by design | Oct 17, 2022 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly When the announcement came the week before the LSU game that the Vols would wear their “Smokey Gray” uniforms at Baton Rouge instead of the traditional orange and white, skittish Vol fans wondered how that decision might affect the game’s outcome. For...
by design | Oct 10, 2022 | Columnist, Mattingly
A major upset By Tom Mattingly Several weeks ago, I received a phone call from a gentleman named Bobby Travillian. He was calling from Paris, the one in Henry County in West Tennessee. Bobby is one of those “super fan” types who seem to possess a treasure trove of...
by design | Oct 3, 2022 | Columnist, Mattingly
Reaching for the stars By Tom Mattingly There are celebrations, and then there are celebrations. When Tennessee defeated Florida 34-32 on Dec. 1, 2001, in Gainesville, Fla., there was a tumultuous celebration, albeit hastily arranged, at Tom Black Track after...
by design | Sep 26, 2022 | Columnist, Mattingly
A Significant Swagger By Tom Mattingly This is one of my favorite Neyland Stadium pictures, an aerial shot from the 1966 Ole Miss game. It was Homecoming Day in Knoxville, and a near-capacity crowd of 55,206 (57, 122) found its way into the stadium. Here’s the context...
by design | Sep 19, 2022 | Columnist, Mattingly
An important question By Tom Mattingly My wife and I celebrated a significant milestone in the 2022 season-opening game against Ball State. Each of us celebrated our 50th anniversary as season ticket holders, dating from the first game of the 1972 season, the 28-21...
by design | Sep 12, 2022 | Columnist, Mattingly
An unmatched feat in Tennessee football history By Tom Mattingly The journey from the misery of an 0-6 start to the 1988 football season to four SEC titles and the national championship in the ensuing 10 seasons began Oct. 22 at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. No one...
