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Vandy’s Last Win In Knoxville
11/17/2005
by Bill Traughber
It has been 30 years since Vanderbilt has beaten the Tennessee Vols in Knoxville. At that time in 1975, first-year Commodore coach Fred Pancoast led Vanderbilt while Bill Battle coached the Vols. The Commodores came close to winning the year before with the Vols scoring a last minute touchdown and two-point conversion for a disappointing 13-13 tie at Dudley Field.
On this November afternoon in Neyland Stadium, the Commodores and Vols entered the game with identical 6-4 records. Over 71, 943 fans watched Fred Fisher of Vanderbilt and the Vols Randy Wallace quarterback their respective teams. But, it would be an average kick by the Commodore punter to attract the attention by the game’s end.
The Commodores struck first on an 80-yard scoring drive. The key play was a 50-yard Fisher to Mike Gothard pass. Lonnie Sadler forced his way into the end zone from the one-yard line to give Vanderbilt a 7-0 lead. Mark Adams added the conversion.
Defense took over for both teams for the rest of the first half. With less than a minute until the half, Fisher attempted a second down pass, but was sacked. The ball popped loose into a pile of players. Vols Defensive end, Ron McCartney, came up with the ball and raced 25 yards before being dragged down at the Commodore’s 13-yard line.
Tennessee managed to get the ball into the end zone three plays later on a one-yard pass from Wallace to Tommy West. Nashville’s Jimmy Gaylor knotted the game at 7-7 with his conversion.
In the third quarter, the Vols would take their only lead of the game. Tennessee was on their 37-yard line when two key screen-type passes to Larry Seivers kept the drive alive. Stanley Morgan blasted his way from the four-yard line to give the Vols a 14-7 advantage.
Vanderbilt began a fourth quarter march from its 20-yard line. The Commodore line was effective during the attack with Sadler, Fisher, Adolph Groves, David Johnson and Roger Alsup. Fisher carried the ball across midfield on a fake tight end reverse for nine yards. Passes to Alsup and Sadler followed by an elusive run by Johnson moved the ball to the UT nine-yard line. Sadler then scampered around the left side on a pitch for the tying TD. Vanderbilt 14, Tennessee 14.
Vandy’s defensive back, Ed Oaks, made the deciding play of the game. Before the Vols could continue a drive, Oaks grabbed a pass intended for West and raced 26 yards to the Vols six-yard line. The Vols defense stiffened and Vanderbilt was stopped. Place-kicker Adams came on to drill an 18-yard field goal to put Vanderbilt ahead 17-14. There were still nine minutes left on the clock.
Gary Roach came in at quarterback for Tennessee. With the ball on the Vols 37-yard line and a third and 18, Roach tossed a pass to Jeff Moore. A Commodore defender, causing a reaction by the UT faithful, apparently bumped Moore. The referee on the scene appeared to reach for his penalty flag, but quickly signaled an incomplete pass. The Vols bench and fans were hysterical.
Craig Colquitt boomed a 57-yard punt out of bounds to the Vanderbilt six-yard line. The Commodores were deep in their own territory while the Vols fans continued to display their disapproval over the non-call on the Moore contact. Next to face a pressure situation was Vanderbilt’s punter/tight end Barry Burton.
Burton was called upon to punt when the Commodores failed to advance the ball. As
Burton stepped into his usual punting position, Vols fans saw optimism and cheered for the familiar Commodore player. Vandy fans were concerned.
Two years earlier, Burton was in a similar situation when the Commodores were winning 17-13. Burton was about to punt from deep inside his territory when he tried to run for a Commodore first down. He came up short and the Vols went on to score the winning touchdown for a 20-17 victory in Neyland Stadium.
The year before in Nashville, Burton was standing near his goal line with Vanderbilt leading the Vols, 21-13. Burton dropped the snap that went directly into his hands. The Vols recovered the ball, scored a TD and two-point conversion in the last seconds to tie the game at 21-21.
For the third year in a row Burton was asked to get the ball off again. This time standing in his end zone with a slim three-point lead and four minutes left in the game. Burton got off a 41-yard kick that Morgan returned 21 yards. Tennessee had a first down on the Vanderbilt 30-yrad line with a deafening crowd behind them and momentum.
However the Commodore defense was alive and well. Adams, who also played linebacker, charged into the Vols line on first down to stopped Mike Gayles for no gain. Jay Chesley, a Commodore All-America defensive back, then streaked into the UT backfield to slam Morgan for a three-yard loss. Wallace, who was back in the game, overthrew Seivers on a pass attempt.
On fourth down, Gaylor lined up to attempt an apparent game-tying field goal from 50 yards. Earlier in the game Vandy defensive end Dennis Harrison blocked a long field goal attempt by Gaylor. The field goal attempt was a fake and a pass to Tim Fitchpatrick never came close to him securing a Commodore 17-14 victory. Vanderbilt had defeated the Vols for the first time since a 7-0 victory in Nashville in 1964.
The player to attract most of the attention after the game was Burton who would be named an All-American as a tight end. His pressurized 41-yard punt wasn’t anything spectacular, but getting it off was a key moment in the contest.
Burton’s failed punting attempts in the previous two UT games did haunt him.
“I would have kicked it farther except I tried to burst the football,” Burton said after the game. I tried to kick it 90 yards. It was the greatest feeling of my life to look over at (UT coach Bill) Battle in those last moments when the victory was ours. I couldn’t help yelling at him, ‘The pressure’s on you now.'”
The emotional senior Burton was given the game ball by Pancoast and continued, “I knew I wouldn’t leave school without beating these guys. I had a very personal debt to pay. If we hadn’t won this year, I’d slip back on the squad next year.”
It was estimated that 14,000 Vanderbilt fans attended the game. The Commodores hoped that a 7-4 record would gain them a bowl bid, but most of the invitations were gone. The Vols did beat Hawaii, 28-6 the following week in Honolulu. Tennessee finished the season 7-5 and also without a bowl bid.
Vanderbilt would beat the Vols in Nashville in 1982 for their last football win over the Vols.
Next week read about Vanderbilt setting the NCAA record for most yards in a game in 1969.
If you have any comments or suggestions you can contact Bill Traughber via e-mail WLTraughber@aol.com.
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