"ONE WAY TO DAM THE TIDE"
TENNESSEE 24 ALABAMA 13
Birmingham, Alabama (HOUSEOFNEYLAND) On this day 45 years ago, October 17, 1967, the #6 college football team in the nation,the Alabama Crimson Tide, entertained the #7 TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS.
The year before, the VOLS just missed a last second field goal which would have brought victory, but ended up on the short end 10-11.*
*In the fall of 1966, I was a freshman at UT & was in the student section watching as Gary Wright's field goal was ruled "wide to the right". From my vantage point, it looked good. I remember leaving the stadium with one Alabama fan saying "We'll take them any way we can get them."
1967 was Coach Doug Dickey's 4th year at the helm. Going in, he promised this year would be "special."
Note: The VOLS would win the SEC TITLE & a share of the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!
Despite that promise, the VOLS lost to UCLA in the opener & going into Birmingham, Dickey's quarterbacks Warren & Fulton were injured.
The VOLS turned to their inexperienced 3rd team signal-caller, Bubba Wyche.
"When the VOLS & the TIDE squared off at Legion Field--BAMA in crimson & the VOLS in ORANGE--there was never a prettier sight. It was football played the way everyone on both sides knew it was meant to be."*
Bubba Wyche said:
"I had a week of preparation, with the game plan & the strategies. I don't think there's ever been a more exciting time."
The VOLS took the early lead 7-0 & by the time the 4th quarter was underway TENNESSEE still led 17-13.
Then the VOLS secondary took control with ALBERT DORSEY making 3 interceptions & returning the 3rd for a TD that ended the day's scoring & sealed a TENNESSEE victory over ALABAMA.
The VOLS made the cover of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED dated Oct. 30, 1967 with the lead story by John Underwood titled "One Way to Dam the Tide."*
*Source: The University of Tennessee Football Vault, the History of the Tennessee Volunteers, by Tom Mattingly, Whitman Publishing Company, 2007.
The year before, the VOLS just missed a last second field goal which would have brought victory, but ended up on the short end 10-11.*
*In the fall of 1966, I was a freshman at UT & was in the student section watching as Gary Wright's field goal was ruled "wide to the right". From my vantage point, it looked good. I remember leaving the stadium with one Alabama fan saying "We'll take them any way we can get them."
1967 was Coach Doug Dickey's 4th year at the helm. Going in, he promised this year would be "special."
Note: The VOLS would win the SEC TITLE & a share of the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!
Despite that promise, the VOLS lost to UCLA in the opener & going into Birmingham, Dickey's quarterbacks Warren & Fulton were injured.
The VOLS turned to their inexperienced 3rd team signal-caller, Bubba Wyche.
"When the VOLS & the TIDE squared off at Legion Field--BAMA in crimson & the VOLS in ORANGE--there was never a prettier sight. It was football played the way everyone on both sides knew it was meant to be."*
Bubba Wyche said:
"I had a week of preparation, with the game plan & the strategies. I don't think there's ever been a more exciting time."
The VOLS took the early lead 7-0 & by the time the 4th quarter was underway TENNESSEE still led 17-13.
Then the VOLS secondary took control with ALBERT DORSEY making 3 interceptions & returning the 3rd for a TD that ended the day's scoring & sealed a TENNESSEE victory over ALABAMA.
The VOLS made the cover of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED dated Oct. 30, 1967 with the lead story by John Underwood titled "One Way to Dam the Tide."*
*Source: The University of Tennessee Football Vault, the History of the Tennessee Volunteers, by Tom Mattingly, Whitman Publishing Company, 2007.
No comments:
Post a Comment