1950 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1950 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1950 college football season. Led by head coach Robert Neyland, the Volunteers lost only one game, a 7–0 upset at Mississippi State in the second game of the season. The Vols handed #3 Kentucky, coached by Bear Bryant, its only loss and defeated #2 Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic en route to an 11–1 record.
Big Seven champion Oklahoma finished the regular season 10–0 and was named national champions by the AP Poll, but lost to Kentucky, who Tennessee earlier defeated, in the Sugar Bowl. Tennessee was the only top five team that year to win their bowl game. Thus, Tennessee was voted national champions by a preponderance of selectors, with 18 to Oklahoma's 11.[1]
Prominent players
The 1950 Tennessee team featured Hank Lauricella, the following season's Heisman Trophy runner-up, and Doug Atkins, a future member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In addition, guard Ted Daffer and tackle Bill "Pug" Pearman were named as All-Americans in 1950.
Schedule
| Date |
Opponent# |
Rank# |
Site |
Result |
| September 23, 1950 |
Mississippi Southern* |
#4 |
Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, TN |
W 56–0 |
| September 30, 1950 |
at Mississippi State |
#4 |
Scott Field • Starkville, MS |
L 7–0 |
| October 7, 1950 |
at #14 Duke* |
|
Duke Stadium • Durham, NC |
W 28–7 |
| October 14, 1950 |
Chattanooga* |
#14 |
Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, TN |
W 41–0 |
| October 21, 1950 |
Alabama |
#18 |
Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, TN (Third Saturday in October) |
W 14–9 |
| October 28, 1950 |
Washington and Lee* |
#8 |
Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, TN |
W 27–20 |
| November 4, 1950 |
North Carolina* |
#11 |
Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, TN |
W 16–0 |
| November 11, 1950 |
Tennessee Tech* |
#11 |
Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, TN |
W 48–14 |
| November 18, 1950 |
Ole Miss |
#9 |
Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, TN |
W 35–0 |
| November 25, 1950 |
#3 Kentucky |
#9 |
Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, TN |
W 7–0 |
| December 2, 1950 |
at Vanderbilt |
#4 |
Dudley Field • Nashville, TN |
W 43–0 |
| January 1, 1951 |
vs. #3 Texas* |
#4 |
Cotton Bowl • Dallas, TX (Cotton Bowl Classic) |
W 20–14 |
| *Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll. |
References
External links
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National championship seasons in bold
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