Vanderbilt Commodores football

Vanderbilt Commodores
First season	1890
Head coach	Bobby Johnson
	7th year, 26–56–0
Home stadium	Vanderbilt Stadium
Field	Dudley Field
Year built	1922
Stadium capacity	39,790
Stadium surface	Field grass
Location	Nashville, Tennessee
League	Division I
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	East Division
Past conferences	SIAA  (1895–1921) Southern Conference  (1922–1931)
All-time record	551–542–50 (.504)
Postseason bowl record	2–1–1
Claimed national titles	0
Conference titles	13
Division titles	0
Heisman winners	0
Consensus All-Americans	30
Current uniform
Colors	Black and Gold
Fight song	Dynamite!
Mascot	Mr. C
Marching band	Spirit of Gold Marching Band
Website	www.vucommodores.com

The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference. The Commodores currently play their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium, located in Nashville, Tennessee.

[edit] History

[edit] Early success

Vanderbilt and the University of Nashville played the first college football game in the state of Tennessee in 1890. ^[1] In 1894 Vanderbilt was among the seven founding members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. ^[2] Just after the turn of the century, the team enjoyed fairly substantial success, with a composite record of 20-3-2 from 1901-03. ^[3] Even so, Dan McGugin‘s arrival as coach from his brother-in-law Fielding Yost‘s Michigan program in 1904 showed an immediate impact. The 1904 squad outscored its opposition by 474 to four in winning all nine games. ^[4] McGugin’s tenure spanned the years 1904-17 and 1919-34 with a record of 197-55-19 and two national championships. ^[5]

In 1922, Vanderbilt hosted the University of Michigan to inaugurate Dudley Field. The game ended in a 0–0 tie and figures prominently in the program’s history. VU football historian Bill Traughber chronicles the event:

The game between Vanderbilt and Michigan had a carnival-like atmosphere.

Dignitaries and politicians were invited to participate at Dudley Field, the largest football-only stadium in the South at that time. The guest of honor for the dedication game was Cornelius Vanderbilt, the great-great grandson of the university’s namesake.

Accompanied by his wife, Vanderbilt arrived at Nashville’s Union Station on the morning of the game, his first trip to the city. The day’s first event was a luncheon for the young Vanderbilt couple, which was held at the Hermitage Hotel and hosted by Vanderbilt University Board of Trust.

Thousands of Vanderbilt students and alumni met downtown for a parade with Tennessee Governor Alf Taylor riding in the lead automobile. Decorated in orange and black, their automobile began the parade at Twelfth and Broadway, weaving through the side streets to a reviewing stand at the foot of the Capitol Building.^[6]

A young, Earnest Albert Craft, born in 1898, employed with the construction team that built the Dudley Field wooden stands was in attendance the day of the game vs. Michigan. Earnest was called on to raise the first American flag during the national anthem. Later, Rev. Earnest Albert Craft would become city councilman of in the West Nashville area and 40 year pastor of Sylvan Park Free Will Baptist Church in Nashville. Clippings of this event are documented in archives of the old Nashville Banner newspaper. A copy of this newspaper account is held today by grandson by adoption, Albert D. Mitchell. Albert, named after E. A. Craft, lives on the west side of Nashville in Bellevue. He was a graduated of Cohn High School and later return to teach and coach at Cohn High School, finally retiring from the Metro Nashville School system in 1989.

1922 was also the year that Vanderbilt entered the Southern Conference as a charter member. The Commodores tied for the conference championship in 1922 and 1923 and continued to finishi in the upper half of the conference standings for the next decade.^[7]

In 1932, Vanderbilt—at the pinnacle of its athletics dominance in the South^[8]—helped found the Southeastern Conference, with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Sewanee, Georgia Tech, and Tulane.^[9]

[edit] Growing difficulty

However, Vanderbilt football has not won a conference championship since the founding of the Southeastern Conference in 1932. Its last winning season was in 2008 under coach Bobby Johnson. Vanderbilt has competed in four bowl games (see below), with a combined all-time post-season record of 2–1–1. Vanderbilt has finished ranked once, in 1948, when it finished #12 in the AP poll after an 8-2-1 season.

It was in the 1970s and early 1980s that it seemed this trend could be abating, with two of Vanderbilt’s post-season appearances coming in 1974 and 1982, and with several near-winning season records.

The last Commodore team before the Bobby Johnson era with a winning record, the 1982 squad (with a record of 8–4), played in the Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama. In addition to the school’s third all-time bowl appearance, the 1982 team’s season-ending win against Tennessee, in which Vanderbilt quarterback Whit Taylor threw for 391 yards, marked a special season — but a season that proved an exception to years following, when a return to previous levels of mediocrity saw a veritable merry-go-round of head coaches.

From the period 1982 to 2002, when Bobby Johnson was hired, Vanderbilt was led by six coaches, who averaged barely four years per coach.^[10]

[edit] Recent resurgence

Bobby Johnson was hired in 2002 as the head football coach. At the time, many questioned^{[citation needed]} the University administration’s decision to elevate a Division I-AA coach to what many^{[citation needed]} perceive as the nation’s premier college football conference, the SEC. Johnson had previously coached at Furman University, a Southern Conference team, leading the Paladins to the Division I-AA title game in 2001, his final year. Vanderbilt administrative officials had pursued and offered the position initially to Gary Barnett and Tyrone Willingham, both of whom had steered small, private universities (Northwestern and Stanford, respectively) to football success. Both turned down the job for different reasons.^{[citation needed]}

The same critics that questioned Johnson’s initial hiring also derided the loyalty given to Coach Johnson by the Vanderbilt administration after his first three seasons at the school led to three consecutive 2–9 records. During this time, however, Johnson was continuing to recruit players that had been passed over by major-power schools, but whom Johnson and his staff believed could be molded into SEC-caliber players. Johnson’s methods finally bore fruit with a 16-14 Music City Bowl win over #24 Boston College the ACC runner-up that had earlier defeated perennial powerhouses Virginia Tech and Florida State. The bowl win, a first since the 1955 Gator Bowl, capped off a 7-6 season, Vanderbilt’s first winning record since 1982.

[edit] Radical administrative restructuring

Along with this concerted program-development, Johnson joined Vanderbilt’s Chancellor E. Gordon Gee and Vice Chancellor David Williams II in creating what the Administration called “a new culture in college athletics” at Vanderbilt. The University Administration, with Johnson’s public support, abolished the Department of Athletics as a separate entity within the University’s administrative structure, along with the job of Athletic Director — a first among universities in a major Division I-A athletic conference.

The Administration’s loyalty to Johnson, which had paid dividends in his support for the radical changes in administration of the inter-collegiate athletics program also yielded on-the-field results in Johnson’s fourth season at the helm of the Commodores.

[edit] Increasing Success in the 2000s

In 2005, Vanderbilt finished with a 5–6 record, the program’s best finish since 1999. For the first time since 1982, and for the first time in Knoxville since 1975, Vanderbilt defeated its in-state rival, the Tennessee Volunteers, in a thrilling 28–24 victory.

All-SEC Quarterback Jay Cutler, the team’s offensive captain that season and the offensive player of the year in the SEC, was selected 11th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos and named starting quarterback for the last five games of his rookie season.

The pre-game pigskin party, “Vandyville“, also took off in the early 2000s, and has become a large staple of the Vanderbilt athletics tradition.

In the 2006 season, Vanderbilt finished with a 4–8 record with sophomore Chris Nickson at quarterback. The 2006 team’s peak performance came with a 24–22 defeat of conference rival #16 ranked Georgia at Sanford Stadium, the first time Vanderbilt had ever defeated a ranked opponent on the road. The team came within seconds of defeating Arkansas and Alabama in consecutive weeks.

Vanderbilt fans approached the 2007 season with considerable optimism, given the return of many experienced starters, including WR Earl Bennett and the closeness of the Arkansas and Alabama losses. Vanderbilt started the year strong with a decisive victory over Richmond, but hopes for a win against Nick Saban‘s Alabama squad fizzled in a 10-24 loss marked by several controversial penalties. Vanderbilt rebounded with strong wins against Ole Miss and Eastern Michigan, but the Ole Miss victory came at a cost, as quarterback Chris Nickson suffered an injury that negatively impacted his future performance and led to his mid-season replacement by Mackenzi Adams. While Vanderbilt appeared to be en route to a convincing homecoming win against #21 Georgia, a late-game Bulldog rally coupled with a costly Vanderbilt fumble in the final minutes of the fourth quarter led to a disappointing 17-20 loss. Vanderbilt rebounded with a stunning upset of #6 ranked South Carolina 17–6 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, beating a top 10 team for the first time in 33 years and a Steve Spurrier-coached team for the first time ever. It was the highest ranked team Vanderbilt had beaten since defeating #6 LSU in 1937. In the following home game against Miami (Ohio), junior wide receiver Earl Bennett made history by breaking the SEC record for most career receptions. Vanderbilt would go on to win the game 24–13. With a 5-3 record entering the last four games of the season, the Commodores seemed primed for bowl eligibility. After a lopsided defeat against Florida and a close loss to Kentucky, the Commodores went to Knoxville to play Tennessee at Neyland Stadium for the first time since their 2005 win. Despite entering as heavy underdogs, Vanderbilt jumped out to a 24-9 lead at the end of the third quarter, but the Volunteers scored 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win the game by one point. Vanderbilt went on to lose its final game of the series against Wake Forest 17-31.

In 2008, Vanderbilt began the season winning their first four games, beating Miami (OH) and Ole Miss on the road, and Rice and nationally ranked South Carolina at home. This perfect start, combined with an upcoming game with nationally ranked Auburn, led to ESPN choosing Vanderbilt as the site for their popular show, College GameDay. In the 5th game, the Commodores defeated SEC rival Auburn for the first time since 1955, when backup quarterback Mackenzi Adams led them back from an early 13-point deficit. At that point, Vanderbilt was ranked #13 in the AP and #14 in the ESPN Coaches football polls. The Commodores were 5-0 for the first time since 1943, 3-0 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time since 1950, and one victory away from being eligible for their first bowl appearance since 1982.

Vanderbilt lost its next four games, but history was made on November 15, 2008, when Vanderbilt defeated the Kentucky Wildcats to become bowl eligible for the first time since 1982. The Commodores finished the 2008 regular season with losses to Tennessee and Wake Forest, completing the regular season with a 6-6 record (4-4 in the SEC).

Their 2008 finish was good enough for the Commodores to earn an invitation to play the Boston College Eagles in the Music City Bowl on December 31, 2008. In a dramatic come-from-behind win, Vanderbilt beat Boston College by a score of 16-14, to win its first bowl game in fifty-three years.

The 2008 Vanderbilt Commodore football team is also noteworthy because it won the 2008 Academic Achievement Award from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). This award recognizes graduate rate successes on the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level. Vanderbilt was recognized for graduating 95 percent of its 2001 freshman class, the highest graduation rate among all 119 FBS teams. ^[11]

Junior cornerback D.J. Moore received All-SEC first team honors for the second straight season and second team All-American honors following the 2008 season. He was later drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

Vanderbilt will return 18 starters from the 2008 season in 2009, including nine starters on defense and eight on the offense. Expected stars of the 2009 team include All-SEC linebacker Patrick Benoist, Freshman All-American linebacker Chris Marve, three-year starting cornerback Myron Lewis, four-year starting free safety Ryan Hamilton, two-time captain and starting center Bradley Vierling, starting right tackle Thomas Welch and senior defensive ends Steven Stone and Broderick Stewart. The entire offensive and defensive lines will return, including 10 redshirt freshmen.

Senior Mackenzi Adams and Music City Bowl starter Larry Smith are expected to battle for the starting role at quarterback.

