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Ranking Tennessee football’s 10 offensive systems in history

By Caleb Calhoun

24 Sep 1994: Head coach Phillip Fulmer of the University of Tennessee during the Vols 24-21 loss to Mississippi State.
24 Sep 1994: Head coach Phillip Fulmer of the University of Tennessee during the Vols 24-21 loss to Mississippi State. /
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Photo by Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images
Photo by Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images /

9. I-Formation hybrid: 1977-1981

Head coach who used this formation: Johnny Majors

When Johnny Majors took the Tennessee football head coaching job in 1977, he had become famous for his use of the veer offense to perfection with the Pittsburgh Panther. Majors brought in Joe Avezzano to run the offense at UT, though, and Bill Battle, despite his experience with the veer, had recruited to prepare for a transition to the pro-style offense in the future.

As a result, there was a quarterback competition between Jimmy Streater and Pat Ryan. Streater was the veer quarterback, and Ryan was the drop-back passer. Majors tried to work with both of them his first year, and the result was disastrous, as the Vols fell to a 4-7 season, their worst in history until 2017.

However, in the process, he found a way to maximize the system he had. Majors ran an I-formation hybrid, where he would mix in the option as part of a vertical passing attack, but he didn’t fully commit to the veer. This allowed Streater to become the most productive quarterback in school history at the time, as he started through the 1979 season.

After Streater left, though, Bill Pace replaced Avezzanno as offensive coordinator. Steve Alatorre and Jeff Olszewski both ran the offense at quarterback in 1980 and 1981, and the team did make it to 8-4 in 1981, but this wasn’t a successful run. UT gets credit for staying above water, though, going 29-27 during these five years. And hey, they did make it to 8-4 in 1981.

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