessee goes to wire in win – Newspapers.com
39. Cats bowl bound after hanging on to tip Volunteers – Newspapers.com
40. Sun shines on Terps, Sun Bowl, record crowd – Newspapers.com
41. The Tennessee Football Programs: 1985 Football Program – UT vs UCLA (archive.org)
42. The Tennessee Football Programs: 1985 Football Program – UT vs UCLA (archive.org)
43. Chris White – Football – University of Tennessee Athletics (utsports.com)
44. GATORS DROP TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS BREAK UNDER UF DEFENSE – Sun Sentinel (sun-sentinel.com)
45. Vols Stop Tide, Lose Robinson – Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)
46. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 96.
47. Felker making many believers – Newspapers.com
48. Tigers put the squeeze on – Newspapers.com
49. Vols fall in battle to Army – Newspapers.com
50. Slip of toe lets Tech win 14–13 – Newspapers.com
51. Tennessee knocks out the Rebels – Newspapers.com
52. Tennessee air raid sinks Gophers’ rally – Newspapers.com
53. College Football Retro Review: 1987 Kickoff Classic Tennessee Vs. Iowa
54. Mississippi State Final Book 091287
55. College Football Retro Review: 1987 Tennessee Vs. Auburn
56. Alabama Final Book 101787
57. Kentucky Final Book 112187
58. Vanderbilt Final Book 112887
59. 1988 Peach Bowl
60. Georgia Final Book 090388
61. LSU Final Book 091788
62. Auburn Final Book 092488
63. Alabama Final Book 101588
64. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 20
65. Colorado State Final Book 090289
66. UCLA Final Book 090989
67. Auburn Final Book 093089
68. Alabama Final Book 102189
69. LSU Final Book 102889
70. Vanderbilt Final Book 111989
71. Cotton Bowl 1990
72. Eric Still – Football – University of Tennessee Athletics (utsports.com)
73. Colorado Final Book 082690
74. Tennessee 31, Colorado 31 – UPI Archives
75. Auburn Final Book 092990
76. Alabama Final Book 102090
77. Notre Dame Final Book 111090
78. 1991 Sugar Bowl
79. Dale Carter – Football – University of Tennessee Athletics (utsports.com)
80. Antone Davis – Football – University of Tennessee Athletics (utsports.com)
81. UCLA Final Book 091491
82. Mississippi State Final Book 092191
83. Alabama Final Book 101991
84. Notre Dame Final Book 110991
85. Penn State Final Book 010192
86. Gameday: Tennessee Football, pg 75
87. Georgia Final Book 091292
88. Florida Final Book 091992
89. Boston College Final Book 010193
90. Legendary Vols coach and player Johnny Majors dies at 85
91. Florida Final Book 091893
92. Alabama Final Book 101693
93. 1994 Florida Citrus Bowl
94. Peyton Manning Details his final two choices, the day he picked Tennessee over Florida.
95. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 19
96. UCLA Final Book 090394
97. Washington State Final Book 100194
98. Alabama Final Book 101594
99. Kentucky Final Book 111994
100. Vanderbilt Final Book 112694
101. 1994 Gator Bowl
102. Georgia Final Book 090995
103. Florida Final Book 091695
104. Alabama Final Book 101495
105. Kentucky Final Book 111895
106. Vanderbilt Final Book 112595
107. 1996 Florida Citrus Bowl
108. Florida Final Book 092196
109. Memphis Final Book 110996
110. Vanderbilt Final Book 113096
111. 1997 Florida Citrus Bowl
112. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 108
113. Florida Final Book 092097
114. Ole Miss Final Book 100497
115. South Carolina Final Book 110197
116. Kentucky Final Book 112297
117. Vanderbilt Final Book 112997
118. Auburn Final Book 120697
119. Nebraska Final Book 010298
120. Syracuse Final Book 090598
121. Florida Recap 091998
122. Six Seasons Remembered, pg 132-133
123. Six Seasons Remembered, pg 140
124. Six Seasons Remembered, pg 125
125. Six Seasons Remembered, pg 147-148
126. Six Seasons Remembered, pg 126
127. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 58
128. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 59
129. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 62
130. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 86
131. Game Day: Tennessee Football, pg 24
132. Southern Miss Final Book 090200
133. Florida Final Book 091899
134. Memphis Final Book 092599
135. Alcohol Abuse Ends 2 Lives and Wrecks Another
136. Nebraska Final Book 010200
137. Southern Miss Final Book 090200
138. Florida Final Book 091600
139. LSU Final Book 093000
140. Vanderbilt Final Book 112500
141. Kansas State Final Book 010101
142. John Henderson