[edit] Logos and uniforms

Vanderbilt’s 2009 uniform combinations

[edit] Records

[edit] Win/loss records

As of December 2008, the Vanderbilt Commodores have won more games than they have lost.^[12] However, records show that in the mid- and late-twentieth century, the Commodore football program experienced a considerable down-swing in success on the playing field.^[13]

• All-time record: 554-547-50 (.503)
• Against current SEC teams: 186-364-23 (.345)
• 1890-1959: 394-180-40 (.674)
• 1960-present: 160-367-10 (.307)
• Under current head coach (Bobby Johnson, 2002-present): 27-56-0 (.325)
• Against SEC opponents under current head coach: 12-44-0 (.214)

[edit] Bowl records

Tennessee Volunteers football

For current information on this topic, see 2009 Tennessee Volunteers football team.

Tennessee Volunteers
First season	1891
Athletic director	Mike Hamilton
Head coach	Lane Kiffin
	1st year, 0–0–0
Home stadium	Neyland Stadium
Stadium capacity	102,037 Largest crowd: 109,061 (Sept. 18, 2004 vs. UF)
Stadium surface	Grass
Location	Knoxville, Tennessee
Conference	SEC
Division	East
All-time record	773–327–53 (.690)
Postseason bowl record	25–22–0
Claimed national titles	6 1938, 1940, 1950, 1951 1967, 1998
Conference titles	16
Consensus All-Americans	72
Current uniform
Colors	Orange and White
Fight song	Down the Field (Official) Rocky Top (Unofficial)
Mascot	Smokey
Marching band	Pride of the Southland Band
Rivals	Alabama Crimson Tide Florida Gators Georgia Bulldogs Kentucky Wildcats Vanderbilt Commodores
Website	UTSports.com

The Tennessee Volunteers football team, is the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), NCAA Division I football team. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference.

The Vols have amassed a successful tradition since their beginning in 1891. Their all-time record of 776-327-53 ranks the Vols second on the list of winningest SEC programs, and ninth on the list of all time winningest major college programs, just behind Alabama and ahead of Southern California. They rank third all-time in bowl appearances(tied with USC) and fourth all-time in bowl victories. Their last national championship was in the 1998 college football season. The Vols boast six national titles in their history.

The Vols play at historic Neyland Stadium, the second winningest home-field in college football history. Tennessee has won 422 all-time games at Neyland Stadium. That is the second highest win total for any school in the nation at its current home venue. Only Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium (428 wins) has hosted more victories for its team-and Bobby Dodd Stadium (1913) opened eight years before Neyland Stadium (1921). It is also one of the largest; its 102,037 seat capacity makes it the fourth largest stadium in the nation.

On November 3, then-Head Coach Phillip Fulmer announced that he would be stepping down from his position as head coach at the end of the 2008 season after winning 152 games at his alma mater.^[1]

On November 30, 2008, UT announced that Lane Kiffin (Oakland Raiders former head coach) had been selected to replace Phillip Fulmer.

[edit] History

[edit] Early years

Tennessee’s football program began in 1891, but the program’s first win would not be recorded until the following season. On October 15, 1892 The football team defeated Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee by the score of 25–0. Tennessee would compete their first 5 seasons without a coach. In 1899, J. A. Pierce became the first head coach of the team. The team had several coaches with short tenures until Zora G. Clevenger took over in 1911. In 1914, Clevenger lead the Vols to a dominant 9-0 season and their first championship, winning the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association title. The Vols would again field an undefeated squad in 1916 under coach John R. Bender, but consistency was elusive.

In 1921, Shields-Watkins field was built. The new home of the Vols was named after William S. Shields and his wife Alice Watkins Shields, the financial backers of the field. The field had bleachers that could seat 3,200 and had been used for baseball the prior year.

In 1922, the team began to wear orange jerseys for the first time.

[edit] Neyland Comes to Tennessee

Robert Neyland took over as head coach in 1926. At the time, Neyland was an Army Captain and an ROTC instructor at the school. Interestingly, in the 1929 season at least, his two assistant coaches (also ROTC instructors) out-ranked him. Former player Nathan Dougherty who had then become Dean of the school’s engineering program and chairman of athletics made the standard clear: “Even the score with Vanderbilt.”

Neyland quickly surpassed the Nashville school which had been dominating football in Tennessee. He also scored a surprise upset victory over heavily favored Alabama in 1928. Neyland captured the school’s first Southern Conference title in 1927, on only his second year on the job. In 1929, Gene McEver became the football program’s first ever All-America. He led the nation in scoring, and his 130 points still remains as the school record.

In the 1930s, Tennessee saw many more firsts. They played in the New York City Charity Game on December 5, 1931, the program’s first ever bowl game. They scored a 13–0 victory over New York University, being led by Herman Hickman. Hickman’s performance in the game caught the eye of Grantland Rice, and Hickman was added to Rice’s All American team. Hickman would later play professionally in New York, for football’s Brooklyn Dodgers. After the 1932 season, Tennessee joined the Southeastern Conference, setting the stage for years of new rivalries. Captain Neyland led the Vols to a 76–7–5 record from 1926 to 1934. After the 1934 season, Neyland was called into military service at Panama. Neyland’s first stint with UT saw the Vols rattle off undefeated streaks of 33, 28 and 14 games, including five undefeated seasons(1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, and 1932).

[edit] Neyland Returns

Tennessee struggled to a losing record during Neyland’s time in Panama. He returned to find a rebuilding project in 1936. In 1936 and 1937, the Vols won six games each season. However, in 1938, Neyland’s Vols began one of the more impressive streaks in NCAA football history. The 1938 Tennessee Volunteers football team won the school’s first National Championship and earned a trip to the Orange Bowl, the team’s first major bowl, where they pounded fellow unbeaten Oklahoma by a score of 17-0. They outscored their opponents 283–16. The 1939 regular season was even more impressive. The 1939 team was the last NCAA team ever to hold their opponents scoreless for an entire regular season. Surprisingly, the Vols did not earn a national title that year despite being ranked #1 for most of the season, but did earn a trip to the famed Rose Bowl. The Vols were without the services of stud tailback George Cafego, who would finish fourth in the Heisman voting and be the top pick in the NFL draft, due to a knee injury. Cafego’s backup was also injured. For a single-wing squad heavily dependent upon the tailback position, it proved to be too much for the Vols to overcome. In front of a crowd of over 90,000, Tennessee fell by a score of 14–0 to Southern California. That loss ended UT’s streak of 17 straight shutout games and 71 consecutive shutout quarters, NCAA records to this day. The 1940 Vols put together a third consecutive undefeated regular season(Neyland’s eighth such season with the Vols). That team earned a National title from two minor polls, and received the school’s first bid to the Sugar Bowl, where they lost to Boston College. After the 1940 season, Neyland was again pressed into military service, this time for World War II. His successor, John Barnhill did well in his absence, going 32-5-2 during the war years of 1941 to 1945. The Vols did not field a team in 1943 due to the war. This was the last season that the Vols missed.

[edit] Neyland’s Final Years

After World War II, Neyland retired from the military. He returned to Knoxville with the rank of General Officer and led the Vols to more success. From 1946 to 1952, Neyland’s Vols had a record of 54–17–4. They won conference titles in 1946 and 1951, and National titles in 1950 and 1951. The 1950 season included what would prove to be the highest profile matchup between the South’s two biggest coaching legends-General Neyland and Paul “Bear” Bryant, then at Kentucky. Both teams were ranked in the top ten. The Vols defeated Bryant, superstar quarterback Babe Parilli, and the Wildcats, 7-0. Bryant would never win a game against Neyland. The 1950 season culminated with a win against #2 Texas in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl. The 1951 team featured Hank Lauricella, that season’s Heisman Trophy runner up, and Doug Atkins, a future college football and Pro Football Hall of Fame performer. The Vols romped to a 10-0 regular season record(Neyland’s ninth undefeated regular season) and the AP National Title. Neyland retired due to poor health in 1952, and took the position of athletic director. The Vols would see spotty success for some 40 years after that, but it would be the late 1980′s and 1990′s before the Tennessee program had similar winning percentages.

[edit] Post Neyland

Harvey Robinson had the tough task of replacing General Neyland, and only stuck around for two seasons. Following the 1954 season, Neyland fired Robinson and replaced him with Bowden Wyatt who had seen success at Wyoming and Arkansas. Neyland called the move “the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

Neyland Stadium, named for Robert Neyland.

Wyatt, who had been a hall of fame player for Neyland, struggled at Tennessee. He won more than 6 games only twice, in 1956 and 1957.

The 1956 squad won an SEC Championship, going 10–1 and finishing the season ranked #2. That year, UT won one of the greatest games in team history, a 6-0 victory over Georgia Tech in Atlanta when both teams were ranked #2 and #3, respectively. It was voted the second best game in college football history by Sports Illustrated’s 100th Anniversary of College Football issue(published in 1969). Tech was coached by former UT Hall of Fame quarterback, and revered Yellow Jacket coach, Bobby Dodd. In the final minutes of a legendary defensive struggle, UT was backed up just ahead of their own goal line, but star tailback and future head coach Johnny Majors took a direct snap and booted a roughly 70 yard punt deep into Yellow Jacket territory to seal the win. Majors would finish second in the Heisman voting that year; it was a controversial vote that resulted in the only time a player from a losing squad, Paul Hornung of 2-8 Notre Dame, won the trophy.

Despite two successful years, Wyatt’s team never returned to a bowl game after the 1957 season. Assistant James McDonald took over for Wyatt in 1963, going 5–5.

Before the 1962 season, on March 28, 1962, General Neyland died in New Orleans, Louisiana. Shields-Watkins Field was then presented with a new name: Neyland Stadium. The stadium was dedicated at the 1962 Alabama game, and by that time had expanded to 52,227 seats. Incidentally, Neyland had a hand in designing the expansion efforts for the stadium while he was athletic director. His plans were so forward looking that they were used for every expansion until 1996, when the stadium was expanded to 102,544 seats.

[edit] Dickey and His Three Ts

Doug Dickey, who had been an assistant at Arkansas under Frank Broyles, replaced McDonald in 1964. Dickey was entrusted with rebuilding the program, and his six seasons at the school saw considerable change. Dickey scrapped the single wing formation and replaced it with the more modern T-Formation offense, in which the quarterback takes the snap “under center.” He also changed the helmets of the Vols, removing the numbers from the side and replacing them with a “T.” His third change also remains today. Dickey worked with the Pride of the Southland Marching Band to create a unique pregame entrance for the football squad. The band would open a block T with its base at the locker room tunnel. The team would then run through the T to the sideline. The T was reoriented in the 1980s when the locker room was moved behind the north end zone, and the entrance remains a prized tradition of the football program. In addition to the “three T’s”, Dickey instituted the now universally recognized checkerboard endzone design.

Dickey had some success in his six seasons as a Vol. He led Tennessee to a 46–15–4 record and captured SEC titles in 1967 and 1969. The 1967 team was awarded the National Championship by Litkenhous polling. That season, UT lost its season opening game to UCLA in the Rose Bowl stadium. Bruin quarterback Gary Beban, who would win the Heisman trophy that year, scored the winning touchdown in the final minutes on a fourth-down scramble. The Vols would not lose again that season, winning the remaining 9 regular season games including handing Alabama its only loss of the year and snapping a 25 game unbeaten streak by the Tide. The 24-13 win in Birmingham landed the Vols on the cover of Sports Illustrated and was Dickey’s biggest career win.

[edit] Bill Battle

Following the 1969 season, Dickey left Tennessee to coach at his alma mater, the University of Florida. He would later return to Tennessee as the Athletic Director. Dickey was replaced by Bill Battle. Battle was a 28 year old coach from Alabama, and was the youngest head coach in the country at the time that he took over. Battle won at least 10 games in his first three seasons; however, he lost to Auburn in each of those seasons. Therefore, he did not win a conference title, and would not do so during his time as head coach.

