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Tennessee football: Johnny Majors’ top five games as a player

ByCaleb Calhoun|
PITTSBURGH - SEPTEMBER 5: Johnny Majors, former head football coach of the Iowa State University Cyclones, the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the University of Tennessee Volunteers, looks on from the sideline before a college football game between the Pitt Panthers and Youngstown State Penguins at Heinz Field on September 5, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt Panthers defeated Youngstown 38-3. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH - SEPTEMBER 5: Johnny Majors, former head football coach of the Iowa State University Cyclones, the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the University of Tennessee Volunteers, looks on from the sideline before a college football game between the Pitt Panthers and Youngstown State Penguins at Heinz Field on September 5, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt Panthers defeated Youngstown 38-3. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
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Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

1. Only score in SEC-title deciding game set up by Johnny Majors

Statistically, this is not Johnny Majors’ best game as a player. But some wins are so memorable that they have to make the list, and Majors did his part to win this game. As a result, it tops the list of memorable victories during his time as a Tennessee football player.

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This game had everything. It involved two players who were Vols All-Americans for Robert Neyland now as head coach on opposite sides, Bobby Dodd and Bowden Wyatt. Both teams were also undefeated, with GT 6-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation and Rocky Top 6-0 and ranked No. 3 in the nation.

However, to this point, the Vols had not beaten a ranked team, while GT had beaten two, including the No. 5 ranked SMU Mustangs. And this game was at Grant Field in Atlanta. As a result, the Yellow Jackets were a touchdown favorite. In a game that involved two UT All-Americans who had become championship head coaches, Majors became the greatest legend of all of them to do that.

The future head coach en route to an All-American season set up the only scoring drive for either team with two passes for 61 yards to Buddy Cruze, which set up a Tommy Bronson one-yard score. That was all the Vols needed, as their defense held, and they secured a 7-0 upset. A big reason for the defense holding, by the way, was Majors pinning GT deep with his punting.

After a tie the year before, this was the biggest win for Majors’ playing career and Wyatt’s coaching career. GT finished the season 10-1, with this being its only loss, and Tennessee football went undefeated in the regular season. So this game decided the SEC Champion, and it’s one of the most memorable wins in school history.

For more posts remembering Johnny Majors’ accomplishments on Rocky Top as a player and coach for Tennessee football, please click here.

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