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Ranking Tennessee football’s 10 years after coach’s first bowl game

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 12: General view of a Tennessee Volunteers flag during a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 12: General view of a Tennessee Volunteers flag during a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images /

6. 1966: 8-3 (3-2)

W Gator Bowl; No. 14 Coaches

Coming off Doug Dickey’s first bowl game

When Doug Dickey took over Tennessee football in 1964, he installed the T-formation, breaking with tradition from the Vols. However, they hadn’t reached a bowl game in seven years, so he had to do something. After a losing season that year, he got them back to a bowl in 1965, as they went 8-1-2, won the Bluebonnet Bowl, upset the No. 5 ranked UCLA Bruins and finished No. 7.

Heading into 1966, expectations were that Dickey would build off that success, and after a 2-0 start that included wins over the Auburn Tigers and Rice Owls, experts felt the same way. As a result, the vaulted the Vols up to No. 8 with Dewey Warren running the show at quarterback and a slew of talented players elsewhere.

Well, they weren’t quite ready for that next step yet. After that start, they suffered a three-point loss at the No. 9 ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and a one-point loss at the Alabama Crimson Tide, who would finish the year undefeated. Three straight wins got them back to No. 10, but then they suffered an upset loss to the Ole Miss Rebels by a touchdown.

The Vols still finished 7-3 and earned a Gator Bowl invite to face Syracuse. In that game, they jumped out to an 18-0 lead and held on to win 18-12, finishing 8-3 and in the top 20. That was a solid way to end the year, and they did live up to their expectations by going 9-2 and winning the SEC the next year, even being declared national champions by one service.

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