1927 Tennessee Volunteers football team

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1927 Tennessee Volunteers football
SoCon co-champion
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Record8–0–1 (5–0–1 SoCon)
Head coach
Offensive schemeSingle-wing
CaptainJohn Barnhill
Home stadiumShields–Watkins Field
Seasons
← 1926
1928 →
1927 Southern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Georgia Tech + 7 – 0 – 1 8 – 1 – 1
Tennessee + 5 – 0 – 1 8 – 0 – 1
NC State + 4 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
Vanderbilt 5 – 0 – 2 8 – 1 – 2
No. 8 Georgia 6 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
Florida 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Ole Miss 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 1
Virginia 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Clemson 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 1
Alabama 3 – 4 – 1 5 – 4 – 1
LSU 2 – 3 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Mississippi A&M 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Washington and Lee 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 1
VPI 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Maryland 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
South Carolina 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
VMI 2 – 4 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Tulane 2 – 5 – 1 2 – 5 – 1
North Carolina 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Sewanee 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
Kentucky 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 1
Auburn 0 – 6 – 1 0 – 7 – 2
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from Dickinson System

The 1927 Tennessee Volunteers football team (variously "Tennessee", "UT" or the "Vols") represented the University of Tennessee in the 1927 Southern Conference football season. Playing as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon), the team was led by head coach Robert Neyland, in his second year, and played their home games at Shields–Watkins Field in Knoxville, Tennessee. The 1927 Vols won eight, lost zero and tied one game (8–0–1 overall, 5–0–1 in the SoCon). The only blemish on Tennessee's schedule was a tie with in-state rival, Vanderbilt. Playing seven home games, the 1927 Vols outscored their opponents 246 to 26 and posted seven shutouts.

Before the season

Robert Neyland was hired to coach Tennessee in 1926 by Nathan Dougherty with the explicit goal to "even the score with Vanderbilt", and had his first great team in 1927.[1]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultSource
September 24
Carson–Newman*
W 33–0[2]
October 1at
Emerson Field
  • Chapel Hill, NC
    		• W 26–0[3]
    October 8Maryville (TN)*
    • Shields–Watkins Field
    • Knoxville, TN
    		W 7–0[4]
    October 15Ole Miss
    • Shields–Watkins Field
    • Knoxville, TN (rivalry)
    		W 21–7[5]
    October 22Transylvania*
    • Shields–Watkins Field
    • Knoxville, TN
    		W 57–0[6]
    October 29Virginia
    • Shields–Watkins Field
    • Knoxville, TN
    		W 42–0[7]
    November 5Sewanee
    • Shields–Watkins Field
    • Knoxville, TN
    		W 32–12[8]
    November 12Vanderbiltdagger
    • Shields–Watkins Field
    • Knoxville, TN (rivalry)
    		T 7–7[9]
    November 24at Kentucky
    		W 20–0[10]
    • *Non-conference game
    • daggerHomecoming

    Game summaries

    Carson–Newman

    In the season opener, Tennessee beat in-state opponent Carson–Newman 33–0.

    North Carolina

    In the second week of play, Tennessee defeated UNC 26–0. The starting lineup was Lowe (left end), McArthur (left tackle), F. Johnson (left guard), Butcher (center), Burgers (right guard), Hundley (right tackle), Alley (right end), Elmore (quarterback), Derryberry (left halfback), Witt (right halfback), Dodson (fullback).[11]

    Maryville

    The Vols beat the Maryville Scots 7–0.

    Ole Miss

    Tennessee had an easy 21–7 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels, weakening in the last quarter for the first touchdown scored on the Vols. Passes from Witt and runs by Dodson got Tennessee's scores.[12]

    The starting lineup was McKeen (left end), McArthur (left tackle), Barnhill (left guard), Butcher (center), Tripp (right guard), Elliott (right tackle), Alley (right end), Elmore (quarterback), Derryberry (left halfback), Witt (right halfback), Dodson (fullback).[13]

    Transylvania

    The season's fifth shutout, Tennessee beat Transylvania 42–0.

