86’ Vols

#1
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volsncards

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#1
All of this talk on Keith Jackson (UT hater- not a fan) has me wondering once again about one of the greatest mysteries in my lifetime - What happened to Tennessee in 1986. I remember back in those days, we would pick up the Athlons and Lindy’s magazines in June and go over the roster. We literally lost something like nine seniors off of the team that beat Miami. How did 1986 happen? Maybe someone out there has some insight that I’m not privy to? I don’t think I’ll ever understand it!
 
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#2
#2
volsncards said:
All of this talk on Keith Jackson (UT hater- not a fan) has me wondering once again about one of the greatest mysteries in my lifetime - What happened to Tennessee in 1986. I remember back in those days, we would pick up the Athlons and Lindy’s magazines in June and go over the roster. We literally lost something like nine seniors off of the team that beat Miami. How did 1986 happen? Maybe someone out there has some insight that I’m not privy to? I don’t think I’ll ever understand it!
Click to expand...

It was just a weird deal, I always felt it was because they got a little full of themselves, and forgot the things that made that team great, then they lost confidence and it sorta snowballed.
 
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#3
#3
Johnny Majors happened. 1986 held true to form to the pattern that was his coaching career here....one year up followed by one year down.
 
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#4
#4
Conservative game plan, unfortunate injuries, untimely mistakes, poor preparation, and some bad breaks.
 
#5
#5
No Tim McGee, Tony Robinson, Tommy Sims, David Douglas, or Jeff Powell.

Tim McGee and Tony Robinson were one of the best tandems in TN's history... maybe THE best.
 
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#6
#6
Iam4utalways said:
Conservative game plan, unfortunate injuries, untimely mistakes, poor preparation, and some bad breaks.
Click to expand...

Johnny got into a routine... get up by 3-6 and hang on to the lead. Frustrating to watch 3 runs and a punt. But he felt like defense would find a way to win the game.
 
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#7
#7
Thunder Good-Oil said:
No Tim McGee, Tony Robinson, Tommy Sims, David Douglas, or Jeff Powell.

Tim McGee and Tony Robinson were one of the best tandems in TN's history... maybe THE best.
Click to expand...

Yep, we lost tremendous quality of that '85 team if not much quantity.

Offenses also just seemed to figure out how to run against that undersized defense too. Alabama ran basically the same play the entire game against us and we never stopped it. Toss sweep left and toss sweep right - it went for 10 yards a pop the whole game. They couldn't run the ball a foot against us in '85 but they hung 56 on us in '86.
 
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#8
#8
NEVolFan said:
Johnny got into a routine... get up by 3-6 and hang on to the lead. Frustrating to watch 3 runs and a punt. But he felt like defense would find a way to win the game.
Click to expand...

I just felt like the team had no punch in it... no "killer instinct" that defines a winning program.

:machgun:
 
#9
#9
NEVolFan said:
Johnny got into a routine... get up by 3-6 and hang on to the lead. Frustrating to watch 3 runs and a punt. But he felt like defense would find a way to win the game.
Click to expand...

I was guessing.

I went to my 1st game at Neyland that year.

Those gumps were tough that year.
 
#10
#10
I remember the expectations and anticipation for the '86 season.

There were close to 74,000 fans in Neyland Stadium for the Orange & White game that year.

We beat New Mexico in the season opener and then lost a close game at home to a surprising Mississippi State team and I believe that was the catalyst for the downhill slide. We were blown out by Auburn in the next game by a score of 34-8 and followed that up by beating UTEP by only 10 and then went 0 for the rest of October. We did go 5-0 in November however.

But as bad as we were that year, we were still able to beat Kentucky and Vanderbilt. IIRC, the main reason for the sudden drop-off of competitiveness was attrition trough the loss of graduating players.
 
#11
#11
I was at the Army game with my dad. They blocked a punt for a TD near the end of the game to take the lead and win. That was one of the more embarrassing losses of the Majors era... and one of the few times in my life that I ever heard my dad curse.
 
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#12
#12
KBVol said:
Johnny Majors happened. 1986 held true to form to the pattern that was his coaching career here....one year up followed by one year down.
Click to expand...