[edit] Majors Moves Home

Johnny Majors won a National Championship at Pittsburgh in 1976, but decided that the job at Tennessee was too good to pass up. Majors replaced Battle in 1977, on the heels of two five loss seasons. Majors would go on to lose his first game as head coach to the University of California, by a score of 27–17, in Knoxville. Majors struggled his first four seasons going 4–7, 5–5–1, 7–5, and 5–6. His teams saw mild success in 1981, going to the Garden State Bowl and going 8–4; and in 1983 winning the Citrus Bowl and going 9–3.

Majors’ 1985 Volunteer squad (9–1–2, 5–1) was one of his most revered squads. The team lost only one game, regrouped after losing the services of Heisman trophy contending quarterback Tony Robinson for the season, and won the first conference title since 1969. The “Big Orange” earned a trip to the 1986 Sugar Bowl, where they defeated heavily favored and 2nd ranked Miami Hurricanes, led by Jimmy Johnson, 35–7. The win kept Miami from a national title and earned the scrappy ’85 squad the nickname: “Sugar Vols.”

Majors later led the Vols to a resurgence following their losing season in 1988. The 1988 Vols lost their first 6 games and went on to finish with a 5–6 record. The Vols followed that effort with back-to-back SEC titles in 1989 and 1990 (although the University of Florida technically won in 1990, they were ineligible due to sanctions). The Vols played on a January 1 bowl game every season in the early 90′s under Majors. However, in the Fall of 1992, Majors suffered heart problems. He missed the early part of the season. Interim coach Phillip Fulmer took over and scored upsets over Georgia and Florida. Majors returned and lost three straight conference games to Arkansas, Alabama, and South Carolina. The Alabama loss on the Third Saturday in October cut the deepest as the Vols had lost seven in a row to the Crimson Tide. The administration decided to make a change after the regular season. Majors was forced to resign and Fulmer took over before the Hall of Fame Bowl.

[edit] Fulmer

1994 saw a down turn in the record of the Vols, but events shaped the bright future of the program. Starting quarterback Jerry Colquitt suffered a season ending knee injury in the first series of the season against UCLA. Backup Todd Helton suffered a similar fate early in the fourth game of the year at Mississippi State requiring backups Brandon Stewart and Peyton Manning to take action. The following week freshman quarterback Peyton Manning would take over the controls and not let go until he departed to the NFL. Manning would be a 4-year starter for the Vols, and he led them to an 8–4 record in 1994. The next season, Manning led the Vols to a 41–14 win over Alabama, breaking the long winless streak. The only loss of the 1995 season was a 62–37 loss to Florida. The loss to the Gators was the 3rd in a row, and would prove to be the major hurdle between the Vols and the National title.

The Vols would put together 11–1, 10–2, and 11–2 seasons in the final three seasons with Manning as quarterback. Manning entered his senior season as a solid favorite for the Heisman Trophy. The trophy would eventually be awarded to Charles Woodson of Michigan, setting off an uproar among the fans. Manning did lead the Vols to an SEC title in 1997, before losing his final game to eventual National Champion Nebraska.

[edit] A Champion and a new era

Tennessee Football has seen moderate success since the 1998 National Championship.

After 3 seasons with high expectations, the Vols faced a new task. Tennessee was expected to have a slight fall off after their conference championship the previous season. They lost QB Peyton Manning, WR‘s Marcus Nash and Andy McCullough, and LB Leonard Little to the NFL. Manning was the first pick overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. They were also coming off of a 42–17 loss to Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, and were in the midst of a 5 game losing streak to their rivals the Florida Gators.

However, the 1998 Tennessee Volunteers football team would prove to exceed all expectation. Led by new quarterback Tee Martin, All American linebacker Al Wilson, and Peerless Price, the Vols captured another National title and would win the first ever BCS Title game against Florida State. They finished the season 13–0, ending a remarkable run of 45–5 in 4 years. Those four seasons, the Vols were led by Fulmer, Offensive Coordinator David Cutcliffe and Defensive Coordinator John Chavis. Cutcliffe took over at Ole Miss as a head coach following the 1998 regular season.

Since 1998, the Vols have made three trips to the SEC Championship Game: 2001, 2004, and 2007. The 2001 team beat then head coach Steve Spurrier and Florida in the Swamp 34–32, moving them up to #2 in most polls and giving them a shot at the BCS title game in the Rose Bowl vs Miami. But they would lose to underdog #21 LSU in the SEC Championship Game. In 2005, the team suffered its first losing season since 1988, going 5–6, fielding a nationally-ranked defense but an anemic offense. Cutcliffe returned to the Vols as offensive coordinator before the 2006 season, which reunited the successful group of Fulmer, Chavis and Cutcliffe. Tennessee rebounded to go 9–3 in the 2006 regular season, losing two heartbreakers at home to Florida and LSU. This earned a spot in the 2007 Outback Bowl, where they lost to underdog Penn State, 20–10. The 2007 season was the first in team history in which the Volunteers allowed 40 or more points in more than one game (3 times). The Vol’s defense did considerably better than expected with help from Seniors Xavier Mitchell, Antonio Reynolds, and Jerod Mayo, and also from Frshman Eric Berry. They would eventually win the SEC Eastern Division title and would go on to play eventual National Champion LSU Tigers. The Vols would lose to the Tigers 21-14. After the SEC Championship, the Vols were invited to play the University of Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl on January 1, 2008.

On January 11, 2008, it was announced that Dave Clawson had been hired as the new offensive coordinator for the Vols by head coach Phillip Fulmer.^[2] He replaced David Cutcliffe, who moved to Duke University as head coach. Jonathan Crompton started at quarterback for the first four games of the 2008 season and went 1–3, after which he was replaced by sophomore Nick Stephens. BJ Coleman is the third quarterback on the roster. Clawson’s appointment introduced problems with the Volunteer’s offense, leading to one of the worst performing offenses under then-Head Coach Phillip Fulmer‘s career. The Vols posted a dismal 5-7 record in the 2008 season, resulting in Fulmer’s ouster at the end of the season.

On December 1, 2008, Lane Kiffin, former head coach of the Oakland Raiders, was announced as the new head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers. It was also reported that once the 2008 NFL regular season ended, Lane’s father, Monte Kiffin, would join him in Knoxville. Monte would replace John Chavis as the Volunteers defensive coordinator.

On December 31, 2008, it was announced that former University of Mississippi head coach Ed Orgeron would become associate coach and defensive line coach as well as recruiting coordinator for the Vols. Jim Chaney was also announced as the Vols new offensive coordinator replacing Dave Clawson. Chaney was the tight ends coach for the NFL’s Saint Louis Rams, and was the offensive coordinator at Purdue University under Joe Tiller.

[edit] Logos and uniforms

Tennessee’s uniform combinations

[edit] Traditions

[edit] Smokey

The costumed Smokey Mascot.

Smokey is the mascot of the University of Tennessee sports teams, both men’s and women’s. There is a live blue tick hound mascot, Smokey IX, which leads the Vols on the field for football games. There is also a costumed mascot that appears at every Vols game, and has won several mascot championships.

Smokey was selected as the mascot for Tennessee after a student poll in 1953. A contest was held by the Pep Club that year. Their desire was to select a coon hound that was native to Tennessee. At halftime of the Mississippi State game that season, several hounds were introduced for voting. “Blue Smokey” was the last, and howled loudly when introduced. The students cheered and Smokey became the mascot. The most successful of the live dogs was Smokey VIII who saw a record of 91–22, two SEC titles and 1 National Championship.

[edit] The Vol Walk

Prior to each home game, the Vols will file out of Stokely Athletic Center, down past the Tennessee Volunteers Wall of Fame, and make their way down Peyton Manning Pass and onto Phillip Fulmer Way. Thousands of fans line the street to shake the players’ hands as they walk into Neyland Stadium. Through rain, snow, sleet, or shine, the Vol faithful are always out in full force to root on the Vols as they prepare for battle. The fans are pumped up with Rocky Top played by The Pride of the Southland Band.

[edit] The “T”

The Pride of the Southland opening the famous T.

The “T” appears two places in Vol tradition. Coach Doug Dickey added the block letter T onto the side of the helmets in his first season in 1964. A rounded T came in 1968. Johnny Majors modified the stripe to a thicker stripe in 1977.

The Volunteers also run through another “T.” This T is formed by the Pride of the Southland marching band with its base at the entrance to the Tennessee locker room in the North endzone. The team makes a left turn inside the T and runs toward their bench on the east sideline. When Coach Dickey brought this tradition to Tennessee in 1965, the Vols locker room was underneath the East stands. The Vols would run through that T and turn back to return to their sideline. The locker room change was made in 1983.

[edit] Checkerboard End Zones

Checkboard Orange and White end zones are unique to Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee first sported the famous checkerboard design in the mid sixties. They brought the design back in 1989. This tradition was also started by Dickey in 1964, and remained until artificial turf was installed at Neyland Stadium.

The checkerboard was bordered in orange from 1989 until natural grass replaced the artificial turf in 1994. The return of natural grass brought with it the return of the green (or grass colored) border that exists today.

[edit] Orange and White

Tennessee fans at Neyland Stadium wear the school colors.

The Orange and White colors worn by the football team were selected by Charles Moore, a member of the very first football squad in 1891. They were from the American Daisy which grew on The Hill, the home of most of the classrooms at the university.

The Orange is distinct to the school, and has been offered by The Home Depot for sale as a paint, licensed by the university. The home games at Neyland Stadium have been described as a “Sea of Orange” due to the large number of fans wearing the school color.

The color is Spot color PMS 151 as described by the University.^[3]

[edit] Volunteer Navy

Around 200 or more boats usually park outside Neyland Stadium on the Tennessee River before games. The fleet was started by former Tennessee broadcaster George Mooney who parked his boat there first in 1962. Tennessee, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Washington are the only schools with their football stadiums built next to major bodies of water.

[edit] Rocky Top

Rocky Top is not the official Tennessee fight song, but is the most popular in use by the Pride of the Southland Marching Band. The Band began playing the fight song during the 1970s after it became popular as a Bluegrass tune by the Osborne Brothers. The fight song is widely recognized as one of the most hated by opponents in collegiate sports.^[4] For more info see: Rocky Top.

[edit] Volunteers

The Volunteer.

The Volunteers (or Vols as it is commonly shortened to) derive that nickname from the State of Tennessee‘s nickname. Tennessee is known as the “Volunteer State,” a nickname it earned during the War of 1812, in which volunteer soldiers from Tennessee played a prominent role, especially during the Battle of New Orleans.^[5]

[edit] Head football coaching record

[edit] All-time record

776-327-53 as of Nov 29, 2008 [1]
Winning percentage: .704

SEC and National Championship rings for the 1998 Vols

[edit] Championships

[edit] National Championships

Tennessee claims 6 national championships. The following is a list of the 6 national championships listed by the Vols. Only four (1938, 1950, 1951, and 1998) were recognized by major polls. The Associated Press has only acknowledged Tennessee as National Champions twice, but the #1 Vols lost in the Sugar Bowl in 1951 after being named AP and UPI National Champions due to the polls being conducted before the bowl season prior to 1968 and 1974 respectively. The 1938 and 1950 championships, while not AP titles, were recognized by a majority of overall selectors/polls, and, as such, are generally recognized ^{[6] [7]}.

Tennessee has also been awarded unrecognized national championships by various organizations in eight additional years: 1914, 1927, 1928, 1931, 1939, 1956, 1985, and 1989^[8].

[edit] Conference Championships

Tennessee has won a total of 16 conference championships, including 13 SEC Championships. The Vols are the last team to win back to back SEC championships, in 1997 and 1998.

Conference Affiliations

[edit] Divisional Championships

As winners of the Southeastern Conference’s Eastern Division, Tennessee has made five appearances in the SEC Championship Game, with the most recent coming in 2007. The Vols are 2–3 in those games. The Vols also shared the Division with Florida and Georgia in two other years, but tie-breakers allowed Florida and Georgia to go to the game in 1993 and 2003 respectively.