    Virginia

    The Volunteers beat the Virginia Cavaliers 42–0. The starting lineup was McKeen (left end), McArthur (left tackle), Barnhill (left guard), Butcher (center), Tripp (right guard), Elliott (right tackle), Alley (right end), Elmore (quarterback), Derryberry (left halfback), Witt (right halfback), Dodson (fullback).[14]

    Sewanee

    Tennessee beat Sewanee 32–12. The starting lineup was McKeen (left end), McArthur (left tackle), Barnhill (left guard), Butcher (center), Tripp (right guard), H. Johnson (right tackle), Alley (right end), Tudor (quarterback), Derryberry (left halfback), Witt (right halfback), Dodson (fullback).[15]

    Vanderbilt

    Vanderbilt at Tennessee
    1 234Total
    Vanderbilt 0 007 7
    Tennessee 0 007 7

    McGugin's Commodores led 7–0 until a late Dick Dodson run tied the score.[16] "After the game McGugin questioned each of his players as to his whereabouts during the run. Without exception the players claimed that two men had blocked them. McGugin shrugged. "Well, we'll just protest the play. It's perfectly obvious that Tennessee had twenty-two men on the field."[16]

    Vanderbilt center

    Vernon Sharpe arguably had the better season, but was outperformed by Tennessee's Elvin Butcher.[17] The starting lineup was McKeen (left end), McArthur (left tackle), Barnhill (left guard), Butcher (center), Tripp (right guard), H. Johnson (right tackle), Alley (right end), Elmore (quarterback), Derryberry (left halfback), Witt (right halfback), Dodson (fullback).[18]

    Kentucky

    To close the season, the Volunteers shutout the Kentucky Wildcats 20–0. The starting lineup was McKeen (left end), McArthur (left tackle), Barnhill (left guard), Butcher (center), Tripp (right guard), H. Johnson (right tackle), Alley (right end), Elmore (quarterback), Witt (left halfback), Derryberry (right halfback), Dodson (fullback).[19]

    Postseason

    Coach Alexander of Tech wrote Neyland to accept a co-championship, and no Pickens Cup was awarded.[20]

    Players

    Line

    Number Player Position Games
    started     		Hometown Prep school Height Weight Age
    29 George Abernathy center
    41 Scott Alden guard
    25
    Herc Alley
    		 end
    24 John Barnhill guard Savannah, Tennessee 175
    34 Ed Burgess guard
    23 Elvin Butcher center Knoxville, Tennessee 184
    32 Joe Bybee end
    40 Frank Elliott tackle
    37 Jim Finney center
    53 Ben Fuller guard
    44 Louis Green tackle
    54 Houston Herndon end
    30 Hobart Hooser guard
    35 Bo Hundley tackle
    46 Xen Hunt tackle
    20 Farmer Johnson guard
    22 Howard Johnson tackle
    33 Ted Lowe end
    18 Dave McArthur tackle
    26 Allyn McKeen end
    36 Harry Meyer end
    27 Arthur Tripp guard
    43 George Wiggs center

    Backfield

    Number Player Position Games
    started     		Hometown Prep school Height Weight Age
    15 E. Derryberry halfback
    13 Dick Dodson fullback Peabody Academy 180
    52 Jimmy Dykes halfback
    12 Jimmy Elmore quarterback
    16 Amos Horner fullback
    51 Clyde Keltner halfback
    49 Carl Reischling halfback
    21 Amos Trotter halfback
    19 Vincent Tudor quarterback
    14 Roy Witt halfback
    17 Ed Young halfback

    References

    1. ^ Robert Neyland at the College Football Hall of Fame
    2. Newspapers.com
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    8. Newspapers.com
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    9. Newspapers.com
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    10. Newspapers.com
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    11. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 207
    12. Newspapers.com. Open access icon
    13. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 230
    14. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 242
    15. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 253
    16. ^ a b Edwin Pope. Football's Greatest Coaches. p. 340.
    17. ^ "Four Georgia Grid Stars Voted Places On United Press Conference Team". Banner-Herald. November 23, 1917.
    18. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 266
    19. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 272
    20. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 277

    Additional sources

    • Woodruff, Fuzzy (1928). A History of Southern Football 1890–1928. Vol. 3.
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