OneManGang
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Tennessee vs The Maxims vs Ball State
DATE: 1 September 2022
PLACE: Neyland Stadium
ATTENDANCE: 92,236 (Your results may vary. Looked more like 75 to 85k.)
FINAL SCORE: Tennessee 59 Ball State 10
During one of our many “Gus and Woodrow” sessions at a local watering hole with nary a dawdling surly bartender in sight,* over wings and red liquor we cussed and discussed topics near and dear to us. Naturally, the subject of Tennessee athletics came up. CharterVol then said, “I've been thinking and I have come to a conclusion.”
“OK, what?”
“I am not a Vol fan. I AM a Vol!”
I was awestruck, my buddy Dan had uttered a profundity. He was right.
I am a Vol.
We'll leave Knoxville Catholic out of this, I am Fighting Irish to my soul, just as he was a Columbia Central Lion to the core. Once you've worn the colors of your school on the fields of athletic competition, you are changed forever.
I like the Green Bay Packers, Hell, I own a share of Packer stock! – I am a Packer fan.
I follow the University of Notre Dame – I am a Notre Dame fan.
Younger Son&Heir graduated from the University of Dayton – I am a Flyers fan.
But beneath it all, I am not a Vol fan – I AM A VOL!
A Vol basketballer once told the tale that after he was issued his uniform he took it back to his room and laid it on the bed. He then stretched out and clutched it – and wept. I understand that feeling.
I sit here looking at a plaque on my wall proclaiming that the the Trustees of the University of Tennessee (in a fit of drunkeness, no doubt) had conferred on me a Bachelor of Arts degree. Outside of my family, it is my proudest achievement.
I am a Vol.
As the POTSMB stepped off in pre-game and the crowd sang along to “Rocky Top” fat tears wet my cheeks. We had sung an a capella version at Charter's funeral. I told Elder Son&Heir that I will never hear that song the same way again.
I look back over some 53 seasons of attending games at Neyland stadium. I can honestly say I do not regret a single one. Oh, I've been unhappy at various outcomes (I'll take that 9-6 loss to Alabama in 1990 for $1000, Alex) but I always come back.
I love MY University of Tennessee in spite of her many manifest flaws. Hell, in some cases I love her BECAUSE of the flaws.
I've been there through triumph and defeat, rain and snow, heat and cold. Every season on opening day as I come through the tunnel to my seats I proclaim, “Honey! I'm home!”
I am a Vol.
Two things, though: 1) For God's sake TURN DOWN THE VOLUME ON THE “JOHNNY HOP”! and 2) Those over grown sparklers ARE NOT fireworks. I want fire works I can hear from my house! Dammit!
As far as Saturday's game is concerned, we didn't really learn much. To be honest I think my KCHS Fighting Irish would have been stiffer competition, with more D-1 level talent to boot!
Tennessee set the tone early with an interception on the Cardinals' first play followed by a Hooker toss to Hyatt for six. And the rout was on.
End of 1st Quarter
Score: Tennessee 17 Ball State 0
The second quarter brought more of the same. One issue was immediately apparent, though, the Vol defense still needs a lot of work. The defensive line still persists in standing up at the snap instead of establishing the line of scrimmage. Also the cover-3 zone allowed the Cardinals to establish horizontal passing game that gave the Vols fits all night.
End of 2nd Quarter
Score: Tennessee 38 Ball State 0
HeadVol Heuple slowed the offense waayyy down. Some idiot near me kept oinking that this wasn't the “go fast” offense. I resisted the urge to slap him upside the head.
End of 3rd Quarter
Score: Tennessee 52 Ball State 7
When Navy Shuler enters the game, you know its a complete shellacking. However, I could feel Heath's pride in that from across the stadium.
Final Score
Score: Tennessee 59 Ball State 10
*******
“I'll never abandon ship as long as a gun will fire” - Cdr. F. Julian Becton, 16 April 1945
7 April 1943, near Lunga Roads, Florida Island, Solomon Islands
Lt. Cdr. F. Julian Becton had just assumed command of the USS Aaron Ward (DD-483) three short weeks ago. However, Becton (USNA '31) had been Executive Officer of Aaron Ward during the Solomons campaign.