[edit] Bowl game appearances

[edit] All-Time Bowl Appearances

[edit] All-Time Bowl Wins

1. Alabama – 32

2. USC – 31

3. Penn State – 27

4. Tennessee – 26

5. Oklahoma – 24

[edit] 2007 season

Tennessee entered the 2007 season coming off a 9–4 record (5–3 SEC) in 2006. In 2007 the Vols had an up and down year. The Vols had huge losses to Cal, Florida, and Alabama but the 2007 team had a lot of fight. The Vols beat one of the best teams in the country in Georgia 35–14 and secure themselves as SEC East Champions, then lost a heartbreaker in the SEC Championship to LSU 21–14.

Current Record: 10-4 (final)
AP Top 25: #12 (final)
USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll: #12 (final)
Harris Interactive: #19 (as of Jan 10, 2008)
BCS Ranking: #16 (as of Jan 10, 2008)

Tennessee accepted the bid to play in the Outback Bowl against the Wisconsin Badgers of the Big Ten Conference. The game was televised by ESPN on New Year’s Day. Erik Ainge threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns in his final game for the Vols, who also got a stellar performance from a defense that improved dramatically after early season losses to California and Florida. Ainge completed 25 of 43 passes without a turnover to win MVP honors. Jerod Mayo lead the defense with 13 tackles while Jonathan Hefney ended his career with 8 stops. The Vols defense forced 3 turnovers, had 5 sacks, and possibly played their best game of the year.

2007 Captains vs. Georgia.

Sat, Sep 1 @ California 8:00 p.m. ABC 31 – 45 (L)

Sat, Sep 8 Southern Mississippi 7:00 p.m. PPV 39 – 19 (W)

Sat, Sep 15 @ Florida 3:30 p.m. CBS 20 – 59 (L)

Sat, Sep 22 Arkansas State 7:00 p.m. PPV 48 – 27 (W)

Thu, Sep 27 Hargrave Military Academy (Jr. Varsity) 7:00 p.m. 37 – 20 (W)

Sat, Oct 6 Georgia 3:30 p.m. CBS 35 – 14 (W)

Sat, Oct 13 @ Mississippi State 2:30 p.m. PPV 33 – 21 (W)

Sat, Oct 20 @ Alabama 12:30 p.m. LF Sports 17 – 41 (L)

Sat, Oct 27 South Carolina 7:45 p.m. ESPN 27 – 24 (W-OT)

Sat, Nov 3 Louisiana-Lafayette (Homecoming) 4:00 p.m. 59 – 7 (W)

Sat, Nov 10 Arkansas 12:30 p.m. LF Sports 34 – 13 (W)

Sat, Nov 17 Vanderbilt 2:00 p.m. PPV 25 – 24 (W)

Sat, Nov 24 Kentucky 1:30 p.m. CBS 52 – 50 (W-4OT)

Sat, Dec 1 LSU (SEC Championship) 4:00 p.m. CBS 14 – 21 (L)

Tue, Jan 1 Wisconsin (Outback Bowl) 11:00 a.m. ESPN 21 – 17 (W)

[edit] Current coaching staff

Head Coach: Lane Kiffin

Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line: Jim Chaney
Running Backs: Eddie Gran
Wide Receivers: Frank Wilson
Tight Ends/Offensive Tackles: James Cregg
Quarterbacks: David Reaves

Defensive Coordinator: Monte Kiffin
Defensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator: Ed Orgeron (also Associate Head Coach)
Asst. Coach/Linebackers: Lance Thompson
Defensive Backs: Willie Mack Garza

Strength and Conditioning: Aaron Ausmus

[edit] Hall of Fame

Tennessee boasts the most college football hall of famers in the SEC, seventh most in major college football, and the ninth most of all college football programs, with 22.

[edit] Players

• Gene McEver – Elected 1954
• Beattie Feathers – Elected 1955
• Herman Hickman – Elected 1959
• Bobby Dodd – Elected 1959 (Player) and 1993 (Coach)
• Bob Suffridge – Elected 1961
• Nathan Dougherty – Elected 1967
• George Cafego – Elected 1969
• Bowden Wyatt – Elected 1972 (Player) and 1997 (Coach)
• Hank Lauricella – Elected 1981
• Doug Atkins – Elected 1985

Also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Elected 1975)

• Johnny Majors – Elected 1987
• Bob Johnson – Elected 1989
• Ed Molinski – Elected 1990
• Steve DeLong – Elected 1993
• John Michels – Elected 1996
• Steve Kiner – Elected 1999
• Reggie White – Elected 2002

Also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Elected 2006)

• Frank Emanuel – Elected 2004
• Chip Kell – Elected 2006

[edit] Coaches

• Robert Neyland – Elected 1956
• Bowden Wyatt- Elected 1997
• Doug Dickey – Elected 2003

[edit] Retired Jerseys

[edit] Individual Award Winners

[edit] Players

• Maxwell Award

Peyton Manning – 1997

• Davey O’Brien Award

Peyton Manning – 1997

• Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

Peyton Manning – 1997

• Outland Trophy

Steve DeLong – 1964

John Henderson – 2000

• Draddy Trophy

Peyton Manning – 1997

Michael Munoz – 2004

[edit] Coach

• The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award

Phillip Fulmer – 1998

• Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year

Phillip Fulmer – 1998

• Broyles Award

David Cutcliffe – 1998

• American Football Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year

John Chavis – 2006

• Robert R. Neyland Award

Phillip Fulmer – 2009

[edit] Past and present NFL players

• Erik Ainge, quarterback for the New York Jets
• Jason Allen, defensive back for the Miami Dolphins
• Rashad Baker, defensive back for the Philadelphia Eagles
• Bill Bates, former defensive back for the Dallas Cowboys
• Julian Battle, defensive back for the Calgary Stampeders
• Shawn Bryson, former running back for the Detroit Lions
• Kevin Burnett, linebacker for the San Diego Chargers
• Dale Carter, former defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs
• Chad Clifton, offensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers
• Reggie Cobb, former running back for the NFL
• Jeremaine Copeland, wide receiver for the Calgary Stampeders
• Dustin Colquitt, punter for the Kansas City Chiefs
• Omar Gaither, linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles
• Willie Gault, former wide receiver for the Chicago Bears
• Deon Grant, defensive back for the Seattle Seahawks
• Jabari Greer, defensive back for the Buffalo Bills
• Shaun Ellis, defensive end for the New York Jets
• Terry Fair, former defensive back for the Detroit Lions
• Aubrayo Franklin, defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers
• Charlie Garner, former running back for the Philadelphia Eagles
• Chris Hannon, wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers
• Parys Haralson, linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers
• Alvin Harper, former wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys
• Justin Harrell, defensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers
• Albert Haynesworth, defensive tackle for the Washington Redskins
• Todd Helton, quarterback, first baseman for the Colorado Rockies
• John Henderson, defensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars
• Travis Henry, running back for the Denver Broncos
• Cedric Houston, running back for the New York Jets
• Anthony Herrera, guard for the Minnesota Vikings
• Andy Kelly, former quarterback for the New Orleans VooDoo
• Mark Jones, wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers
• Jamal Lewis, running back for the Cleveland Browns
• Leonard Little, defensive end for the St. Louis Rams
• Jesse Mahelona, defensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars
• Peyton Manning, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, Drafted 1st Overall 1998
• David Martin, tight end for the Miami Dolphins
• Tee Martin, former quarterback for the Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers
• Jerod Mayo, linebacker for the New England Patriots, Draft 10th Overall 2008 & won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
• Turk McBride, defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs
• Raleigh McKenzie, former Offensive Guard for the Washington Redskins
• Robert Meachem, wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints
• Marvin Mitchell, linebacker for the New Orleans Saints
• Stanley Morgan, former wide receiver for the New England Patriots
• Eric Parker, former wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers
• Carl Pickens, former wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans
• Peerless Price, wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills
• Fuad Reveiz, placekicker for the Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers & Minnesota Vikings
• Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds, linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams
• Arron Sears, guard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Heath Shuler, former quarterback for the Washington Redskins
• Donté Stallworth, wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns
• Haskel Stanback, former running back for the Atlanta Falcons
• Travis Stephens, former running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• James Stewart, former running back for the Detroit Lions
• Trey Teague, former center for the Buffalo Bills
• Raynoch Thompson, Ray “Knock Your Head Off” Thompson former linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals
• Jonathan Wade, defensive back for the St. Louis Rams
• Darwin Walker, defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers and former Chicago Bears
• Kelley Washington, wide receiver for the New England Patriots
• Fred Weary, guard for the Houston Texans
• Scott Wells, center for the Green Bay Packers
• Eric Westmoreland, former linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars
• Reggie White, former defensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and the Carolina Panthers.
• Al Wilson, former linebacker for the Denver Broncos
• Cedrick Wilson, former wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Gibril Wilson, defensive back for the Miami Dolphins
• Jason Witten, tight end for the Dallas Cowboys

Tomorrow, Volpride concludes its series of  Why the S.E.C, with the Vanderbilt Commodores.

South Carolina Gamecocks football

South Carolina Gamecocks Football
First season	1892
Head coach	Steve Spurrier
	4th year, 28–22
Home stadium	Williams-Brice Stadium
Stadium capacity	80,250
Stadium surface	Grass
Location	Columbia, South Carolina
Conference	SEC
Division	East
All-time record	528–529–44 (.499)
Postseason bowl record	4–10–0
Conference titles	1
Heisman winners	1
Consensus All-Americans	51
Current uniform
Colors	Garnet and Black
Fight song	The Fighting Gamecocks Lead the Way
Mascot	Cocky
Rival	Clemson Tigers
Website	GamecocksOnline.com

The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. Since joining the Southeastern Conference in 1992, the team has competed in the Eastern division. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach of the football team. The team plays its home games in Williams-Brice Stadium.

[edit] History

Carolina fielded its first football team in 1892 to play against Furman on Christmas Eve in Charleston. The football team was not sanctioned by the University and had to pay their own train fare as well as buy their own uniforms. They were nicknamed the “College Boys” by The News and Courier and their supporters wore garnet and black. The team lost the game because of their inexperience and lack of training.^[1]

USC won their first game during the third season of the sport on November 2, 1895 against Columbia AA. The football team got their first head coach, W.H. “Dixie” Whaley, the following year, and the 1896 season also saw the inaugural game against archrival Clemson on November 12, which Carolina won 12–6.

The Board of Trustees banned participation in football for the 1906 season after the faculty complained about the coarseness of chants yelled by the students at football games. However, the board was so harassed by petitions from the students and alumni that it voted to allow the resumption of the sport in 1907. A hastily assembled football team competed in an abbreviated season and won all three games it played.^[2]

The Gamecocks have had two head coaches named National Coach of the Year, Joe Morrison in 1984 and Lou Holtz in 2000. Head coach Paul Dietzel was named ACC Coach of the Year in 1969, and current head coach Steve Spurrier was named SEC Coach of the Year in 2005.