Absolutely true! Just think, the 90 team would have been in a year due to be a down year in that case. They were so good even Johnny couldn’t screw them up. The General would have wiped the floor with anyone that dared to line up against them.
 
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#13
#13
BowlBrother85 said:
I was at the Army game with my dad. They blocked a punt for a TD near the end of the game to take the lead and win. That was one of the more embarrassing losses of the Majors era... and one of the few times in my life that I ever heard my dad curse.
Click to expand...

Most embarrassing loss in Fulmer vs Wyoming. Most embarrassing loss in Kiffin vs Ole Puss. Most embarrassing loss in Dooley vs My. Most embarrassing loss for BUTch vs Florida 2017
 
#14
#14
Rudy123 said:
Most embarrassing loss in Fulmer vs Wyoming. Most embarrassing loss in Kiffin vs Ole Puss. Most embarrassing loss in Dooley vs My. Most embarrassing loss for BUTch vs Florida 2017
Click to expand...

All those were bad. But losing to vandie anytime is the worst. :sick:
 
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#15
#15
BowlBrother85 said:
I was at the Army game with my dad. They blocked a punt for a TD near the end of the game to take the lead and win. That was one of the more embarrassing losses of the Majors era... and one of the few times in my life that I ever heard my dad curse.
Click to expand...

That was one ugly loss
 
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#16
#16
Type Orange+ said:
I remember the expectations and anticipation for the '86 season.

There were close to 74,000 fans in Neyland Stadium for the Orange & White game that year.

We beat New Mexico in the season opener and then lost a close game at home to a surprising Mississippi State team and I believe that was the catalyst for the downhill slide. We were blown out by Auburn in the next game by a score of 34-8 and followed that up by beating UTEP by only 10 and then went 0 for the rest of October. We did go 5-0 in November however.

But as bad as we were that year, we were still able to beat Kentucky and Vanderbilt. IIRC, the main reason for the sudden drop-off of competitiveness was attrition trough the loss of graduating players.
Click to expand...

A true 70+ thousand at the O&W game that year. Not the Butch Jones Math we've seen the last few years.

fbpro_1986guide_013.jpg.s.jpg
 
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#17
#17
Type Orange+ said:
I remember the expectations and anticipation for the '86 season.

There were close to 74,000 fans in Neyland Stadium for the Orange & White game that year.

We beat New Mexico in the season opener and then lost a close game at home to a surprising Mississippi State team and I believe that was the catalyst for the downhill slide. We were blown out by Auburn in the next game by a score of 34-8 and followed that up by beating UTEP by only 10 and then went 0 for the rest of October. We did go 5-0 in November however.

But as bad as we were that year, we were still able to beat Kentucky and Vanderbilt. IIRC, the main reason for the sudden drop-off of competitiveness was attrition trough the loss of graduating players.
Click to expand...

Francis was injured early in that game and Randy Sanders came in in relief.
 
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#23
#23
BowlBrother85 said:
I was at the Army game with my dad. They blocked a punt for a TD near the end of the game to take the lead and win. That was one of the more embarrassing losses of the Majors era... and one of the few times in my life that I ever heard my dad curse.
Click to expand...

This year and Butch would have made Billy Graham say "monkey farts"
 
#24
#24
volsncards said:
All of this talk on Keith Jackson (UT hater- not a fan) has me wondering once again about one of the greatest mysteries in my lifetime - What happened to Tennessee in 1986. I remember back in those days, we would pick up the Athlons and Lindy’s magazines in June and go over the roster. We literally lost something like nine seniors off of the team that beat Miami. How did 1986 happen? Maybe someone out there has some insight that I’m not privy to? I don’t think I’ll ever understand it!
Click to expand...

I agree and would go as far as saying he disliked the entire SEC.
 
#25
#25
KBVol said:
Johnny Majors happened. 1986 held true to form to the pattern that was his coaching career here....one year up followed by one year down.
Click to expand...

Very true. Jeff Francis was not good. I got tired of hearing Walt Harris say every week that "Francis stayed within himself today." He needed to get out of there.

A few observations about Francis:
-- A great QB between the 30s. Snuggled in redone
-- Could not throw the deep ball very well (5 yds short and normally out of bounds)
-- To his credit, he was the best tackling QB UT has ever had. One of the surest tacklers on the team.:)
 
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