Today in Tennessee football history..........

Found this from 1965 game....vs Ga Tech

Bobby Petrella’s int In the end zone
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Bob Petrella played on the 1967-1971 Miami Dolphins I do believe. Georgia Tech head coach Bobby Dodd liked telling his teams when they played in Neyland Stadium " I made this stadium what it is today". Coach Dodd had a lot of bitterness toward Tennessee and General Neyland in particular. Tennessee should have hired Bobby Dodd instead of Bowden Wyatt as head football coach in December 1954.
 
Bob Petrella played on the 1967-1971 Miami Dolphins I do believe. Georgia Tech head coach Bobby Dodd liked telling his teams when they played in Neyland Stadium " I made this stadium what it is today". Coach Dodd had a lot of bitterness toward Tennessee and General Neyland in particular. Tennessee should have hired Bobby Dodd instead of Bowden Wyatt as head football coach in December 1954.
That was a bitter rivalry for a short period of time. I wish the SEC could trade South Carolina to the ACC for Ga Tech. Get them back where they belong.
 
November 7, 1959........

In arguably the greatest UT win in history, the Vols defeated #1 LSU 14-13. LSU had the “Chinese Bandits” and Heisman winner Billy Cannon. Down 7-0 at the half, UT scored 14 points off turnovers to take the lead. Jim Cartwright returned an interception 59 yrds for a touchdown and on the next series, Ken Sadler forced a Tiger fumble which led to Neyle Sollee’s 14 yrd TD run.
After a fumbled punt, LSU scored to cut the lead to one. The Tigers went for two to take the lead. Billy Cannon took the pitch to the right, and was stopped by Wayne Grubb, Charley Severance, and Bill Majors short of the goal to preserve the win. Cannon swore till his death that he had crossed the goal line.

“THE DAY THE CANNON DIDN’T FIRE”

“The Stop”
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On November 7th 1970 Tennessee beat South Carolina 20-18 on a last second field goal at Carolina Stadium in Columbia,South Carolina. Tennessee in Bill Battle's first season as head football coach finished 1970 11-1 while South Carolina coached by Paul Dietzel finished 1970 4-6-1.
 
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On November 7th 1970 Tennessee beat South Carolina 20-18 on a last second field goal at Carolina Stadium in Columbia,South Carolina. Tennessee in Bill Battle's first season as head football coach finished 1970 11-1 while South Carolina coached by Paul Dietzel finished 1970 4-6-1.

Dietzel was the coach for LSU in the 1959 game referenced above.....:eek:
 
Bob Petrella played on the 1967-1971 Miami Dolphins I do believe. Georgia Tech head coach Bobby Dodd liked telling his teams when they played in Neyland Stadium " I made this stadium what it is today". Coach Dodd had a lot of bitterness toward Tennessee and General Neyland in particular. Tennessee should have hired Bobby Dodd instead of Bowden Wyatt as head football coach in December 1954.
I honestly did not realize that as it was a bit before my time. Very interesting
 
I think a lot of it was it was two men with large egos who didn't get along at all because they rubbed each other the wrong way.
I went down the google rabbit hole as I am apt to do and found this snipet from the book "Legends of the Tennessee Vols" By Marvin West

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I read in another article that the decision to leave the SEC was due to a feud with Bear Bryant over not disciplining a player who took a cheat shot in a Ga Tech vs. Bama game. The history of the SEC is fascinating stuff.
 
I went down the google rabbit hole as I am apt to do and found this snipet from the book "Legends of the Tennessee Vols" By Marvin West

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I read in another article that the decision to leave the SEC was due to a feud with Bear Bryant over not disciplining a player who took a cheat shot in a Ga Tech vs. Bama game. The history of the SEC is fascinating stuff.
Dodd. A whiner? Love it!
 
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Dodd. A whiner? Love it!
This is strait out of Dodd's Wikipedia page Bobby Dodd - Wikipedia

The initial spark for Dodd's withdrawal was an historic feud with Alabama Crimson Tide coach Bear Bryant.[72] The feud began when Tech was playing the Tide at Legion Field in Birmingham in 1961. After a Tech punt, Alabama fair-caught the ball. Chick Graning of Tech was playing coverage and relaxed after the signal for the fair catch. Darwin Holt of Alabama continued play and smashed his elbow into Graning's face, causing severe fracturing in his face, a broken nose, and blood-filled sinuses. Graning was knocked unconscious and suffered a severe concussion, the result of which left him unable to play football again.[73] Dodd sent Bryant a letter asking Bryant to suspend Holt after game film indicated Holt had intentionally injured Graning;[72][74] but Bryant never suspended Holt.[75][76] The lack of discipline infuriated Dodd and sparked Dodd's interest in withdrawing from the SEC.[77] (Georgia Tech lost that game 10–0, and Alabama went on to win its first Associated Press national championship.)[78][79][80]
 
Dodd. A whiner? Love it!
Coach Dodd thought Georgia Tech could be the Notre Dame of the South or another Penn State. He was a great head coach but a poor AD and he almost hired Doug Dickey to replace him at Georgia Tech in December 1966 but the upper ups at Georgia Tech wanted a tech man and turned that down.
 
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BTW, kudos @peaygolf on what has become one of my favorite threads on this site. Sometimes I feel like an "oldschool" fan because I have been following them since I was a kid in the early '80s, but reading about the long history of the program is fascinating. I think if I had a time machine I might just go back and watch old college football games (and bet on them of course. lol)
 
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BTW, kudos @peaygolf on what has become one of my favorite threads on this site. Sometimes I feel like an "oldschool" fan because I have been following them since I was a kid in the early '80s, but reading about the long history of the program is fascinating. I think if I had a time machine I might just go back and watch old college football games (and bet on them of course. lol)
Thanks. Lots of "old" games on youtube to watch
 
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September 9, 1972........

At Grant Field in Atlanta, Condrege Holloway became the first black quarterback to start a game in SEC history. His dazzling scrambling and deft passing were on display in front of a national ABC TV audience. Early in the game, Holloway threw a pick in the flat. Instinctively, he chased down the Tech player and made a TD saving tackle at the 6 yrd line. The defense would hold Tech to their only points in the Vols 34-3 victory. Holloway later said it was the greatest play of his entire career.

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Cool, I saw him play. I went to a UT home game in 1973 on a 4th grade field trip. Can't remember who we played, but I remember we won. Could have been Georgia Tech or Duke.
 
September 24, 1960..........

UT opened the ‘60 season in Birmingham against the Auburn Tigers. Bill Majors picked off a Tiger pass and returned it 46 yrds to the Auburn 22 yrd line. Four plays later, Bunny Orr scored from the four to give the Vols an early lead.
Later, Cotton Letner kicked a 19 yrd FG to help secure a 10-3 Volunteer victory.

Vols Defense stiffens (Majors)

Letner’s FG
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Love these old, labeled photos with the "action" lines and labels. Check out the 10 yard punt with no pressure!
 
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Doug Dickey said he was impressed with South Carolina after the 1969 Homecoming Game and talked about how their running game was tougher to stop than he had thought.
 
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