[edit] Logos and uniforms

South Carolina’s 2009 uniform combinations

[[3]

Name	Years	Seasons	Won	Lost	Tie	Pct.
No coach	1892–1895	4	1	4	0	.200
W. H. Whaley	1896	1	1	3	0	.250
W.P. Murphy	1897	1	0	3	0	.000
W. Wertenbaker	1898	1	1	2	0	.333
I. O. Hunt	1899–1900	2	6	6	0	.500
B. W. Dickson	1901	1	3	4	0	.429
C. R. Williams	1902–1903	2	14	3	0	.824
Christie Benet	1904–1905 1908–1909	4	13	16	3	.453
Douglas McKay	1907	1	3	0	0	1.000
John H. Neff	1910–1911	2	5	8	2	.400
N. B. Edgerton	1912–1915	4	19	13	3	.586
Rice Warren	1916	1	3	6	0	.333
Dixon Foster	1917 1919	2	4	12	1	.265
Frank Dobson	1918	1	2	1	1	.625
Sol Metzger	1920–1924	5	26	18	2	.587
Branch Bocock	1925–1926	2	13	7	0	.650
Harry Lightsey	1927	1	4	5	0	.444
Billy Laval	1928–1934	7	39	26	6	.592
Don McCallister	1935–1937	3	13	20	1	.397
Rex Enright	1938–1942 1946–1955	15	64	69	7	.482
J. P. Moran	1943	1	5	2	0	.714
William Newton	1944	1	3	4	2	.444
Johnnie McMillan	1945	1	2	4	3	.389
Warren Giese	1956–1960	5	28	21	1	.570
Marvin Bass	1961–1965	5	17	29	4	.380
Paul Dietzel	1966–1974	9	42	53	1	.443
Jim Carlen	1975–1981	7	45	36	1	.555
Richard Bell	1982	1	4	7	0	.364
Joe Morrison	1983–1988	6	39	28	2	.580
Sparky Woods	1989–1993	5	24	28	3	.464
Brad Scott	1994–1998	5	23	32	1	.420
Lou Holtz	1999–2004	6	33	37	0	.471
Steve Spurrier	2005–present	4	28	22	0	.560

[edit] Notable players

[edit] College Football Hall of Famers

[edit] Gamecocks in the NFL

• John Abraham — Atlanta Falcons
• Fred Bennett — Houston Texans
• Cory Boyd — Denver Broncos
• Sheldon Brown — Philadelphia Eagles
• Jared Cook – Tennessee Titans
• Terry Cousin — Cleveland Browns
• Kalimba Edwards — Oakland Raiders
• Na’Shan Goddard — Seattle Seahawks
• André Goodman — Denver Broncos
• Johnathan Joseph — Cincinnati Bengals
• Lance Laury — Seattle Seahawks
• Kenny McKinley – Denver Broncos
• Langston Moore — Detroit Lions
• Jamar Nesbit — New Orleans Saints
• Andrew Pinnock — Denver Broncos
• Sidney Rice — Minnesota Vikings
• Dunta Robinson — Houston Texans
• Ko Simpson — Buffalo Bills
• Shaun Smith — Cleveland Browns
• Ryan Succop – Kansas City Chiefs
• Travelle Wharton — Carolina Panthers
• Troy Williamson — Jacksonville Jaguars
• Rod Wilson — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Anthony Wright — New York Giants

Tomorrow, Volpride profiles the rich history, and tradition of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Ole Miss Rebels football

University of Mississippi Ole Miss Rebels
First season	1890
Athletic director	Pete Boone
Head coach	Houston Nutt
	1st year, 9–4–0
Other staff	Kent Austin (OC) Tyrone Nix (DC)
Home stadium	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Field	Hollingsworth Field
Year built	1915
Stadium capacity	60,580 Largest Crowd: 62,552 (Nov. 22, 2003 vs. LSU)
Stadium surface	AstroPlay
Location	Oxford, Mississippi
League	NCAA Division I
Conference	SEC (1932 – present)
Division	Western Division (1992 – present)
Past conferences	Independent (1890-1898) Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1899-1920) Southern Conference (1921-1932)
All-time record	605–464–35
Postseason bowl record	20–12–0
Claimed national titles	3[1][2] 1959, 1960, 1962
Conference titles	6 1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1963
Division titles	1 2003
Consensus All-Americans	45
Current uniform
Colors	Harvard Crimson and Yale Blue
Fight song	Forward Rebels (Official) Dixie (Unofficial)
Mascot	None
Marching band	Pride of the South
Outfitter	Nike
Rivals	Mississippi State Bulldogs LSU Tigers Arkansas Razorbacks
Website	OleMissSports.com

The football history of the University of Mississippi (also officially known as Ole Miss), includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 31st on the list of college football’s all-time winningest programs^[3]. The Ole Miss Rebels posted its 600th win on September 27, 2008 when it defeated the (then ranked #4 and future 2008 BCS National Champ) Florida Gators 31–30 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida^[4].

Throughout the 115-year history of Ole Miss football, the Rebels have won three national championships (1959, 1960 and 1962), six Southeastern Conference titles (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, and 1963), and one SEC Western Division title (2003 – Co-champions^[5][6][7] with LSU but LSU represented the SEC West in the SEC Championship Game because of its win over Ole Miss that year).

[edit] Early history

In 1890, Dr. A.L. Bondurant, later the dean of the Ole Miss Graduate School, rallied Ole Miss students to help form an athletic department to encompass the sports of football, baseball and tennis. The students brought this initiative to reality and in 1893, with Bondurant as the coach, a football team came to fruition. The first team won four of five games during that inaugural football season. One of those wins was the very first football game ever played by an Ole Miss team, a 56-0 victory over Southwest Baptist University of Jackson, Tennessee (now known as Union University). This was on November 11, 1893.

The next year, 1894, Bondurant passed on his coaching duties. Ole Miss Football, a book published in 1980 by Sports Yearbook Company of Oxford, MS, says J.W.S. Rhea was the first coach at Ole Miss having been hired part-time by Bondurant and having led the 1894 team to a 6-1 record. The annual Ole Miss media guide lists C.D. Clark as the coach of the 1894 team and further says about him, “Although it has never been documented, it is thought that C.D. Clark of Tufts was the first paid football coach at Ole Miss. His name appears as manager of the team as shown in the Ole Miss Magazine dated November 1894.”^[8] The College Football Data Warehouse also lists Clark as the coach for the 1894 team.^[9]

Twice in its history, Ole Miss did not field a football team. In 1897, a yellow fever epidemic cancelled the football season. In 1943, football was abolished at all Mississippi state-supported institutions by the state college Board of Trustees due to World War II.^[10]

[edit] Houston Nutt

Houston Nutt

On November 27, 2007, Houston Nutt was hired as the new head football coach of the Ole Miss Rebels.^[11] Nutt’s hiring made him the 36th head football coach at Ole Miss.

The next day, November 28, 2007, just five weeks after having defeated Ole Miss as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Nutt was officially introduced as the new Ole Miss head football coach at a press conference at the Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for Performing Arts on the Ole Miss campus.^[12] During the press conference, Nutt stated, “One thing I love about Ole Miss is the tradition,” naming past players such as Archie Manning, Jake Gibbs, Frank “Bruiser” Kinard, Deuce McAllister and Eli Manning. “It’s about tradition. That’s the reason I am here. I feel like this place can be successful. I feel like this place can win. I can’t wait to tell our players this afternoon. That’s how you spell fun. The way you spell fun is “W-I-N.” That’s what it is all about.”^[13]

During Nutt’s first season, he guided the Ole Miss Rebels to a 9-4 record with marquee victories over the eventual BCS National Champion Florida Gators squad, the reigning BCS National Champion LSU Tigers, and the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the 2009 Cotton Bowl. At the end of this season, the Rebels were ranked in the Top-15 in both major polls.

It was announced on April 16, 2009 that Nutt and his wife Diana had committed to give a gift of $100,000 dollars to Ole Miss. Half of the contribution will create scholarships for student-athletes. The other half of the gift will be used toward the university’s Indoor Practice Facility, which opened in 2004 and cost $17 million to build.^[14]

[edit] 2007 season

The 2007 season was a historic one for Ole Miss. The Rebels went winless in the SEC for the first time since 1982 – 25 years. The Rebels, under head coach Ed Orgeron, ended the season at 3–9 (0–8 in SEC play).

Orgeron’s talent as a recruiter created a buzz among Rebel fans and drew national attention when Ole Miss’ 2006 signing class ranked as high as fifteenth in the rankings. His 2007 recruiting class was also listed among the best in college football (#31 according to scout.com). However, his recruiting success did not translate to on the field performance. In 2007, Ole Miss was last in the SEC in scoring offense, turnover margin, rushing offense, rushing defense, punt returns, opponent first downs, red-zone offense, opponent third-down conversions, field goal percentage, time of possession and kickoff coverage.

The 2007 season culminated with the firing of Orgeron on November 24, 2007. Three days later, Houston Nutt was hired as the next head football coach.

[edit] 2008 Season

The biggest change for the Rebels going into the 2008 football season was the head coach. Houston Nutt began his first season as head coach of the Rebels, replacing Ed Ogeron, who was fired after his 2007 team failed to win an SEC game.

With a new head coach also came new assistants, including Tight ends/special teams coach James Shibest, Running game coordinator Mike Markuson, Defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, Recruiting coordinator and Safeties coach Chris Vaughn and High School Relations director Clifton Ealy, all of whom were assistants at Arkansas under Nutt the previous season.^[15] Tyrone Nix left his position as Defensive Coordinator of the South Carolina Gamecocks to join Nutt’s staff at the same position. Before his time at South Carolina, Nix spent 10 years at Southern Mississippi.^[16]

Former Arkansas offensive coordinator David Lee originally agreed to follow Nutt from Arkansas to Ole Miss, however, he later accepted an offer to become the Quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins. Upon Lee’s resignation, former Ole Miss quarterback star Kent Austin was hired as offensive coordinator.

Projected to place 5th in the SEC Western Division in the pre-season, the Rebels finished 2nd in the West, knocked off the last 2 national champions on the road in No. 4 (at the time) Florida and No. 18 (at the time) LSU and ended the regular season on a five-game win streak.

[edit] Rivalries

[edit] Mississippi State

Ole Miss and MSU meet during a 1970s Egg Bowl

The Battle of the Golden Egg (nicknamed the Egg Bowl) is an annual college football game between the Ole Miss Rebels and in-state fellow SEC team Mississippi State University (MSU) Bulldogs. While the 2 teams have played each other since 1901, with 2003 being the year in which the 2 teams had played each other 100 times and now having played each other a total of 105 times, the first game officially known as the “The Battle of the Golden Egg” was in 1927.^[17] While it is called a “Bowl”, the game is not a postseason bowl game, but rather a regular season Southeastern Conference (SEC) game for both teams as they are both SEC members in the West Division.

[edit] LSU

Ole Miss’ traditional SEC rival is LSU. Ole Miss first played LSU on December 3, 1894 winning 26–6 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Throughout the fifties and sixties, games between the two schools featured highly ranked squads on both sides and seemingly every contest had conference, and at times national, title implications – most recently in 2003 as LSU was the only team standing in the way of the Eli Manning-led Rebels being able to play for the SEC Championship.. A trophy has now been named for the LSU-Ole Miss rivalry known as the “Magnolia Bowl” which began in 2008 with a 31-13 victory by the Ole Miss Rebels.^[18].

[edit] Arkansas

Ole Miss first played Arkansas in 1908, with Arkansas winning that game 33–0. They would play each other many times, though sporadically, over the next several decades, including two meetings in the Sugar Bowl in 1963 and 1970; Ole Miss won both Sugar Bowl matchups.

The two teams have played each other annually since 1981. The rivalry heated up in 1991 when Arkansas joined the Southeastern Conference, and was placed in the same division when the conference split into two divisions in 1992.

The 2001 Ole Miss-Arkansas game set a NCAA record for most overtime periods played (7). It has since been tied, but never broken. Arkansas won that game 58–56.

The rivalry was intensified in 2007 when Ole Miss hired former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt. Some have already begun to call the matchup the “Nut Bowl.”

Arkansas leads the series 29–25–1 with Ole Miss winning the 2008 meeting.

[edit] “Team of the Century”

1883–1992

[edit] Bowl history

Eli Manning

Ole Miss has participated in 32 bowl games with a record of 20 wins and 12 losses. Notably, Ole Miss’ win percentage of 0.625 ranks third all-time among football programs that have played in 25 or more bowl games (behind USC and Penn State). Twenty bowl wins also ranks 12th all-time.