7 April found her detached from a group of three escorting some LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank) to collect LST 449 off the coast of Guadalcanal and take her to Lunga Roads. In one of those interesting quirks of history, one of the passengers on the 449 was a young PT Boat driver named Kennedy.
At about 3:00 (1500) in the afternoon as they neared Florida Island, a “Condition RED,” radio message came from Guadalcanal. This was followed shortly thereafter by a “Condition VERY RED!” message. The Japanese were mounting their single largest air strike since Pearl Harbor. Over 100 fighters and bombers were headed toward Guadalcanal and the waters around it.
Three Japanese “Val” dive bombers targeted Aaron Ward. As she twisted and turned at flank speed they came down and did not miss. One bomb hit the aft engine room and the other two landed close enough to bash in her sides causing flooding. Three more bombs also hit close but Becton thought they could make it to Tulagi which had some repair facilities. As tugs hooked up to her, though, the flooding got worse and Becton ordered her abandoned. As she went down she carried her 27 sailors that had died in the bombing.
Becton shifted to staff duty and then returned to the United States. Soon he was named to command the brand new USS Laffey (DD-724) building at Bath Iron Works in Maine. She was the second destroyer to bear that name. The first was a sister to the Aaron Ward and went down on that horrific night of 13 November 1942. After shakedown and commissioning, Becton trained his crew to peak efficiency and the Navy sent Laffey to war.
Laffey was one of some 70 Allen M. Sumner-class destroyers built during the war. They were the first U.S. destroyer design to reflect the lessons of combat after Pearl Harbor.
By this time any American destroyer was all teeth and hair. Everything above the main deck was weapons and sensors. Everything below was magazines, engines and fuel. Crew spaces were shoehorned into where ever they could fit.
This new Laffey was some 600 tons larger (2200 tons standard) than the Aaron Ward. She was 395 feet long with a beam of 41 feet and a crew of 336. Her primary armament was six 5”/38 caliber dual-purpose guns mounted in three two-gun turrets, two forward and one aft. A dozen 40mm Bofors guns and 11 x 20mm Oerlikon cannon completed her antiaircraft suite. For anti-sub work there were two depth charge racks and 6 of the “K-gun” depth charge throwers. Finally, for a Sunday Punch against surface targets, she carried 10 21-inch torpedo tubes in a pair of 5-tube mounts that could be trained out to either beam, She also carried the latest in air-search and surface search radars with a sonar dome below the bow all feeding into a Combat Information Center which would co-ordinate the weapons, Her engines could generate 60,000 hp turning a pair of propeller shafts that could drive her to 34 knots (39 mph).
After convoy escort duties in the Atlantic, Laffey took part in the D-Day landings and remained on station providing fire support to Army troops moving inland and served with distinction.
After that, Becton and Laffey received orders to the Pacific.
In March she was detailed to become part of the gigantic American force gathering for the invasion of Okinawa scheduled for Easter Sunday, 1 April 1945. She performed fire support and escort duties and excelled at all of them. Becton had reason to be proud. Then, because of her modern radar suite, Laffey was ordered to radar picket duty, watching for incoming kamikaze suicide attackers heading for the target-rich waters off Okinawa.
16 April 1945, Radar Picket Station 1, 30 miles north of Okinawa
There were fifteen Picket Stations ringed around Okinawa. Of those, Picket Station 1 was the hottest location being on the most direct route from Japan to the invasion beaches. That would be Laffey's station. The Navy averaged losing a ship a day either sunk or critically damaged at Picket Station 1. In the grim balance sheet of war, it made more sense to risk losing a destroyer than letting the kamikazes in unfettered to attack higher-value targets closer to the beaches. With gallows humor, the sailors referred to duty there as the “graveyard shift.” Reading his orders, Becton was more blunt, “The gates of hell awaited us.”
On the 14 April, Laffey picked up a FIDO (Fighter Direction) team and started out for Station 1. The 15th was active, but the FIDO troops were up to the task and Marine and Navy fighters kept the Japanese at bay. That would change.
