Long, long ago, there was a stormy start …
The first football game between Alabama and Tennessee, on Thanksgiving afternoon, November 28, 1901, at West End Park in Birmingham, ended prematurely – in chaos.
Fans stormed the field in protest of an off-sides call against the home team. Police could not restore order. The referee finally said “enough already” and declared the game was over, a 6-6 tie.
Good news: There were no injuries and Tennessee cleared $350 on the trip.
***
After 1914, the two big names didn’t play for 13 years. Robert R. Neyland recreated this famous rivalry with a friendly, little con job in the spring of 1928.
Alabama coach Wallace Wade, twice winner of the Rose Bowl, agreed to do the young UT coach a favor under the guise of “growing pains.”
Neyland told Wade that Tennessee was improving but wasn’t in Alabama’s class. He said the Vols needed the experience and exposure of playing somebody really good if they were ever going to get on the college football map.
He suggested that Alabama could shorten the game, let the clock run in the second half, if the score got out of hand.
Wade listened politely, looked at his yellow note pad and said “OK, come on down on the third Saturday in October.”
As men in orange and men in red were warming up for combat, an exuberant fan waving a fistful of folding money toured the stands, offering to bet $100 that the Tide would have more touchdowns than Tennessee had first downs.
Tennessee tailback Gene McEver stopped that noise. He returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. The fight was on and it became a war. The Vols won, 15-13, by snuffing out Alabama’s last-ditch drive at the UT 12.
To many UT fans, that was the real beginning of Tennessee football.
***
There are famous landmarks across the decades, glorious victories, crushing defeats, individual heroics, memories guarded as if gold.
Bear Bryant entered the rivalry in 1935. He played against the Vols despite a supposedly fractured leg.
“Aw, it was just one little bone.”
Second-team tailback Johnny Butler’s S-shaped meandering to a 56-yard touchdown in 1939 was an instant classic. It became known as The Run. The audience was elite.
Sportswriter Grantland Rice described Butler as “a dancing, dodging, untacklable ghost.”
Broadcasters Bill Stern of NBC and Ted Husing of CBS had other choice words to say. Tennessee graduate Clarence Brown, famous film director for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, sat in the company of a Rose Bowl representative and Tennessee Gov. Prentice Cooper.
Here is history in headlines: The Volunteers went 33 games between losses. In 1938-1940, Tennessee shut out 15 consecutive opponents. Think about that.
The ‘38 team, according to some experts, won the national championship. The ‘39 team was the last in the country to hold all foes scoreless. On the third October Saturday in 1940, Alabama stopped that streak but the Vols again finished undefeated.
Almost perfect? Not quite. Two of Tennessee’s best linemen, Bob Suffridge and Ed Molinski, wouldn’t speak to each other, on or off the field. Neyland never solved that little problem.
***
There was a classic battle of all-Americans in 1946 – Vol tackle Dick Huffman against Tide halfback Harry Gilmer.
Late in the fight, Huffman really leveled Gilmer. He struggled to get up and limped to the sidelines. Fans of both teams stood and applauded. Remember that as respect.
Tennessee won a titanic defensive struggle in 1950 by 14-9. Andy Kozar scored the winning touchdown with less than a minute remaining.
An astute Alabama scout spotted the winning edge in preparation for the 1957 game. Vol guard Bill Johnson lined up differently for runs and passes.
“Just look at his feet, they’ll tell you what is coming.”
Good or bad sprain: Johnson suffered an ankle injury in Thursday practice and didn’t play. Tennessee won, 14-0.
***
Tennessee really owned Alabama between 1948 and 1960. The record was 9-1-3 with five shutouts. Later in life, Phillip Fulmer teams enjoyed a 9-1 decade.
In the closing minute of 1965, Tide quarterback Snake Stabler threw away the football to stop the clock – on fourth down. Yes, I was there. Yes, it took a few seconds to comprehend what had happened.
Tennessee “won” a 7-7 tie.
Near the end of the 41-14 Vol victory in 1969, linebacker Steve Kiner rose in defense of Coach Bryant, talking down to any Alabama player who dared listen.
“Look over there at that poor old man. He looks pitiful. You sorry bastards have let him down. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
Much later, Bear actually thanked Kiner.
The next year, Tennessee intercepted a school-record eight passes. Tim Priest picked off three. Jackie Walker got two. Bobby Majors, Conrad Graham and Jamie Rotella intercepted one each. Buddy Bennett was coach of that secondary.
Famous coaches John Majors and Bear Bryant, 1982. (UT sports information photo)
In 1982, Mike Terry’s interception claimed the spotlight. With 17 seconds remaining and the Tide threatening, Lee Jenkins tipped a pass, Bill Bates shook up the potential receiver and Terry caught the deflection.
