What was the first Tennessee game that You attended?

#226
#226
1991 Sugar Bowl in the NOLA Super Dome.

Having been born in TN, I was uprooted and replanted down in that pit of despair known as Louisiana. My godparents, long time season ticket holders, came down to visit us and had us all tickets to see UVA play UT. Several years later, my father's job sent him back to God's country and I graduated high school in southern middle TN and went on to THE University of Tennessee.

That seemingly innocuous day in the super dome ended up being the root of a long relationship between myself and the University I would later call home.

Go Vols!
 
#230
#230
WoodstockVol said:
My first Tennessee game was the 1989 Duke game. It was fun to see Tennessee beat the hell out of Steve Spurrier's 1989 ACC Champion Duke team 28-6. It was a wild experience being in a crowd of 96,000 plus for the first time(I was used to 40,000-60,000 GT crowds).
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If a non-Vol fan can comment on the title question, my first Tennessee game was as a 12-year old in 1945 against Bama. Too lazy to look up the score, but as I recall, Bama won the game, with Harry Gilmer at "left halfback" - the passer in the Notre Dame Box of that day.
 
#231
#231
1989 Candy game...1st time in Neyland...17-10 UT win...then after they had a big screen
in Thompson Boling for everyone to watch the iron bowl,to see who got to go to the Sugar Bowl...it wound up a 3 way tie for 1st with UT,UA,and AU I think....I think UT unleashed Chuck Webb on Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl that year...
 
#232
#232
sctide said:
If a non-Vol fan can comment on the title question, my first Tennessee game was as a 12-year old in 1945 against Bama. Too lazy to look up the score, but as I recall, Bama won the game, with Harry Gilmer at "left halfback" - the passer in the Notre Dame Box of that day.
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Harry Gilmer was a great qb. He backed up Sammy Baugh on the Redskins. Congrats on following College Football for so long!:good!: Alabama won the 1945 Alabama-Tennessee game 25-7. They went on to beat USC in the Rose Bowl 34-14(last non Big 10 team to go)
 
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#233
#233
WoodstockVol said:
Harry Gilmer was a great qb. He backed up Sammy Baugh on the Redskins. Congrats on following College Football for so long!:good!: Alabama won the 1945 Alabama-Tennessee game 25-7. They went on to beat USC in the Rose Bowl 34-14(last non Big 10 team to go)
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Thought I recalled that Bama won. Yes, Gilmer was good. I remember some names from earlier Tides, but that was the first time I saw them play. Somewhere along the line the tremendous respect that the two teams (and their fans) got derailed into the flaming culture of today. More than one Bama coach would refuse to evaluate his team as good until the third Saturday in Oct. Coach Neyland was special, even to Bama fans. (I can't speak for all, but the ones I knew, anyway)
 
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#234
#234
Not sure the year or game but some drunk guy behind us hollering "give em the CobbWebb the whole game , hence my user name , I think it was when cobb went for a realing long touchdown run like 92 yards or something . I was like 10 or something and I can still hear " give em the CobbWebb. Classic
 
#235
#235
sctide said:
Thought I recalled that Bama won. Yes, Gilmer was good. I remember some names from earlier Tides, but that was the first time I saw them play. Somewhere along the line the tremendous respect that the two teams (and their fans) got derailed into the flaming culture of today. More than one Bama coach would refuse to evaluate his team as good until the third Saturday in Oct. Coach Neyland was special, even to Bama fans. (I can't speak for all, but the ones I knew, anyway)
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The Bear had a lot of respect for Tennessee and I believe tried to recruit and was a friend of Johnny Majors. Bill Battle also played WR for Alabama
 
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#236
#236
1952..Tennessee vs Wofford College. I think it was homecoming. There was a promotion letting dads bring their kids for free. I was in the second grade and had never seen grownups play football in person. My dad is long gone now but I still remember every second of that day.
 
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#239
#239
Houston 1965. UT won 17-8 on 10-23-65. I sat with my Young Highschool band mates in the end zone closest to the river, last row, high as I could get (and this was before drugs). When I returned home they said I a great big smile on my face. My grandfather looked at me and said, "Now you know why your a Tennessee Vol Fan".
 
#241
#241
VolUpInCumming said:
Houston 1965. UT won 17-8 on 10-23-65. I sat with my Young Highschool band mates in the end zone closest to the river, last row, high as I could get (and this was before drugs). When I returned home they said I a great big smile on my face. My grandfather looked at me and said, "Now you know why your a Tennessee Vol Fan".
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I was at that game when Warren "The Flea" McVea became the first black player to play at Neyland. What I remember the most was that Houston had a cougar in a cage on the sidelines.
 
#242
#242
Tennessee vs. Penn State in 1971! It was a special day honoring the Majors family and Bobby sure put on a show with his kickoff and punt returns! UT won 36-11!
 
#243
#243
B-17 Pilot said:
Tennessee vs. Penn State in 1971! It was a special day honoring the Majors family and Bobby sure put on a show with his kickoff and punt returns! UT won 36-11!
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31-11, and the thing that I remember about that game was that somebody from Penn State, maybe Lydell Mitchell, got confused and called for a fair catch on the kickoff on the South end of the field nearest the river. They had to start from their own 2 or 3 yard line. Of course , we stopped them and got great field position. I'm not sure if it was the opening kickoff, or after the first score. I believe that the big crowd helped us that day.

Penn State came in undefeated and ranked #4 . The game was in December and was the final game of the season.
 
#246
#246
B-17 Pilot said:
Tennessee vs. Penn State in 1971! It was a special day honoring the Majors family and Bobby sure put on a show with his kickoff and punt returns! UT won 36-11!
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That was my first game as well. Sadly, I was a 14 year old Penn State fan at the time (son of a PSU grad). Little did I know then that 4 years later I would consider it one of my school's greatest wins. By the way, final score was actually 31-11.
 
#247
#247
Here are a couple of youtube clips pertaining to the 1971 victory over Penn State:

Vols Beat Penn State in Knoxville (1971) - YouTube

Tennessee Football 1971 - "The Year of the Offensive Defense" - YouTube

Incidentally, the defense for that team remains one of the most productive in school history. They established the following NCAA records, which, to this day, remain unbroken:

MOST YARDS GAINED ON INTERCEPTION RETURNS
782—Tennessee, 1971 (25 interceptions)

HIGHEST AVERAGE PER INTERCEPTION RETURN
(Min. 15 ints.) 31.3—Tennessee, 1971 (25 for 782)

MOST TOUCHDOWNS ON INTERCEPTION RETURNS
7—Tennessee, 1971 (25 interceptions; 287 pass attempts against)
 
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#248
#248
hohenfelsvol said:
Too funny. That was mine too. Smokey died of heat exhaustion if I remember right.
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Not directly, but rather from complications caused by a heat stroke, IIRC.

Either way, it was damn hot. I remember sitting watching stretcher after stretcher go down the aisle in Section C.
 
#249
#249
1985 season opener vs. UCLA. Blew a 26-10 4th quarter lead and ended up tying 26-26.

Ironically, my 2nd UT game in person was later that same year, the 6-6 tie vs. GT. This time we kicked a FG at the end to force that one.

What's the odds first two games both end in ties?
 
#250
#250
OrangeUTopia said:
1985 season opener vs. UCLA. Blew a 26-10 4th quarter lead and ended up tying 26-26.

Ironically, my 2nd UT game in person was later that same year, the 6-6 tie vs. GT. This time we kicked a FG at the end to force that one.

What's the odds first two games both end in ties?
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Please tell me we won the 3rd game you attended.
 
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