16 April dawned with clear skies and a flat calm sea. It was an ideal day to sail. It was also ideal weather for kamikazes to ply their deadly trade. Becton let his men have breakfast in shifts so that all battle stations were manned while the others were eating. He noted, “… at least they delayed their attacks so that every man could go into battle with a good meal in his stomach.”
They had been “snooped” by a single Japanese aircraft around 0500, but it stayed way outside their gun range and then flew off. Nobody thought that would be the end of it.
At 0745 a single “Val” dive bomber appeared and made for Laffey but the destroyer's guns opened up and he drooped his bomb about 800 yards away and turned back. On the way back, though, he ran into some CAP (Combat Air Patrol) fighters who knocked him down.
At 0820 radar picked up a formation of over fifty planes heading their way. In the #51 mount, the forward 5” gun turret, Seaman Herbert Oyer turned to Gunners Mate Stanley Ketron, “Stan! Let's Pray!” Ketron nodded but said nothing, he was already petitioning the Almighty.
At 0830 what had been dots in the sky turned into four more Vals. They split, two coming in off the port (left) bow and the others towards the stern. Laffey shook with the concussions of all her guns that could bear opening up. All four planes went down before they could do any damage.
Next, a “Judy” dive bomber came in straight on her starboard beam. It, too was knocked down but crashed so close that when its bomb went off, a number of the 20mm and 40mm gunners were wounded. Others stepped up to man the guns. The blast also knocked out Laffey's SG surface-search radar. This radar was critical in detecting low-flying attackers. They would now have to trust Laffey's observers and gunners with their “Eyeball Mark I's.”
A single Val came in low on the port beam heading toward Mount 53, the stern 5” turret. The plane seemed to ride a veritable wave of tracers and shells. At the last second, the Val rose just a hair and grazed the top of the 53 mount before crashing into the sea. Some flaming gasoline did splash into the turret but was quickly extinguished.
The 8th attacker was another Judy. 20- and 40mm fire destroyed it.
At 0845 another Val came in low along the port side. It banked but rose just a bit. However, its wing and landing gear caught on a 40mm mount and the flaming wreckage tumbled across the deck before crashing into the sea. “FIRE AMIDSHIPS! FIRE AMIDSHIPS” rang out. Three gunners were killed outright and others risked their lives to toss clips of 40mm ammo over the side. Some of the rounds did “cook off” and blew holes in the deck through which burning gasoline flowed threatening to set off the magazines. Cool firefighting saved the day.
Yet another Val now roared in from astern. It crashed into the after 20mm mounts killing five men out right and then smashed into the 53 Mount. Its bomb went off damaging the mount and opening yet more holes in the deck this time the burning gas threatened the 5” magazine. If it went off it would blow off the entire stern. The magazine was quickly flooded but the 53 Mount was out of action.
At 0847 another plane, nobody really knew what it was, slammed into the 53 Mount. Seven men were immolated instantly and all the others were severely wounded. The starboard 5-incher was blasted upward and pointed skyward over the wreckage. There were more holes in the main deck and more explosions. The starboard hull was dished outward but luckily did not rip open.
At 0849 yet another Val came in from astern, this one did not crash but dropped its bomb with deadly accuracy, jamming Laffey's rudders. She was now stuck steaming in circles at flank speed but Becton dared not slow down. He was now fighting mad, he silently swore to himself, “No! Dammit! She wasn't licked and she wasn't going to be! Not my Laffey, by God!”
Now an Oscar fighter came roaring in from the port side. This one was being chased by a Marine Corsair which was hammering it with his .50 caliber machine guns. The Oscar bounced off the top of the 5” gun director and hit the yardarm sending the American flag to the deck along with most of the mast. A fraction of a second later, the Corsair smashed into the air search radar and sent it crashing down as well. The Oscar crashed into the sea and exploded. The Corsair gained some altitude. The pilot bailed out and was rescued.
Immediately afterward, another Judy, also being chased by a Corsair was splashed off the port bow. Its bomb exploded close and hot fragments ripped into the 52 Mount (second 5-inch turret) wounding several men.
Yet two more attackers, numbers 18 and 19 were blown out of the sky and did no damage.
During a brief lull, one of Becton's officers asked if they were going to abandon ship. Becton snorted, “Hell, no! I'll never abandon ship as long as a gun will fire!”
