by design | Jul 25, 2022 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly Two weeks ago, there was a brief mention in this column of Tennessee and Alabama earning a two-page color photo spread in Sports Illustrated after the teams fought to a 7-7 tie at Legion Field on Oct. 16, 1965. That was a big deal at the time and...
by design | Jul 18, 2022 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish. That was a capsule summary of the 1981 Tennessee football season, marked by a rocky start on Rocky Top. After losses at Georgia (44-0) and at Southern Cal (43-7), no one in Big Orange Country would have...
by design | Jul 11, 2022 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly Here’s a question for all the armchair historians. Name an opposing quarterback who helped defeat Tennessee in a bowl game and became an assistant coach for the Vols less than 10 years later. The quarterback in question is Bob Jones, the Baylor...
by design | Jul 5, 2022 | Columnist, Mattingly
In 2007, Sports Illustrated named Tennessee the “Team of the Decade” for the 1950s. The Vols compiled a 72-31-4 record overall, 38-20-4 in the SEC, and boasted a consensus national title in 1951. There were also two SEC titles (1951 and 1956) and two Heisman...
by design | Jun 27, 2022 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly When you think about the loyalty of Tennessee football fans, you might consider how this loyalty manifests itself, often from faraway places. These are fans for whom a trip to Knoxville is a major undertaking, requiring a great deal of planning and...
by design | Jun 20, 2022 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly When the experts say football is a “team game,” they really mean it. It takes a “team” to win. That’s been true since the days of Pop Warner and Amos Alonzo Stagg. Tennessee coaches from the days of Bob Neyland on have preached and praised the concept...
