1916 Tennessee Volunteers football team

1916 Tennessee Volunteers football
SIAA co-champion
Conference Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1916 record 8–0–1 (6–0–1 SIAA)
Head coach John R. Bender
Offensive scheme Short Punt
Base defense Multiple
Captain Graham Vowell
Home stadium Wait Field
1916 SIAA football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Georgia Tech + 5 0 0     8 0 1
Tennessee + 6 0 1     8 0 1
Georgetown (KY) 1 0 0     2 0 0
Vanderbilt 4 1 1     7 1 1
Auburn 6 2 0     6 2 0
The Citadel 3 1 0     6 1 1
LSU 3 1 1     7 1 2
Georgia 4 2 0     6 3 0
Tulane 2 1 1     4 3 1
Kentucky 2 1 2     4 1 2
Alabama 4 3 0     6 3 0
Sewanee 2 2 2     5 2 2
Transylvania 2 2 0     2 2 0
Mississippi A&M 3 4 0     4 4 1
Mississippi College 2 3 0     4 3 0
South Carolina 2 3 0     2 7 0
Clemson 2 4 0     3 6 0
Furman 1 4 0     4 5 0
Centre 0 1 2     5 1 3
Louisville 0 2 1     2 3 1
Howard 0 1 0     0 1 0
Wofford 0 2 0     2 7 0
Mercer 0 3 0     1 6 0
Chattanooga 0 3 0     0 4 0
Florida 0 4 0     0 5 0
Ole Miss 0 6 0     3 6 0
  • + Conference co-champions

The 1916 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1916 college football season.[1] John R. Bender served his first season as head coach of the Volunteers. Because of World War I, Tennessee did not field another varsity squad until 1919.

The 1916 Vols won eight games and lost none. The only blemish on Tennessee's record was a scoreless draw with Kentucky in the last game; and the Vols won a share of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association title for the second time in three years sharing the title with Georgia Tech. This season also saw the first homecoming football game in Tennessee football history, hosting rival Vanderbilt, against which Tennessee achieved a then-rare victory..

The New York Herald ranked quarterback Buck Hatcher as the season's premier punter.[2] Captain and end Graham Vowell was the season's only unanimous All-Southern selection, and was a third-team All-America selection by Walter Camp. Next to him on the line was his older brother, Morris Vowell. Next to him was Chink Lowe. At the other end was Lloyd Wolfe.

Before the season

Coach Bender came to Tennessee from Kansas State, effectively switching jobs with former Volunteers head coach Zora G. Clevenger. Bender ran a short punt system. In 1916, football used a one-platoon system in which players played both offense, defense, and special teams. Quarterback Buck Hatcher was a triple-threat.

Schedule

Date Opponent Site Result
September 30 Tusculum* 15th and Cumberland Field • Knoxville, TN W 33–0  
October 7 Maryville* 15th and Cumberland Field • Knoxville, TN W 32–0  
October 14 at Clemson Riggs FieldCalhoun, SC W 14–0  
October 21 South Carolina 15th and Cumberland Field • Knoxville, TN W 26–0  
October 28 at Florida Plant FieldTampa, FL W 24–0  
November 4 at Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN W 12–7  
November 11 Vanderbiltdagger 15th and Cumberland Field • Knoxville, TN (Rivalry) W 10–6  
November 18 vs. Sewanee Chattanooga, TN W 17–0  
November 30 Kentucky 15th and Cumberland Field • Knoxville, TN T 0–0  
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. All times are in Eastern.

Season summary

Florida

Tennessee at Florida
1 234Total
Tennessee 7 7010 24
Florida 0 000 0

The Vols blanked the Florida Gators in Tampa 24 to 0 in the two rivals first-ever meeting. Hatcher's punts were the feature of the contest.[3]

The starting lineup was G. Vowell (left end), M. Vowell (left tackle), Lowe (left guard), Robinson (center), Shoulders (right guard), Hambaugh (right tackle), Wolfe (right end), A. Hatcher (quarterback), Shelby (left halfback), Emory (right halfback), Luck (fullback).[3]

Vanderbilt

Tennessee upset the Vanderbilt Commodores 10 to 6 in 1916. Vanderbilt's lone score came on a 70-yard run by Rabbit Curry. Graham Vowell scored Tennessee's winning touchdown.[4] Buck Hatcher regularly outpunted Tom Zerfoss. Both ends, Vowell and Lloyd Wolfe, helped stop Curry.[5]

Sewanee

The Volunteers beat the Sewanee Tigers 17–0. Morris Vowell had a 99-yard interception return.[6]

Kentucky

Kentucky at Tennessee
1 234Total
Kentucky 0 000 0
Tennessee 0 000 0
  • Date: November 30
  • Location: 15th and Cumberland Field
    Knoxville, TN
  • Referee: Henry (Kenyon)

The season closed with an upset tie by the Kentucky Wildcats, an account of which reads "Rodes and McIlvain, Kentucky's quarterback and fullback, played a magnificent game and had they received the proper support from their team, would have piled up a large score against Tennessee."[7]

The starting lineup was G. Vowell (left end), M. Vowell (left tackle), Lowe (left guard), Robinson (center), Henderson (right guard), Hambaugh (right tackle), Wolfe (right end), A. Hatcher (quarterback), Emory (left halfback), J. Luck (right halfback), Ring (fullback).[7]

Personnel

Depth chart

Offense
LE
Graham Vowell
 
LT LG C RG RT
Morris Vowell Chink Lowe Charles W. Robinson Possum Henderson P. C. Hambaugh
William Shoulders
RE
Lloyd Wolfe
 
QB
Buck Hatcher
LHBRHB
Bill EmoryJames K. Luck
A. G. ShelbyBill Emory
FB
Ned Ring
James K. Luck

-

References

  1. http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/schedules/tennessee-games/1916-volunteers-season/
  2. "[1]". The Record of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. 37: 150.
  3. 1 2 3 "Tennessee 24, Florida 0". Atlanta Constitution. October 29, 1916. p. 5. Retrieved May 7, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Defeat of Vandy Was Big Surprise". The Charlotte Observer. November 13, 1916. p. 6. Retrieved March 29, 2015 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Auburn Has Bulge In Weight And Experience Behind Line". The Tennessean. November 15, 1916. p. 12. Retrieved January 13, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  6. http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/tenn/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/2011_record_book.pdf
  7. 1 2 3 "Kentucky State Outplays Tenn.". Atlanta Constitution. December 1, 1916. p. 8. Retrieved April 23, 2015 via Newspapers.com.
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