Attacker #20 was another Val that planted yet another bomb in the stern. A Corsair nailed him as he tried to get away.
Bridge Lookout Felipe Salcido spotted #21 coming in fast firing machine guns. He pushed Becton down as the Val swept over the bridge. Its bomb though, landed among the 20- and 40mm mounts starboard of the bridge. A Corsair blew the Val out of the sky. Later Becton counted six holes in the glass next to where his head had been.
Finally, #22, a Judy, came in strafing with its machine guns. A Corsair nailed it but its bomb landed close aboard spraying the ship with yet more shrapnel.
More aircraft were heard but they turned out to be Corsairs and Hellcats sweeping overhead. It was approximately 1000 hours. It was over.
Laffey was a floating junk pile. She had been attacked by 22 Japanese planes, seven of which hit her and she also took four bomb hits. Oh, and then there was the Corsair that hit her radar mast. But she was still afloat and still had guns that could fire. Nearly a third of her crew were casualties with 32 dead and 71 wounded.
She limped away, finally arriving in Tacoma, Washington, for extensive repairs. For a while she was on display to allow the public to see just what American sailors were facing in the Pacific. The war ended before she rejoined the fleet.
Laffey earned a Presidential Unit Citation and, in a ceremony in Washington, Cdr. Becton received the Navy Cross and his fourth Silver Star.
To Navy destroyermen, though, she will always be The Ship That Would Not Die.
CDR Becton stayed in the Navy, retiring as a Rear Admiral in 1966. He slipped his last mooring and sailed to his Final Harbor in 1995 at the age of 87. He is buried in Arlington.
USS Laffey was briefly mothballed but then reactivated for Korea. She remained on active duty until decommissioned in 1975. She then became part of the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, SC. She is still there.
Your Humble Scribe has made several visits to Laffey. Once I stood on her navigation wing and looked aft. In my mind's eye I could see the smoke and fires and hear the explosions.
I thanked God that I had not been there.
********
So, how did the Vols do against The Maxims?
1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
This is another of those games where the opponent's critical error was signing the contract to play the game in the first place. This was compounded by traveling to Knoxville and then actually showing up on the field of play.
2. Play for and make the breaks. When one comes your way … SCORE!
Ball State's opening possession ended in disaster when Tamarion McDonald intercepted a John Paddock pass on the Ball State 28. Hendon Hooker then found Jalen Hyatt for a 23-yard touchdown on Tennessee's play number one. The Gen'rul smiled.
3. If at first the game – or the breaks – go against you, don't let up … PUT ON MORE STEAM!
As shown above, the Vols were in command from the get-go. The only time “more steam” was needed was on a roast beef and cheese at Gus's Deli.
4. Protect our kickers, our quarterback, our lead and our ballgame.
Tennessee was in no danger from the 14:46 mark of the 1st quarter. That said, the defense needs a LOT of work between now and Pitt on Saturday. (See rant above.)
5. Ball! Oskie! Cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle … THIS IS THE WINNING EDGE.
I'm not sure Tennessee needed a “winning edge” against Ball State. That said, it looked to this observer like the backup D-line was more aggressive than the starters. That may just be me. I watch the line and often have to hurry to see where the ball wound up.
6. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made.
I think every kicker on the roster got in there. Kickoff coverage seemed a bit suspect, but maybe they were using a lot of reserves.
7. Carry the fight to Ball State and keep it there for sixty minutes,
The Vols started taking their foot off the gas early in the 2nd quarter. The pace of play slowed noticeably. That said, they had no need to “go fast” as everything was working on offense. One does need to doff their hat to the Cardinals, though. They did not quit and played hard the entire game. They were simply out-manned and out-gunned.
* Bonus points if you get the reference.
Suggested Reading:
RADM F. Julian Becton and Joseph Morschauser, III, The Ship That Would Not Die.
* All quotes came from this book.
Samuel Eliot Morison, History of United States Naval Operations In World War II, Vol XIV, Victory in the Pacific
Theodore Roscoe, United States Destroyer Operations in World War II
USS Laffey, after the attacks. (US Navy History and Heritage Command)
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