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1927 Tennessee Volunteers football team

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1927 Tennessee Volunteers football
SoCon co-champion
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Record8–0–1 (5–0–1 SoCon)
Head coach
Offensive schemeSingle-wing
CaptainJohn Barnhill
Home stadiumShields–Watkins Field
Seasons
← 1926
1928 →
1927 Southern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Georgia Tech + 7 0 1 8 1 1
Tennessee + 5 0 1 8 0 1
NC State + 4 0 0 9 1 0
Vanderbilt 5 0 2 8 1 2
No. 8 Georgia 6 1 0 9 1 0
Florida 5 2 0 7 3 0
Ole Miss 3 2 0 5 3 1
Virginia 4 4 0 5 4 0
Clemson 2 2 0 5 3 1
Alabama 3 4 1 5 4 1
LSU 2 3 1 4 4 1
Mississippi A&M 2 3 0 5 3 0
Washington and Lee 2 3 0 4 4 1
VPI 2 3 0 5 4 0
Maryland 3 5 0 4 7 0
South Carolina 2 4 0 4 5 0
VMI 2 4 0 6 4 0
Tulane 2 5 1 2 5 1
North Carolina 2 5 0 4 6 0
Sewanee 1 4 0 2 6 0
Kentucky 1 5 0 3 6 1
Auburn 0 6 1 0 7 2
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from Dickinson System

The 1927 Tennessee Volunteers football team (variously "Tennessee", "UT" or the "Vols") represented the University of Tennessee in the 1927 Southern Conference football season. Playing as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon), the team was led by head coach Robert Neyland, in his second year, and played their home games at Shields–Watkins Field in Knoxville, Tennessee. The 1927 Vols won eight, lost zero and tied one game (8–0–1 overall, 5–0–1 in the SoCon). The only blemish on Tennessee's schedule was a tie with in-state rival, Vanderbilt. Playing seven home games, the 1927 Vols outscored their opponents 246 to 26 and posted seven shutouts.

Before the season

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Robert Neyland was hired to coach Tennessee in 1926 by Nathan Dougherty with the explicit goal to "even the score with Vanderbilt", and had his first great team in 1927.[1]

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultSource
September 24Carson–Newman*W 33–0[2]
October 1at North CarolinaW 26–0[3]
October 8Maryville (TN)*
  • Shields–Watkins Field
  • Knoxville, TN
W 7–0[4]
October 15Ole Miss
  • Shields–Watkins Field
  • Knoxville, TN (rivalry)
W 21–7[5]
October 22Transylvania*
  • Shields–Watkins Field
  • Knoxville, TN
W 57–0[6]
October 29Virginia
  • Shields–Watkins Field
  • Knoxville, TN
W 42–0[7]
November 5Sewanee
  • Shields–Watkins Field
  • Knoxville, TN
W 32–12[8]
November 12Vanderbiltdagger
  • Shields–Watkins Field
  • Knoxville, TN (rivalry)
T 7–7[9]
November 24at KentuckyW 20–0[10]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming

Game summaries

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Carson–Newman

[edit]

In the season opener, Tennessee beat in-state opponent Carson–Newman 33–0.

North Carolina

[edit]

In the second week of play, Tennessee defeated UNC 26–0. The starting lineup was Lowe (left end), McArthur (left tackle), F. Johnson (left guard), Butcher (center), Burgers (right guard), Hundley (right tackle), Alley (right end), Elmore (quarterback), Derryberry (left halfback), Witt (right halfback), Dodson (fullback).[11]

Maryville

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The Vols beat the Maryville Scots 7–0.

Ole Miss

[edit]

Tennessee had an easy 21–7 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels, weakening in the last quarter for the first touchdown scored on the Vols. Passes from Witt and runs by Dodson got Tennessee's scores.[12]

The starting lineup was McKeen (left end), McArthur (left tackle), Barnhill (left guard), Butcher (center), Tripp (right guard), Elliott (right tackle), Alley (right end), Elmore (quarterback), Derryberry (left halfback), Witt (right halfback), Dodson (fullback).[13]

Transylvania

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The season's fifth shutout, Tennessee beat Transylvania 42–0.

