Countdown to September 2nd vs UVA. (Top 150 Vols wins)

[87&91ALUM]

I do not like to be an OP and would prefer someone else stepping up with the schedule of football events leading to kick-off against Virginia. I am enjoying these best game stories and mine will probably always be sitting in the NOLA Super Dome and watching Tennessee totally whoop the "favorite" Miama and Testevery...no..I won't take the time to spell check. Loved this game for so many reasons. Drinking in the dome, buying tickets from one of the Tennessee players, maybe his sister?.... standing on a corner, great food, great friends, and so many special plays. As far as 2023....when will players report, put on pads, scrimmage, and when does Freak start posting all that UT lover summer camp stuff! I was born in Virginia and raised in Tennessee so there is a lot of "reasons" to want to get off to a good start. Thx!

 

[87&91ALUM]

I enjoyed this article...left me wanting a lot more information. Maybe need to sticky the important dates and activities somehow. Meet Tennessee football’s summer enrollees

 

[peaygolf]

I do not like to be an OP and would prefer someone else stepping up with the schedule of football events leading to kick-off against Virginia. I am enjoying these best game stories and mine will probably always be sitting in the NOLA Super Dome and watching Tennessee totally whoop the "favorite" Miama and Testevery...no..I won't take the time to spell check. Loved this game for so many reasons. Drinking in the dome, buying tickets from one of the Tennessee players, maybe his sister?.... standing on a corner, great food, great friends, and so many special plays. As far as 2023....when will players report, put on pads, scrimmage, and when does Freak start posting all that UT lover summer camp stuff! I was born in Virginia and raised in Tennessee so there is a lot of "reasons" to want to get off to a good start. Thx!

Your top game will be high up my rankings

 

[peaygolf]

64 days…..

#64 - 20-14 vs #9 North Carolina (1946)

‘46 was Neyland’s first season back after serving overseas in WW2. The Vols started 4-0 before an upset loss to Wake Forrest. The following game had All-American Charlie Justice and the #9 Tar Heels coming to Knoxville to face the #10 Vols.

The game was classic Neyland, defense and field position. “Choo-Choo” Justice did break loose for a 73 yard touchdown for North Carolina, but he was out played by UTs Walter Slater throughout the day, and especially one one particular play.

The game breaking play was regarded as one of the most memorable in UT history. Slater received a punt on the 22 yard line late in the game with UT trailing. Slater found daylight and began racing toward the end zone. Charlie Justice had an angle on Slater, but Slater faked a pitch to teammate Dick Jordan, which momentarily froze Justice. From there, Slater waltzed into the end zone smiling at Justice.

The victory would help UT to a 9-1 regular season record and a #7 ranking in the AP poll. As a child, my grandmother always talked about how amazing that game was.

Slater’s smile

 

[peaygolf]

63 days……

#63 - 37-20 vs #10 Georgia (1999)

The #6 ranked Vols (3-1) faced undefeated Georgia (4-0) on a dizzy night in October. Tee Martin was banged up from the UF game and Georgia believed this was the year they would finally beat the Vols after 8 straight loses. Their confidence was so high, they stomped on the T at midfield before the game……

That was all the motivation Tee Martin needed. In a battle of top 10 teams, Martin ran for three first-half touchdowns and threw another touchdown pass to Jamal Lewis, putting the Vols up 28-7 at the half.

A safety in the second half made it 30-7. However, when the Vols called off the dogs, the Dawgs made it close. Two touchdowns cut it to 30-20 early in the fourth, but true freshman Leonard Scott ran back a kickoff for a touchdown to put the Vols back in control UT won 37-20, clinching an undefeated record against Georgia during the 1990s.

Cedrick Wilson led the Tennessee receivers with eight catches for 107 yards.


The Bulldogs had been averaging 191 yards a game on the ground, but Tennessee held them to 54 yards on 30 carries. Jasper Sanks, who had gone over 100 yards three straight games, had 37 yards on eight carries.

 

[OneManGang]

64 days…..
Slater’s smile

View attachment 559975

"Charlie Justice had an angle on Slater, but Slater faked a pitch to teammate Dick Jordan, which momentarily froze Justice. From there, Slater waltzed into the end zone smiling at Justice."

Like an effing BOSS!

Naturally, in today's world governed by snowflakes, lawyers, and other scolds, he would be flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and the TD called back.

