Favorite Season Opener Memories?

#51
#51
vettefool said:
1968 vs. Georgia. Two young coaches, Dickey and Dooley, both getting their Mediocre programs on the rise. 1st game on that awful tartan turf(Doug’s rug). Hotter than heck. I believe 1st game with upper deck on east side.Vols comeback late to tie. Sure seemed like a win.
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I was at that game too. I was 10 and went with my older brother. That’s when I learned what a 2 pt conversion was. Two really good teams.
 
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#53
#53
a vol n tears said:
My 1st game in Neyland was actually a JV game. Tenn vs ND. The only details I remember was how big the stadium was and how freezing cold it was. Very few fans.
My 1st varsity game was Majors first season (I think). Tenn vs Oregon St. Jimmy Streater had a big TD run to lead Tenn to a 14-14 tie.
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They started playing JV games in 1972. Until 1972 freshmen could not play so there were freshmen games. ND was a regular opponent and there was a ND JV game in 1972.
In 1971 I was a sophomore and at the freshmen ND game when Condredge Holloway was a freshman. Did a search and found this about the game: Condredge Holloway
 
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#54
#54
TCNC53 said:
Was at this Penn State game in ‘72 - 9 years old with my parents - eyes wide open all night. First game under the lights at Neyland if I’m not mistaken - that just added more to how exciting the whole thing was. UT thumped them and JoPa said he would never come back to Neyland again - and I don’t think he ever did. That said, I may be misremembering some of this, but I remember it was an exciting night for young VFL.
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Penn State game was second game of the year, but was the home opener. After getting beat by UT in the last game of 1971 for their only defeat, Paterno told Bob Woodruff he would not play in Knoxville during the day in September 1972, and the game would have to be moved to Penn State. So Woodruff brought in portable lights and moved the game to night. It was Penn State's only regular season loss that year as well (they lost their bowl game to OK).
 
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#55
#55
Damn, the 2012 NC State and 2017 Ga Tech openers are easily overlooked just because of how crappy those seasons ended up being.

The 2017 game, in particular, was a classic.
 
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#56
#56
TCNC53 said:
Was at this Penn State game in ‘72 - 9 years old with my parents - eyes wide open all night. First game under the lights at Neyland if I’m not mistaken - that just added more to how exciting the whole thing was. UT thumped them and JoPa said he would never come back to Neyland again - and I don’t think he ever did. That said, I may be misremembering some of this, but I remember it was an exciting night for young VFL.
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You are correct on the details. Tennessee got out to a 21-0 lead before winning 28-21. There must have been 5-10 thousand outside the gates who were unable to get in for the first night game in Neyland history. Paterno was sore anyway because in the last regular season game of 1971, we hammered them 31-11.
 
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#58
#58
TNREADER said:
Penn State game was second game of the year, but was the home opener. After getting beat by UT in the last game of 1971 for their only defeat, Paterno told Bob Woodruff he would not play in Knoxville during the day in September 1972, and the game would have to be moved to Penn State. So Woodruff brought in portable lights and moved the game to night. It was Penn State's only regular season loss that year as well (they lost their bowl game to OK).
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Those were not portable lights.
 
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#59
#59
Not a favorite but most memorable: 1986

Game 1: We opened against New Mexico. I went to the game without tickets. Everybody said tickets would be plentiful and cheap on the street. Turns out the game sold out, and scalpers were asking ridiculous prices. It was said there were 2,000 people outside the stadium wanting to get in when the game started. They some times let people walk in after half time, but the place was too full. I waited around and never got in.

Game 5: Got the best seats ever. Scored a couple of faculty tickets in section T, in the dry, for $15 a piece. Guess which game? Army. We lost to freakin Army.

Game 6: Watched as Bobby Humphrey (Alabama), stomped a mud hole in us then stomped it dry.
 
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#60
#60
Oddly enough, my favorite season opener was on the road in 1991 at Louisville. Schnellenberger had Louisville on the map and playing well coming off of 10-1-1 record and we were coming off of an SEC championship season. It was an absolutely fantastic football atmosphere that night, Louisville fans were energetic and loud, but Carl Pickens showed out and proved himself as one of the best college football players in the game and led us to the win. Still one of my very favorite road trip games to this day.
 