Virginia

[edit]

The Volunteers beat the Virginia Cavaliers 42–0. The starting lineup was McKeen (left end), McArthur (left tackle), Barnhill (left guard), Butcher (center), Tripp (right guard), Elliott (right tackle), Alley (right end), Elmore (quarterback), Derryberry (left halfback), Witt (right halfback), Dodson (fullback).[14]

Sewanee

[edit]

Tennessee beat Sewanee 32–12. The starting lineup was McKeen (left end), McArthur (left tackle), Barnhill (left guard), Butcher (center), Tripp (right guard), H. Johnson (right tackle), Alley (right end), Tudor (quarterback), Derryberry (left halfback), Witt (right halfback), Dodson (fullback).[15]

Vanderbilt

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Vanderbilt at Tennessee
1 234Total
Vanderbilt 0 007 7
Tennessee 0 007 7

McGugin's Commodores led 7–0 until a late Dick Dodson run tied the score.[16] "After the game McGugin questioned each of his players as to his whereabouts during the run. Without exception the players claimed that two men had blocked them. McGugin shrugged. "Well, we'll just protest the play. It's perfectly obvious that Tennessee had twenty-two men on the field."[16]

Vanderbilt center Vernon Sharpe arguably had the better season, but was outperformed by Tennessee's Elvin Butcher.[17] The starting lineup was McKeen (left end), McArthur (left tackle), Barnhill (left guard), Butcher (center), Tripp (right guard), H. Johnson (right tackle), Alley (right end), Elmore (quarterback), Derryberry (left halfback), Witt (right halfback), Dodson (fullback).[18]

Kentucky

[edit]

To close the season, the Volunteers shutout the Kentucky Wildcats 20–0. The starting lineup was McKeen (left end), McArthur (left tackle), Barnhill (left guard), Butcher (center), Tripp (right guard), H. Johnson (right tackle), Alley (right end), Elmore (quarterback), Witt (left halfback), Derryberry (right halfback), Dodson (fullback).[19]

Postseason

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Coach Alexander of Tech wrote Neyland to accept a co-championship, and no Pickens Cup was awarded.[20]

Players

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Line

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Number Player Position Games
started
Hometown Prep school Height Weight Age
29 George Abernathy center
41 Scott Alden guard
25 Herc Alley end
24 John Barnhill guard Savannah, Tennessee 175
34 Ed Burgess guard
23 Elvin Butcher center Knoxville, Tennessee 184
32 Joe Bybee end
40 Frank Elliott tackle
37 Jim Finney center
53 Ben Fuller guard
44 Louis Green tackle
54 Houston Herndon end
30 Hobart Hooser guard
35 Bo Hundley tackle
46 Xen Hunt tackle
20 Farmer Johnson guard
22 Howard Johnson tackle
33 Ted Lowe end
18 Dave McArthur tackle
26 Allyn McKeen end
36 Harry Meyer end
27 Arthur Tripp guard
43 George Wiggs center

Backfield

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Number Player Position Games
started
Hometown Prep school Height Weight Age
15 E. Derryberry halfback
13 Dick Dodson fullback Peabody Academy 180
52 Jimmy Dykes halfback
12 Jimmy Elmore quarterback
16 Amos Horner fullback
51 Clyde Keltner halfback
49 Carl Reischling halfback
21 Amos Trotter halfback
19 Vincent Tudor quarterback
14 Roy Witt halfback
17 Ed Young halfback

References

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  1. ^ Robert Neyland at the College Football Hall of Fame
  2. ^ "Tennessee gives Parsons 33 to 0 dubbing". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. September 25, 1927. Retrieved August 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Carolina loses to Tennessee's Vols". The News and Observer. October 2, 1927. Retrieved August 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Vols forwards fail to function against Maryville". The Knoxville Journal. October 9, 1927. Retrieved August 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Ole Miss scores on Tennessee squad". The Clarion-Ledger. October 16, 1927. Retrieved August 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Volunteers smother Transylvania by 57–0". The Courier-Journal. October 23, 1927. Retrieved August 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Virginia defeated by Tennessee, 42–0". Richmond Times Dispatch. October 30, 1927. Retrieved August 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Tennessee smashes Sewanee in last half, winning 32–12". Nashville Banner. November 6, 1927. Retrieved August 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Commodores and Vols battle to tie in thrilling game". Nashville Banner. November 13, 1927. Retrieved August 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Tennessee conquers Kentucky, 20 to 0". The Lexington Herald. November 25, 1927. Retrieved August 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 207
  12. ^ "Tennessee Takes Easy Victory Over Mississippi, 21-7". The Anniston Star. October 16, 1927. p. 8. Retrieved June 2, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  13. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 230
  14. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 242
  15. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 253
  16. ^ a b Edwin Pope. Football's Greatest Coaches. p. 340.
  17. ^ "Four Georgia Grid Stars Voted Places On United Press Conference Team". Banner-Herald. November 23, 1917.
  18. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 266
  19. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 272
  20. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 277

Additional sources

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  • Woodruff, Fuzzy (1928). A History of Southern Football 1890–1928. Vol. 3.