[edit] Halls of fame

Ole Miss has ten former players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame.

• 1951 Frank M. “Bruiser” Kinard
• 1965 Charles “Charlie” Conerly
• 1974 Barney Poole
• 1979 John Vaught
• 1984 Doug Kenna
• 1987 Thad “Pie” Vann
• 1989 Archie Manning
• 1991 Parker Hall
• 1995 Jake Gibbs
• 1997 Charlie Flowers

Ole Miss has two former players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

• 1970 Frank M. “Bruiser” Kinard
• 2007 Gene Hickerson

Ole Miss has three former players in the Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame.

• 1955 Frank M. “Bruiser” Kinard
• 1959 Charles “Charlie” Conerly
• 1966 Barney Poole

Ole Miss has one former player in the National Quarterback Club Hall of Fame.

• 2004 Archie Manning

[edit] Active in the NFL

• Charlie Anderson, LB, Miami Dolphins
• Stacy Andrews, OT, Philadelphia Eagles
• Taye Biddle, WR, New York Giants
• McKinley Boykin, DT, New Orleans Saints
• Michael Bozeman, DL, Denver Broncos
• Derrick Burgess, DE, Oakland Raiders
• Kendrick Clancy, DL, New Orleans Saints
• Josh Cooper, DL, New Orleans Saints
• BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, New England Patriots
• Von Hutchins, DB, Atlanta Falcons
• Peria Jerry, DL, Atlanta Falcons
• Marcus Johnson, OL, Minnesota Vikings
• Rory Johnson, LB, New York Giants
• Ken Lucas, CB, Carolina Panthers
• Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants
• Deuce McAllister, RB, New Orleans Saints
• Trumaine McBride, DB, Chicago Bears
• Terrence Metcalf, OL, Chicago Bears
• Jayme Mitchell, DL, Minnesota Vikings
• Michael Oher, OL, Baltimore Ravens
• Tutan Reyes, OL, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Jamarca Sanford, DB, Minnesota Vikings
• Chris Spencer, C, Seattle Seahawks
• Micheal Spurlock, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Tre’ Stallings, OL, Kansas City Chiefs
• Fred Thomas, DB, New Orleans Saints
• Keydrick Vincent, OL, Carolina Panthers
• Todd Wade, OL, Washington Redskins
• Mike Wallace, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Patrick Willis, LB, San Francisco 49ers

Keep coming back, as Volpride profiles the Gamecocks of South Carolina.

Mississippi State Bulldogs football

MSU Bulldogs
First season	1895
Athletic director	Greg Byrne
Head coach	Dan Mullen
	1st year, 0–0
Home stadium	Davis Wade Stadium
Year built	1914
Stadium capacity	55,082
Stadium surface	FieldTurf
Location	Starkville, Mississippi
Conference	SEC
Division	Western
All-time record	481–519–39 [1]
Postseason bowl record	7–6[2]
Claimed national titles	0
Conference titles	1 (Southeastern Conference 1941)
Division titles	1 (SEC West 1998)
Current uniform
Colors	Maroon and White
Rivals	Ole Miss Rebels Arkansas Razorbacks Kentucky Wildcats (Permanent SEC East Rival)

The Mississippi State University Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. It has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124 NFL players^1[3].

The Bulldogs play in Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. The facility is the second-oldest football stadium in NCAA FBS football. The current capacity is 55,082. Typical to most SEC stadiums, Davis Wade Stadium has extensive landscaping done around the playing field. The largest attendance in a game at the stadium is 56,188 which occurred on November 10, 2007 during the MSU vs. Alabama contest.

In 2005, Mississippi State opened the 46,000-square-foot (4,300 m²) Holliman Center. The center includes a weight room, equipment room, team meeting rooms, a lounge, and a practice locker room.

Currently, Dan Mullen is the head football coach at Mississippi State University. Though announced on December 11th, 2008, Coach Mullen originally split his time between Mississippi State University and in completing his duties as the offensive coordinator at the the University of Florida. His duties at Florida terminated with a win in the BCS national championship game on January 8th, 2009, the second such championship for Florida in the previous three seasons.

[edit] Historic coaching hire

Mississippi State made history on December 1, 2003, when it hired Sylvester Croom as its head football coach. Croom was the first African-American named to such a position in the history of the SEC. Croom resigned November 29, 2008; he finished with a regular season record of 20-38 and a single winning season in 2007, which was capped by a Liberty Bowl victory over the University of Central Florida and SEC Coach of the Year honors.

[edit] 1998 Season

In 1998, MSU won the SEC Western Division Championship and competed in the 1998 SEC Championship Game, leading Tennessee in the fourth quarter before falling 24-14 before 74,000 fans in the Georgia Dome. They continued on to play in the AT&T Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, against a heavily favored Texas Longhorns team. The Bulldogs lost the game 38–11.

[edit] 1999 Season

The 1999 Bulldog team finished their season with a 10–2 record, earning a final ranking of #12 nationally. MSU beat in-state rival Mississippi to finish the regular season. It was Jackie Sherrill’s 6th win in his first 9 games against the Rebels. In the bowl game, the Bulldogs defeated Clemson in the Peach Bowl, 17–7 to finish 10-2 and ranked #12. That #12 ranking is the highest final ranking of any FBS Division team in the State of Mississippi in over 30 years.

[edit] 2000 Season

The 2000 Bulldogs finished 8–4 (4–4) in what would be Jackie Sherrill‘s final winning season at MSU. The team reached the 2000 Independence Bowl where, under snowy conditions, they pulled out an exciting 43–41 overtime victory over Texas A&M.

[edit] 2006 Season

The Bulldogs finished the 2006 college football season with a 3-9 record (1-7 conference). MSU’s only wins came over UAB (16-10, overtime) of Conference USA in Birmingham and DI-AA/FCS opponent Jacksonville State (35–3), with the Bulldogs’ lone conference victory coming over Alabama in Tuscaloosa, a game in which MSU was a 14-point underdog, by a 24–16 margin, snapping a streak of 23 consecutive conference road losses for MSU.

[edit] 2007 Season

The Bulldogs finished 8–5 and won the Liberty Bowl over the Conference USA Champion the University of Central Florida. Other notable wins include away victories at Auburn University and the University of Kentucky and home wins versus the University of Alabama and Mississippi. With the win over Mississippi, Mississippi State claimed the Egg Bowl trophy.

[edit] 2008 Season

[edit] 2009 Season

[edit] Logos and uniforms

Mississippi State’s 2009 uniform combinations

[edit] Rivalries

[edit] Ole Miss

The Battle of the Golden Egg (nicknamed the Egg Bowl) is an annual college football game between the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Rebels and in-state fellow SEC team Mississippi State University (MSU) Bulldogs. While the 2 teams have played each other since 1901, with 2003 being the year in which the 2 teams had played each other 100 times and now having played each other a total of 104 times, the first game officially known as the “The Battle of the Golden Egg” was in 1927.[19] While it is called a “Bowl”, the game is not a postseason bowl game, but rather a regular season Southeastern Conference (SEC) game for both teams as they are both SEC members in the West Division. Record: 39–60–6

[edit] Bowl History

Mississippi State has an all-time bowl record of 7-6, winning 3 straight in the past 9 seasons, including a win in the 2007 Liberty Bowl.

LSU Tigers football

LSU Tigers football
First season	1893
Athletic director	Joe Alleva
Head coach	Les Miles
	4th year, 42–11
Home stadium	Tiger Stadium (LSU)
Stadium capacity	92,400
Stadium surface	Grass
Location	Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Conference	SEC (1932 – present)
Division	SEC West (1992 – present)
Past conferences	Independent (1893-1895) Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1896-1921) Southern Conference (1922-1932)
All-time record	701–383–47 (.641)
Postseason bowl record	21–18–1
Claimed national titles	3 1958, 2003, 2007
Conference titles	13 SIAA: 1896, 1908 SoCon: 1932 SEC: 1935, 1936, 1958, 1961, 1970, 1986, 1988, 2001, 2003, 2007
Division titles	7 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007
Heisman winners	1
Consensus All-Americans	55
Current uniform
Colors	Purple and Gold
Fight song	Fight for LSU
Mascot	Mike the Tiger
Marching band	Golden Band from Tigerland
Rivals	Tulane Green Wave Ole Miss Rebels Auburn Tigers Alabama Crimson Tide Arkansas Razorbacks
Website	LSUSports.net

The LSU Tigers football team, a.k.a. Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. LSU entered the 2008 season with 693 victories, the 12th most in NCAA history, and the 4th most of any SEC team, behind only Alabama (787), Tennessee (771), and Georgia (714). LSU also entered the 2008 season with a 0.640 all-time winning percentage, the 14th best in the NCAA, and the 4th best in the SEC, behind only Alabama (0.706), Tennessee (0.697), and Georgia (0.644). The LSU football team enjoyed recent success as they won the BCS National Championship in 2003 with a 21-14 win over Oklahoma in the Nokia Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, and victory in the 2008 (2007 season) BCS National Championship Game versus the Ohio State Buckeyes with a 38–24 score, thus becoming the first team since the advent of the BCS to win multiple BCS national titles.

[edit] All-time record vs. annual opponents

[edit] Championships

[edit] National Championships

The NCAA’s website states that “the NCAA does not conduct a national championship in Division I-A football and is not involved in the selection process.” It goes on to say that “a number of polling organizations provide a final ranking of Division I-A football teams at the end of each season.” LSU officially claims three national championships (1958, 2003 & 2007); however, the school has been recognized as national champions by polling organizations on four additional occasions: 1908, 1935, 1936 and 1962.^[1] (The NCAA officially changed the “I-A” designation to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2006.) In the 2007 season, LSU became the first collegiate football program to win the BCS National Championship Game twice.