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#61
#61
JOEY’S ALL VOL !!! said:
Oddly enough, my favorite season opener was on the road in 1991 at Louisville. Schnellenberger had Louisville on the map and playing well coming off of 10-1-1 record and we were coming off of an SEC championship season. It was an absolutely fantastic football atmosphere that night, Louisville fans were energetic and loud, but Carl Pickens showed out and proved himself as one of the best college football players in the game and led us to the win. Still one of my very favorite road trip games to this day.
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That was a great game. Pickens took a punt to the house. Chuck Smith showed out on defense. He played like a man possessed.
 
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#64
#64
cardvolfan said:
That was an incredible moment when he ran back onto the field after returning, and some pretty cool heroics on the field.
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I watched that game on TV, was a great moment. I seem to also recall that two other Tennessee players collided hitting helmet to helmet and were both carried off the field.
 
#65
#65
JOEY’S ALL VOL !!! said:
Oddly enough, my favorite season opener was on the road in 1991 at Louisville. Schnellenberger had Louisville on the map and playing well coming off of 10-1-1 record and we were coming off of an SEC championship season. It was an absolutely fantastic football atmosphere that night, Louisville fans were energetic and loud, but Carl Pickens showed out and proved himself as one of the best college football players in the game and led us to the win. Still one of my very favorite road trip games to this day.
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Wasn’t that the first game in their brand new stadium?
 
#66
#66
duckman398686 said:
Damn, the 2012 NC State and 2017 Ga Tech openers are easily overlooked just because of how crappy those seasons ended up being.

The 2017 game, in particular, was a classic.
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A classic at the end. I was miserable at that game and frustrated playing a football ancient triple option team. I was so glad Heupel cancelled that nonsense with Army this season.
 
#68
#68
mad4vols said:
I watched that game on TV, was a great moment. I seem to also recall that two other Tennessee players collided hitting helmet to helmet and were both carried off the field.
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That seems familiar, but I’m not sure who it was.
 
#69
#69
2006 beating a ranked cal team after our abysmal 05 season with cut now back was in recent history the best opening. For a game attended the 96 UNLV opener was one of the most electric. Newly expanded stadium with a record attendance going along with the preseason hype and watching the best player in college football was pretty special. Felt that Tennessee was the center of the college football universe that day.
 
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#70
#70
Kiffin’s first and only season. I know it ended poorly but the potential we had with Bryce Brown at tailback, Tauren Poole and Crompton etc, I was pumped again for Tennessee football. Sad how it turned out but that was one of my favorite openers, we won handily against WKU. We were competitive with the Gumps and beat GA.
 
#71
#71
Vols4six said:
My most memorable opener 2001 vs Syracuse because it was my first Vols game. 38-9 good guys!!!!
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Yeah, this was supposed to be their "revenge" game against us because they thought they got jobbed in the '98 opener. They were pumped and we dominated them. Very satisfying win.
 
#72
#72
JOEY’S ALL VOL !!! said:
Oddly enough, my favorite season opener was on the road in 1991 at Louisville. Schnellenberger had Louisville on the map and playing well coming off of 10-1-1 record and we were coming off of an SEC championship season. It was an absolutely fantastic football atmosphere that night, Louisville fans were energetic and loud, but Carl Pickens showed out and proved himself as one of the best college football players in the game and led us to the win. Still one of my very favorite road trip games to this day.
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It was a great game and the Louisville fans were fun. You could also buy beer in the stadium.
 
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#73
#73
Tech was cool being in the new MB stadium. NC State was a nice win over an overrated defense. But, Cal 06 was an incredible atmosphere. I wasn't able to attend Cuse 98.
 
#74
#74
My favorite game was also my favorite season opener because it was my first game in Neyland Stadium as a student in 1973. We played Duke. There were quite a few fumbles in the game. Three men sitting in the upper deck close to us had a Thermos picnic jug they drank from during the game. After the game one of the men dropped the empty Thermos jug and it bounced down several bleacher rows. All of the men leaped after it laughing as they fell down the bleachers after it. After one of them "recovered" it, they broke out in cheers. I'm sure they were awfully sore the next day or two. :)
 
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