Gawd, how I hate the 21st Century.

 

[peaygolf]

62 days…….

#62 - 38-13 vs #13 Georgia (1997)

The 9th ranked Vols hosted an upstart 4-0 Bulldog team ranked #13, two weeks after losing to UF. Another conference loss would all but dash any hopes for a SEC championship.

Enter Jamal Lewis. A regrouped UT team saw Lewis gain 232 yards on the ground against his home state school. Peyton Manning added 343 yards and four touchdowns through the air, and the Vols dominated the Dawgs 38-13. Eleven different receivers caught 31 passes from Manning and Johnathan Brown and Al Wilson were standouts on defense.

A Florida loss to the LSU Tigers later that day put UT back in the East race, rewarding the Vols for not quitting after that early loss. Simply put, this was one of those perfect days of college football for UT fans.

 

[TennesseeTarheel]

Glad to read it is only 62 days. It was feeling more like 66 or 67.

 

[StarRaider]

 

[peaygolf]

Glad to read it is only 62 days. It was feeling more like 66 or 67.

Did I screw up???

 

[StarRaider]

Did I screw up???

my math skilz say 62 is the number of days (today - 7/2/23, eight weeks five days and a wake up)

 

[peaygolf]

my math skilz say 62 is the number of days (today - 7/2/23, eight weeks five days and a wake up)

Then ..............I'm good!

 

[StarRaider]

Then ..............I'm good!

you are dadgum right you are good. I check this tread daily - 5*

 

[TennesseeTarheel]

Did I screw up???

No...No!,, I was trying to be humorous. You're fine!

Sorry. I didn't blue font.

 

[peaygolf]

No...No!,, I was trying to be humorous. You're fine!

Sorry. I didn't blue font.

 

[peaygolf]

61 days…..

#61 - 23-6 vs Kentucky (1914)

Tennessee had beaten Vandy, Alabama, and six other opponents during the season, but none of that mattered if they couldn’t get by Kentucky. An undefeated season, and more importantly, a SIAA Championship was on the line.

The Vols hosted the Wildcats on Thanksgiving in 1914, withe the great AM “Goat” Carroll playing his last game for UT. In what turned out to be the most important game of the season, Carroll scored three touchdowns and helped UT to a 23-6 victory. Carroll was named All-Southern.

Once the horn sounded, students realized they had won the first conference championship for the Vols in school history.

 

[swampfoxfan]

Life will be easier 61 days from now

 

[peaygolf]

60 days……

#60 - 6-0 vs #11 Kentucky (1949)

The unranked Vols (5-2-1) traveled to Lexington to face the #11 Wildcats (8-1) as huge underdogs. This was Bear Bryant’s best UK team and they would win the SEC championship with a victory.

Hank Lauricella ran wild over the nations best defense, but UT still could not get the ball across the goal line. After an interception, Lauricella and Rechichar made big runs, and fullback Gordon Polofsky finally scored the Vols only touchdown.
UTs defense was superb, holding UK to only 4 first downs and never allowed the Wildcats past the 30 yard line.

Despite being unranked and having no title to play for, UT managed to ruin another Bear Bryant season, upsetting the Wildcats 6-0. The win allowed them, instead, to finish in the Top 25, and they secured that ranking after beating the Vanderbilt Commodores to finish 7-2-1.

At this point, it was becoming clear that Neyland simply owned Bryant. After all, Kentucky had this game at home, was playing for a SEC title and was heading to the Orange Bowl. But they still couldn’t beat the Vols.

 

[peaygolf]

59 days…..

#59 - 26-7 vs #12 Vanderbilt (1941)

The ‘41 season concluded in front of 32,000 fans in Knoxville vs the 8-1 Commodores. The Vols were a touchdown underdog, but a fired up Vols team didn’t want Vanderbilt getting a New Years Day bowl game. With Coach Neyland called to duty, Coach John Barnhill had his team ready.

Behind an aggressive OL, backs Walter Slater and Bobby Ciefers ran wild. Both sophomores ran and passed for touchdowns and Bud Hubble caught each TD pass. Vanderbilt didn’t mount any drive until the fourth quarter, when the game was out of reach.