Year Coach Selector Record Bowl Result 1958 Paul Dietzel AP, Coaches 11-0 Sugar Bowl LSU 7, Clemson 0 2003 Nick Saban BCS, Coaches 13-1 Sugar Bowl LSU 21, Oklahoma 14 2007 Les Miles BCS, AP, Coaches 12-2 BCS National Title Game LSU 38, Ohio State 24 Total national championships: 3 [edit] Conference Championships LSU has won a total of 13 conference championships in three different conferences. Since becoming a founding member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 1933, LSU has won ten conference championships, fourth most in the SEC. Year Coach Conference Overall Record Conference Record 1896 Allen Jeardeau SIAA 6-0 3-0 1908 Edgar R. Wingard SIAA 10-0 2-0 1932 Biff Jones Southern 6-3-1 4-0 1935 Bernie Moore SEC 9-2-0 5-0 1936 Bernie Moore SEC 9-1-1 6-0 1958 Paul Dietzel SEC 11-0 6-0 1961 Paul Dietzel SEC 10-1 6-0 1970 Charles McClendon SEC 9-3 5-0 1986 Bill Arnsparger SEC 9-3 5-1 1988 Mike Archer SEC 10-1-1 6-1 2001 Nick Saban SEC 10-3 5-3 2003 Nick Saban SEC 13-1 7-1 2007 Les Miles SEC 12-2 6-2 Total conference championships 13 [edit] Divisional Championships Since the SEC began divisional play in 1992, LSU has won or shared the SEC West title 7 times, and is 3-1 in the SEC Championship game. Year Division Championship SEC CG Result Opponent PF PA 1996 SEC West N/A Lost tiebreaker to Alabama N/A N/A 1997 SEC West N/A Lost tiebreaker to Auburn N/A N/A 2001 SEC West W Tennessee 31 20 2002 SEC West N/A Lost tiebreaker to Arkansas N/A N/A 2003 SEC West W Georgia 34 13 2005 SEC West L Georgia 14 34 2007 SEC West W Tennessee 21 14 Totals 7 3-1 - 100 81 [edit] Seasons [show] v • d • e LSU Football Seasons   1893 · 1894 · 1895 · 1896 · 1897 · 1898 · 1899 · 1900 · 1901 · 1902 · 1903 · 1904 · 1905 · 1906 · 1907 · 1908 · 1909 · 1910 · 1911 · 1912 · 1913 · 1914 · 1915 · 1916 · 1917 · 1918 · 1919 · 1920 · 1921 · 1922 · 1923 · 1924 · 1925 · 1926 · 1927 · 1928 · 1929 · 1930 · 1931 · 1932 · 1933 · 1934 · 1935 · 1936 · 1937 · 1938 · 1939 · 1940 · 1941 · 1942 · 1943 · 1944 · 1945 · 1946 · 1947 · 1948 · 1949 · 1950 · 1951 · 1952 · 1953 · 1954 · 1955 · 1956 · 1957 · 1958 · 1959 · 1960 · 1961 · 1962 · 1963 · 1964 · 1965 · 1966 · 1967 · 1968 · 1969 · 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 National Championships: 1958 · 2003 · 2007 Conference Championships: 1896 · 1908 · 1932 · 1935 · 1936 · 1958 · 1961 · 1970 · 1986 · 1988 · 2001 · 2003 · 2007 The Tigers did not field a team in 1938-1942 (World War II). [edit] Bowl games LSU has played in 40 bowl games, compiling a record of 21-18-1. Note that in the table below, the year references the season, and not the actual date the game was played. Year Bowl Game Winner Loser 1935 Sugar Bowl Texas Christian 3 LSU 2 1936 Sugar Bowl Santa Clara (CA) 21 LSU 14 1937 Sugar Bowl Santa Clara (CA) 6 LSU 0 1943 Orange Bowl LSU 19 Texas A&M 14 1946 Cotton Bowl LSU 0 Arkansas 0 1949 Sugar Bowl Oklahoma 35 LSU 0 1958 Sugar Bowl (Title Game) LSU 7 Clemson 0 1959 Sugar Bowl Ole Miss 21 LSU 0 1961 Orange Bowl LSU 25 Colorado 7 1962 Cotton Bowl LSU 13 Texas 0 1963 Bluebonnet Bowl Baylor 14 LSU 7 1964 Sugar Bowl LSU 13 Syracuse 10 1965 Cotton Bowl LSU 14 Arkansas 7 1967 Sugar Bowl LSU 20 Wyoming 14 1968 Peach Bowl LSU 31 Florida State 27 1970 Orange Bowl Nebraska 17 LSU 12 1971 Sun Bowl LSU 35 Iowa State 15 1972 Bluebonnet Bowl Tennessee 24 LSU 17 1973 Orange Bowl Penn State 16 LSU 9 1977 Sun Bowl Stanford 24 LSU 17 1978 Liberty Bowl Missouri 20 LSU 15 1979 Tangerine Bowl LSU 34 Wake Forest 10 1982 Orange Bowl Nebraska 21 LSU 20 1984 Sugar Bowl Nebraska 28 LSU 10 1985 Liberty Bowl Baylor 21 LSU 7 1986 Sugar Bowl Nebraska 30 LSU 15 1987 Gator Bowl LSU 30 South Carolina 13 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl Syracuse 23 LSU 10 1995 Independence Bowl LSU 45 Michigan State 26 1996 Peach Bowl LSU 10 Clemson 7 1997 Independence Bowl LSU 27 Notre Dame 9 2000 Peach Bowl LSU 28 Georgia Tech 14 2001 Sugar Bowl LSU 47 Illinois 34 2002 Cotton Bowl Texas 35 LSU 20 2003 Sugar Bowl (BCS National Championship Game) LSU 21 Oklahoma 14 2004 Capital One Bowl Iowa 30 LSU 25 2005 Peach Bowl LSU 40 Miami (FL) 3 2006 Sugar Bowl LSU 41 Notre Dame 14 2007 BCS National Championship Game LSU 38 Ohio State 24 2008 Chick-Fil-A Bowl LSU 38 Georgia Tech 3 Totals 40 21 18 [edit] Famous moments in LSU football history LSU Tigers football team bus at New Orleans Marriott viewed from Sheraton New Orleans One of LSU’s four 2007 national championship trophies. Pictured is the AFCA National Championship Trophy 2008 – The Comeback — The Tigers trailed in a makeup game from Hurricane Gustav 31-3 midway through the third quarter against Troy. The Bayou Bengals came back with 37 consecutive points and rallied to win 40-31. 2008 – BCS national championship — #2 LSU defeats #1 Ohio State University in the BCS national championship 38–24, becoming the first school to win two BCS national championship titles and improving their BCS record to 4–0, the best of any team. They also became the first two loss team to ever play in the BCS national championship. - 2006 LSU vs Tennessee: QB JaMarcus Russell completes a touchdown pass to WR Early Doucet with 9 seconds to go to beat Tennessee in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville after a breakout performance by Tennessee backup QB Johnathon Crompton. 2004 – Sugar Bowl — LSU is the national champion with by defeating Oklahoma 21–14. 2002 – “The Bluegrass Miracle” — #16 LSU survived an upset bid from unranked Kentucky by winning the game 33–30 on a miraculous 75-yard Hail Mary pass as time expired. Kentucky fans, believing they had won, had already rushed the field and torn down one goal post. 2001 – SEC Championship Game — #21 LSU staged an upset victory over #2 Tennessee, winning 31–20. The victory earned LSU a spot in its first Sugar Bowl since 1986, and knocked the Volunteers out of national title contention. 1997 – #1 Ranked Florida Taken Down by LSU — After nine straight losses to Steve Spurrier-led Florida, #14 LSU shocked the #1-ranked Gators 28–21 in Tiger Stadium, making the cover of Sports Illustrated. It was the first time LSU beat a #1 ranked team. 1995 – Bring Back The Magic Game — Wearing its white jerseys at home in Tiger Stadium for the first time since 1982, LSU upset #5 Auburn, winning the game 12-6 as LSU DB Troy Twillie intercepted Auburn QB Patrick Nix’s 11-yard pass into the end zone with no time remaining. 1988 – “The Earthquake Game” — Unranked LSU staged a near literal earth-shattering upset victory over #4 Auburn in Tiger Stadium, winning the game 7-6 with 1:41 remaining on a TD pass from QB Tommy Hodson to TB Eddie Fuller. The reaction of the crowd was so immense that it registered as an earthquake on a seismograph in LSU’s Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex. 1972 – Jones to Davis;. “The Night The Clock Stopped” — #6 LSU survived an upset bid from unranked Ole Miss in Tiger Stadium by winning the game on a TD pass from QB Bert Jones to RB Brad Davis. Ole Miss fans say the 1972 contest featured a few seconds of free football. The Tigers trailed the Rebels 16–10 with four seconds to play. After a lengthy incompletion by Jones, the game clock still showed one second remaining. The Tigers used the precious second to win the game on the “last play,” 17–16. The home-clock advantage inspired a sign at the Louisiana state line reading, “You are now entering Louisiana. Set your clocks back four seconds.” 1966 – Cotton Bowl — Unranked LSU upset #2 Arkansas, winning the game 14–7 and snapping Arkansas’ 22-game winning streak. 1959 – Billy Cannon’s Halloween Night Run — Late in the game between #1 LSU and #3 Ole Miss, LSU was trailing 3–0. Then Billy Cannon returned a punt 89 yards for a TD, breaking seven tackles. The Rebels then drove down the field but were stopped on the LSU 1 yard line as the game ended resulting in a 7–3 victory for LSU in Tiger Stadium. 1959 – Sugar Bowl — #1 LSU wins the 1958 national championship, beating #12 Clemson 7–0. The only score was a pass from Billy Cannon to freshman Mickey Mangham, one of the smallest players on the team. [edit] Rivals [edit] Tulane Green Wave LSU’s oldest rival is Tulane; the first LSU-Tulane football game was played in 1893 and for the first fifty or so years of Tiger football, no team was more hated by LSU fans than the Green Wave. The series, in which they battle for the Tiger Rag, was played continuously from 1919 to 1994. The intrastate rivalry featured two teams which were geographically close (Baton Rouge and New Orleans are roughly 80 miles (130 km) apart) and drew on socio-political tensions between the state’s capital and seat of government and its biggest and most culturally important city. As opponents in the SIAA, Southern Conference and SEC, the Tulane rivalry flourished for many years but slowly declined after Tulane left the SEC and de-emphasized athletics. Until 1949, the series was very competitive, with LSU leading 23–18–5; since 1949, LSU has dominated, going 45–4–2. The two teams renewed the annual series in 2006. [edit] Ole Miss Rebels See also: LSU-Ole Miss rivalry LSU’s traditional SEC rival is Ole Miss. Throughout the fifties and sixties, games between the two schools featured highly ranked squads on both sides and seemingly every contest had conference, and at times national, title implications. While the rivalry died down from the seventies to the nineties, the rivalry has again been gaining steam and publicity, due to mostly the 2003 Season when Ole Miss could have been a top ten team and go to the SEC Championship while LSU would have gone to the national championship depending on who won the game. A trophy has now been named for the LSU-Ole Miss rivalry known as the “Magnolia Bowl”. Recently, the second to last regular season game has been between these two colleges. There is still a strong rivalry between both schools. [edit] Auburn Tigers See also: Auburn-LSU rivalry While Auburn’s rivalries against Alabama and Georgia may overshadow its rivalry with LSU, in recent years, LSU’s biggest rival has been the Auburn Tigers. The two share more than just a nickname, as they have both enjoyed success in the SEC’s Western Division and plenty of memorable match ups. Either Auburn or LSU has won at least a share of the SEC Western Division championship for five of the last six years. The home team won every game from 2000 through 2007, until visiting LSU defeated Auburn in 2008. Both the 2007 and 2008 games saw LSU win dramatic, come-from-behind victories with last minute touchdown passes. [edit] Alabama Crimson Tide See also: Alabama-LSU rivalry LSU and Alabama have played every year since the 1960s, with Alabama holding a historic edge in the series, 43–23–5. Many trace the origins of the rivalry back to a 15-game undefeated streak Alabama had in Tiger Stadium, which is generally considered to be one of the most hostile atmospheres in college football. From 1971 to 1998, the Crimson Tide went 14–0–1 in Baton Rouge. While their rivalries against Auburn and Tennessee may overshadow their rivalry with LSU, the significance of this rivalry increased after Alabama hired former LSU coach Nick Saban in 2007. Prior to the initial Saban season, Sports Illustrated ranked the game #13 in its “Top 20 Games To Watch In 2007″ list. [2] The 2007 game saw the LSU Tigers win a dramatic come-from-behind victory, with a final score of 41–34. Alabama won the 2008 game, 27-21 in overtime. [edit] Arkansas Razorbacks Main article: Battle for the Golden Boot The Golden Boot trophy is awarded to the annual winner of the Arkansas-LSU football game. After the Razorbacks left the Southwest Conference in 1990, Arkansas joined the SEC in 1991 and began a yearly rivalry with LSU. Spurred by both the SEC and the schools, LSU and Arkansas have developed a more intense football rivalry. The winner takes home the Golden Boot, a trophy in the shape of the states of Arkansas and Louisiana that resembles a boot. The game, played the day after Thanksgiving, is usually the last regular season game for each team and is broadcast on CBS. In 2002, the rivalry gained momentum as the game winner would represent the Western Division of the SEC in the SEC Championship Game. Arkansas won the exciting game on a last second touchdown pass by Matt Jones. In 2006, the Razorbacks, who had already clinched the SEC Western Division and were on a 10-game winning streak, were beaten by LSU in Little Rock. In 2007, Arkansas stunned top-ranked LSU in triple overtime, giving them their first win in Baton Rouge since 1993, and again defended the Golden Boot trophy with a last minute touchdown drive in 2008. [edit] Traditions An LSU cheerleader cheers on the team during a game against South Carolina in 2007. Cheerleaders are a part of the pageantry of college football. Geaux Tigers — A common cheer for all LSU athletics, Geaux Tigers, pronounced “Go Tigers”, is derived from a common ending in French Cajun names, -eaux. Acknowledging the state’s French heritage, it is common for fans to issue LSU newcomers an endearing “French” name. Intended to be more humorous than grammatically correct, coaches are especially targeted. Gerry DiNardo became “Dinardeaux”, Nick Saban became “Nick C’est Bon”. Tailgating — Throngs of Tiger fans from across the region descend on LSU’s campus for every home game, setting up motor homes and tents for Louisiana’s biggest party other than Mardi Gras. March Down The Hill – The LSU players, coaches, cheerleaders, and finally The Golden Band from Tigerland march down the hill between Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (AKA, the PMAC) prior to each game. Thousands of fans line up on both sides of the road to watch and cheer for their beloved Tigers. The band plays their drum cadence while marching and just before entering the stadium, “Pregame” is played. The LSU Band’s Pregame Show — The LSU pregame show was created in 1964, and revised over the next nine years into its current format. The marching band lines up along the end zone shortly before kick off. Then the band strikes up a drum cadence and begins to spread out evenly across the field. When the front of the band reaches the center of the field, the band stops and begins to play an arrangement of “Pregame” (Hold that Tiger). While it does this, the band turns to salute the fans in all four corners of the stadium. Then the band, resuming its march across the field, begins playing “Touchdown for LSU.” At this point, the LSU crowd chants “L-S-U, L-S-U, L-S-U…” White Jerseys — LSU is notable as one of the few college football teams that wears white jerseys for home games as opposed to their darker jerseys (in their case, purple). Most other NCAA football teams wear their darker jerseys in home games, even though football is one of the few college sports that do not require a specific jersey type for each respective team (for instance, college basketball requires home teams to wear white or light-colored jerseys while the away team wears their darker jerseys), and is similar to the NFL in letting the home team decide what to wear. The tradition started in 1958, when Coach Paul Dietzel decided that LSU would wear white jerseys for the home games. LSU went on to win the national championship that year. Since then, LSU continued to wear white jerseys at home games. Then in 1982, new NCAA rules prohibited teams from wearing white jerseys at home. Because of this, LSU wore purple jerseys during home games from 1983 to 1994. In 1995, LSU’s new coach, Gerry DiNardo, was determined to restore LSU’s tradition of white home jerseys. DiNardo personally met with each member of the NCAA Football Rules Committee, lobbying LSU’s case. DiNardo was successful, and LSU again began wearing white jerseys at home when the 1995 season began. In LSU’s first home game with the white jerseys, unranked LSU prevailed in a 12-6 upset victory over #6 Auburn. In 2000, LSU’s new coach, Nick Saban, altered the tradition of the white home jerseys: now LSU only wears white jerseys for the home opener and for home games against SEC opponents. For non-SEC home games other than the home opener, LSU wears purple jerseys at home. The rule allowing LSU to wear white at home has one stipulation: the visiting team must agree. On two occasions, LSU was forced to wear colored jerseys at home. The first time was in 1996 against Vanderbilt, who was still angry at LSU for hiring Gerry DiNardo, who left Vanderbilt to become LSU’s head coach after the 1994 season. LSU wore gold jerseys for that game (a 35-0 LSU victory), and fans were encouraged to wear white in an effort to “white out” the Commodores. The second time was in 2004, when Oregon State did want not to suffer in its black jerseys in the humid weather of Louisiana in late summer. Chinese Bandits – Whenever LSU forces a turnover or gets the ball back via a defensive stop, the LSU band plays the Chinese Bandits tune. Tiger fans bow to the defense while the tune is played. The term “Chinese Bandits” originated as the nickname that LSU Coach Paul Dietzel gave to the defensive unit he organized in 1958, which helped LSU to win its first national championship. The next season, the 1959 Chinese Bandit defense held their opponents to an average of only 143.2 yards per game. No LSU defense since has done better. Geaux to Hell Ole Miss — When LSU is playing their rival, Ole Miss, LSU fans shout “Geaux to Hell Ole Miss. Geaux to hell” frequently, and signs with the same saying can be seen throughout the stadium. Ole Miss fans typically respond with “Go to hell, LSU!” Hot boudin – LSU’s famous cheer before games and during about famous food in Louisiana. It goes ” Hot boudin, cold cous-cous, come on tigers, push push push.” H style goal posts — LSU’s Tiger Stadium uniquely sports “H” style goal posts, as opposed to the more modern “Y” style used by most other schools today. This “H” style allows the team to run through the goal post in the north endzone when entering the field. Yard lines — Tiger Stadium also is notable for putting all yard line numbers on the field, not just those that are multiples of 10. However, the 10-yard-line numbers are the only numbers that get directional arrows, as the rules make no provision for 5-yard-line numbers. Tiger Bait – LSU fans will yell “Tiger Bait, Tiger Bait” at visiting fans who wear their team colors. First Down cheer – When the Tigers earn a first down, the Golden Band from Tigerland plays the “Geaux Tigers” cheer. The band also has a specific cheer for second and third downs. [edit] Hall of Famers The following LSU players and coaches are members of the College Football Hall of Fame. [edit] Players Player Position Years Induction Doc Fenton QB & E 1904-1909 1979 Abe “Miracle” Mickal RB 1933-1935 1967 Gaynell “Gus” Tinsley E 1934-1936 1956 Ken Kavanaugh E 1937-1939 1963 Tommy Casanova CB 1969-1971 1995 Billy Cannon HB 1957-1959 2008 [edit] Coaches Coach Years Induction Dana Bible 1916 1951 Michael “Iron Mike” Donahue 1923-1927 1951 Lawrence “Biff” Jones 1932-1934 1954 Bernie Moore 1935-1947 1954 Charlie “Cholly Mac” McClendon 1962-1979 1986 [edit] Individual Award Winners [edit] Players Heisman Trophy Billy Cannon – 1959 The WCFF All-Century Team Tommy Casanova – 1969 to 1971 Dave Rimington Trophy Ben Wilkerson – 2004 Draddy Trophy Rudy Niswanger – 2005 Fred Biletnikoff Award Josh Reed – 2001 Wuerffel Trophy Rudy Niswanger – 2005 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Glenn Dorsey – 2007 Lombardi Award Glenn Dorsey – 2007 Outland Trophy Glenn Dorsey – 2007 Lott Trophy Glenn Dorsey – 2007 [edit] Coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant Award Paul Dietzel – 1959 Nick Saban – 2003 [edit] Heisman Trophy Voting History Year Player Place Votes 1958 Billy Cannon 3rd 975 1959 Billy Cannon 1st 1,929 1962 Jerry Stovall 2nd 618 1972 Bert Jones 4th 351 1977 Charles Alexander 9th 54 1978 Charles Alexander 5th 282 2007 Glenn Dorsey 9th 30 Check back again tomorrow as Volpride breaks down Mississippi Sate.