That ended an 11-game losing streak. Happy fans rushed onto the field, snapped off the goal posts and carried them away. Vols carried Coach John Majors to midfield to accept congratulations from Bryant.
The Bear was slow to leave Shields-Watkins Field. He looked around the stadium as if soaking in all he could see. Maybe he knew it was the last time he would be there.
***
One of the plays that defined Tennessee’s memorable 1985 SEC championship season was Dale Jones’ interception to preserve a win over Alabama at Legion Field.
One of the plays that scarred 1990 was Terrence Cody’s block of what was going to be Greg Burke’s winning field goal for Tennessee. The ball ricocheted back 23 yards, to the Vol 37. What followed was a winning field goal but it was for Alabama.
Mount Cody, as he was called, was 6-5 and 354. He downplayed his accomplishment.
“I just reached my arm up. That’s how I got it. I knocked the blocker onto his back.”
***
Somewhere along the way, Alabama super fan Logan Young was convicted by the feds for bribery and tax evasion – and racketeering. Young paid $90,000 to a high school coach in Memphis to encourage prep star Albert Means to go to Alabama.
Young had supposedly been buying top talent for years. Some Tide fans still hate Fulmer because he provided evidence. Alabama absorbed a harsh penalty from the NCAA.
***
Forget not 1995 and Peyton Manning to Joey Kent for 80 yards on play No. 1. The Vols romped, 41-14. Peyton led the Pride of the Southland band in the celebration. (Video from youtube.com)
There was a hold-your-breath moment on the way to the Tennessee national championship of 1998. Alabama closed to 14-11. Peerless Price returned the kickoff 100 yards.
An ugly yellow rag was dropped on the green grass. Holding? Block in the back? Clipping? Take your pick.
Eventual result was jubilation. The foul turned out to be on the Tide.
***
Hope you saw Casey Clausen’s completion to CJ Fayton on fourth and 19 in the second overtime of the five-overtime 51-43 marathon in 2003. If you are keeping score, there were 13 times in history that Tennessee didn’t give up 43 points in an entire season.
Do you really want to know that Nick Saban’s record against Tennessee was 16-1?
That one, in 2022, was one of my all-time favorites. Chase McGrath’s knuckleball that limped over the crossbar for a winning 40-yard field goal as time expired was so beautiful.
I liked Hendon Hooker’s throw and Bru McCoy’s big-boy catch for 27 that set up the kick.
It was such an exciting environment, rambunctious full house, offensive show for the ages – 569 yards for Alabama, 567 for Tennessee. I couldn’t believe Jalin Hyatt had five touchdown receptions without the Tide ever adjusting its defense.
I felt a touch of sadness when I thought about Dr. Danny getting stuck with the SEC fine for fans storming onto Shields-Watkins Field. I considered sending in a donation. I soon got over that.
***
Marvin West welcomes comments and questions from readers at marvinwest75@gmail.com Read more westwords. Follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn. Get all KnoxTNToday articles in one place with our free newsletter.
I think Mount Cody blocked Daniel Lincoln’s last second field goal in 2009.
Great work Marvin West! Unbelievable that you lived much of that Third Saturday History. And one that hits close to home for me was the 1997 game in Birmingham , with UT winning 38-21 and my cousin’s song about Peyton Manning being played during the fourth quarter of the espn telecast!
What about the 1967 game with Bubba Wyche as QB, because Dewey Warren & Charlie Fulton were hurt. The cover of Sports Illustrated showed a missed identified Vol making a tackle on a Crimson Tide receiver. The Vols wore orange and Al red for what may have been the last time until this year. (Compliments of my husband, Ted)
1967 was my freshman year at UT. That win at Alabama was special. A friend and I went to McGhee Tyson to welcome the team home. Good crowd there. That win proved that UT football was “back” after the season opening loss at UCLA. A truly great season that put us back in the national spotlight.
The misidentified player on the cover of Sports Illustrated was actually Mike Jones. As I remember the magazine identified him as Jimmy Weatherford which was incorrect. For many years, Mike had the photo on his wall in his office in Nashville. I was on the baseball team and lived in Gibbs Hall and was friends with Mike and he was a good sport about the mistake. Good memories.
Great memories. Fabulous article. I was there or saw most from 1950 until now. Fingers crossed for Saturday.
Listen up, Tennessee fans: this piece should be printed, framed and placed on your library shelf alongside Churchill”s History of the English Speaking People and Shelby Foote’s many stories of the Civil War. That, and it will be a “one-off.” No one else will come close. We must face it: Legally or not, Alabama has really been an un-relenting Tide in football for far too long. However, consider this: in the last one hundred years, no one has beaten them more than Tennessee. This week they are certainly favored…but it is not a given,