With the huge upset victory, UT had kept their bitter rivals out of a bowl game, and had hope for an Cotton Bowl invite. But, sadly, it went to Bama. The Vols did finish 8-2 and ranked #18.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

85 days…….

#85 - 21-0 vs #11 Auburn (1973)

Ninth‐ranked Tennessee used a swarming defense, the passing of Condredge Holloway and the running of Haskel Stanback in beating Auburn, 21‐0.

The victory snapped a three‐game Auburn winning streak over Tennessee and gave Bill Battle his first triumph over the Tigers since he became head coach of the Vols four years ago.

It was the first time Auburn had been held scoreless since 1967 when Georgia beat the Tigers, 17‐0.

Holloway, who completed nine of 14 passes for 73 yards, completed a 7‐yard toss to Emmon Love for Tennessee's first touchdown in the second quarter.

Stanback, who carried the ball 22 times for 96 yards, picked up 55 more yards than Auburn's combined rushing total of 41 yards.

Heavy monsoon like rains made the second half almost unplayable, prompting Battle to punt on first down on a couple of occasions.

The Vols victory gave hope for a very successful season, but three late season loses spoiled what started out great. After the Gator Bowl loss to Texas Tech, UT finished 8-4.

View attachment 555732

I was 10 years old sitting in the student section with my older brother, who was a graduate student. I remember the students had on t-shirts that said, "Pluck You War Eagles"

 

[peaygolf]

58 days…..

#58 - 31-11 vs #5 Penn State (1971)

The Vols were 8-2 and headed to the Liberty Bowl, but still had one game left on the schedule…..undefeated and 5th ranked Penn St.

A national TV audience watched as the “pride of Eastern football” brought their 15 game winning streak to Knoxville. The Majors family was honored before the game, which turned out to be very prophetic. Bobby, the All-American safety returned punts and kickoffs for 195 yards, including a spectacular 44 yard punt return for a touchdown.

The Vols defense was amazing the entire game. Jackie Walker consistently pressured the PSU offense and had a 43 yard interception return for a touchdown and Conrad Graham intercepted a pitch and returned it 76 yards for the first Vols TD.

In the end, UT held the nations best offense to 11 points. The magnitude of dominating a team like the Nittany Lions is what makes this one of the best games in Tennessee history. It was a complete shutdown of the momentum Penn State had built.

Conrad Graham’s “int”

 

[Rifleman]

There is no arguing: this countdown is the number 1 most hype-inducing countdown in Volnation history. Thanks, PG, for your hard work!

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

58 days…..

#58 - 31-11 vs #5 Penn State (1971)

The Vols were 8-2 and headed to the Liberty Bowl, but still had one game left on the schedule…..undefeated and 5th ranked Penn St.

A national TV audience watched as the “pride of Eastern football” brought their 15 game winning streak to Knoxville. The Majors family was honored before the game, which turned out to be very prophetic. Bobby, the All-American safety returned punts and kickoffs for 195 yards, including a spectacular 44 yard punt return for a touchdown.

The Vols defense was amazing the entire game. Jackie Walker consistently pressured the PSU offense and had a 43 yard interception return for a touchdown and Conrad Graham intercepted a pitch and returned it 76 yards for the first Vols TD.

In the end, UT held the nations best offense to 11 points. The magnitude of dominating a team like the Nittany Lions is what makes this one of the best games in Tennessee history. It was a complete shutdown of the momentum Penn State had built.

Conrad Graham’s “int”
View attachment 561218

Tough day for Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell

 

[OneManGang]

Tough day for Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell

The ABC announcers were absolutely apoplectic.

PSU was scheduled for a return visit in mid-September of '72. After this loss, JoePa really didn't want any part of the Vols and started whining about having to play in such hot weather, his players weren't used to it, heat stroke, and so on. He leaned on the PSU Athletic Director who called Bob Woodruff to get out of the contract.

Neyland Stadium at this time did not have lights and so could not host night games.

Woodruff told him no, the game would be played as scheduled. When the other guy continued whining, Woodruff said, "OK, fine, we'll put up lights. Now shut up and play."

UT put up temporary lights and the the Vols dusted that Pussy Cat a** AGAIN.

 

[swampfoxfan]

Tough day for Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell

I was there. Remember planes flying over dropping leaflets saying Penn State was going to turn the BigOrange into little lemons. Victory was sweeter than the cokes I was selling.