Kentucky Wildcats football

Kentucky Wildcats Football
First season	1881
Head coach	Rich Brooks
	7th year, 36–41–0
Home stadium	Commonwealth Stadium (Kentucky)
Stadium capacity	67,606
Stadium surface	Bermuda Grass
Location	Lexington, Kentucky
Conference	SEC
Division	East
All-time record	562–552–44 (.503)
Postseason bowl record	8–5–0
Claimed national titles	1 (1950 Sagarin Ratings)
Conference titles	2
Current uniform
Colors	Blue and White
Fight song	On, On, U of K, Kentucky Fight
Rivals	Louisville Cardinals Tennessee Volunteers Vanderbilt Commodores

The Kentucky Wildcats are a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.

[edit] Eras (by coach)

Paul “Bear” Bryant Era As a member of the football-heavy SEC, they compete against many of the top college football programs in the nation. They play at Commonwealth Stadium, which replaced Stoll Field in 1973. Paul “Bear” Bryant was Kentucky’s head football coach for eight seasons.

Under Bryant the Wildcats won the 1947 Great Lakes Bowl, lost the 1950 Orange Bowl, won the 1951 Sugar Bowl and the 1952 Cotton Bowl. In final AP polls, the Wildcats were ranked #11 in 1949, #7 in 1950, #15 in 1951, #20 in 1952 and #16 in 1953. The final 1950 poll was taken prior to the bowl games; Kentucky then defeated undefeated and #1 ranked Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl and claims that this win earned them a national championship for the 1950 season, as they were ranked #1 in the Sagarin Ratings. The NCAA recognizes Kentucky as a co-national champion on its Past Football Bowl Subdivision National Champions Web site.

Fran Curci Era The 1976 Wildcats retroactively claimed a share of the Southeastern Conference championship under coach Fran Curci via a loss later forfeited by Mississippi State (and despite losing at home to conference champion Georgia) and won the Peach Bowl, finishing #18 in the final AP poll. The 1977 Kentucky team went 10–1 and was undefeated in SEC play but, despite finishing the season ranked #6 in the AP poll, did not play in a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions. Kentucky finished at #6 and Penn State at #5 despite the fact that Kentucky defeated Penn State at Penn State during the regular season.

Jerry Claiborne Era Coach Jerry Claiborne led the Wildcats to the 1983 Hall of Fame Bowl. Kentucky returned to the 1984 Hall of Fame Bowl and defeated a Wisconsin team ranked #20 in the polls to finish the season with a 9–3 record and a #19 ranking in the final AP and UPI polls.

Bill Curry Era The Wildcats played in the 1993 Peach Bowl under coach Bill Curry.

Hal Mumme Era Coach Hal Mumme led the Wildcats to the 1998 Outback Bowl and the 1999 Music City Bowl but the program was hit with severe sanctions for infractions during Mumme’s tenure.

Guy Morriss Era Under coach Guy Morriss the Wildcats posted a 7–5 record in 2002 but were not eligible for postseason play due to NCAA sanctions.

Rich Brooks Era The team’s current coach is Rich Brooks, who led the team to an 8–5 regular season record in 2006, including a memorable upset over the defending SEC champion Georgia, snapping a nine-game losing streak to the Bulldogs. Brooks also led the football team to its first bowl game since 1999 and its first bowl game victory since 1984, as Kentucky defeated the Clemson University Tigers 28–20 in the Music City Bowl. [1] On September, 15 2007. Brooks led UK to a 40–34 upset win over #9 Louisville. This marked UK’s first win over Louisville since 2002 and the first win over a top 10 team since #4 Penn State in 1977. The Wildcats were ranked 8th in the nation before a loss to South Carolina on October 4. After the loss to South Carolina, Kentucky bounced back on October 13 to defeat #1 LSU in a historic triple overtime game.

The 2007 Kentucky Wildcats football defeated the Florida State Seminoles 35–28 in the 2007 Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee, on December 31, 2007. It was the Wildcats second straight bowl appearance after a drought dating back to 1999. Quarterback Andre’ Woodson was named the Music City Bowl MVP for the second year in a row. The last three bowl appearances for the Cats have been in the Music City Bowl, which they have appeared in more than any other SEC team in the conference’s affiliation with the game, which dates back to the inaugural game in 1998.

One obscure statistic illustrates the competitive challenge Kentucky has historically faced in football. The recruiting site Rivals.com recently pointed out that in the five seasons from 2003 through 2007, the Wildcats have only signed a total of six prospects who were rated by the site as four stars (out of five) or higher, (with the exception of Micah Johnson) none of them rated as five-star prospects. By contrast, Florida, who is grouped with Kentucky in the SEC East, signed 20 players rated four stars or higher by the same site in the 2007 class alone.^[1]

[edit] Logos and uniforms

Kentucky’s uniform combinations

[edit] Bowl Games

[edit] Southeastern Conference Championships

Note: Bold year indicates outright conference title

[edit] All-Americans

Check back tomorrow as Volpride takes a look at the L.S.U. Tigers

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