1916 Tennessee Volunteers football team

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1916 Tennessee Volunteers football
SIAA co-champion
ConferenceSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1916 record8–0–1 (6–0–1 SIAA)
Head coach
  • John R. Bender (1st season)
Offensive schemeShort punt
Base defenseMultiple
CaptainGraham Vowell
Home stadiumWaite Field
Seasons
← 1915
1917 →
1916 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
  • v
  • t
 Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Georgia Tech + 5 – 0 – 0 8 – 0 – 1
Tennessee + 6 – 0 – 1 8 – 0 – 1
Vanderbilt 4 – 1 – 1 7 – 1 – 1
LSU 3 – 1 – 1 7 – 1 – 2
The Citadel 3 – 1 – 0 6 – 1 – 1
Tulane 2 – 1 – 1 4 – 3 – 1
Kentucky 2 – 1 – 2 4 – 1 – 2
Auburn 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Georgia 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Alabama 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Sewanee 2 – 2 – 2 5 – 2 – 2
Centre 1 – 1 – 1 5 – 1 – 3
Georgetown (KY) 1 – 1 – 0 2 – 1 – 0
Mississippi A&M 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 4 – 1
Mississippi College 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 3 – 0
Clemson 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
South Carolina 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Wofford 1 – 2 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Louisville 1 – 2 – 1 2 – 3 – 1
Transylvania 1 – 2 – 1 1 – 2 – 1
Furman 1 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Chattanooga 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Howard (AL) 0 – 1 – 0 0 – 1 – 0
Mercer 0 – 3 – 0 1 – 6 – 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 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association 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. 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[]

DateOpponentSiteResult
September 30Tusculum*
W 33–0
October 7Maryville*
  • Waite Field
  • Knoxville, TN
W 32–0
October 14at Clemson
W 14–0
October 21South Carolina
  • Waite Field
  • Knoxville, TN
W 26–0
October 28at Florida
  • Plant Field
  • Tampa, FL
W 24–0
November 4at ChattanoogaChattanooga, TNW 12–7
November 11Vanderbiltdagger
W 10–6
November 18vs. SewaneeChattanooga, TNW 17–0
November 30Kentucky
  • Waite Field
  • Knoxville, TN
T 0–0
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming

Season summary[]

Tusculum[]

The season opened with a 33–0 defeat of Tusculum.

Maryville[]

In the second week of play, Tennessee beat the Maryville Scots 32–0.

Clemson[]

Tennessee at Clemson
1 234Total
• Tennessee 0 0014 14
Clemson 0 000 0
  • Date: October 12
  • Location: Riggs Field
    Clemson, SC
  • Referee: Bocock

Tennessee beat Clemson 14–0, the game remaining 0–0 well into the fourth quarter. Eventually in the fourth, Tennessee drove to the 1-yard line and lost the ball on downs.[2] After forcing Clemson to punt, Tennessee again found itself at the 1-yard line, and was penalized 5 yards. Clemson was also penalized 5 yards, and with the ball back at the 1-yard line the Volunteers scored the touchdown. The second touchdown came on an interception.[2]

The starting lineup was G. Vowell (left end), M. Vowell (left tackle), Shoulders (left guard), Robinson (center), Lowe (right guard), Henderson (right tackle), Wolfe (right end), Luck (quarterback), Emery (left halfback), Shelby (right halfback), A. Hatcher (fullback).[2]

South Carolina[]

The Volunteers defeated South Carolina 26–0.

Florida[]

Tennessee at Florida
1 234Total
• Tennessee 7 7010 24
Florida 0 000 0
  • Date: October 28
  • Location: Plant Field
    Tampa, FL
  • Referee: Coles (Clemson)

The Vols blanked the Florida Gators in Tampa 24–0 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]

Chattanooga[]

Tennessee beat Chattanooga 12–7, the most points scored on the Vols all season.

Vanderbilt[]

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

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), Twifford (right halfback), Ring (fullback).[6]

Sewanee[]

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

Kentucky[]

Kentucky at Tennessee
1 234Total
Kentucky 0 000 0
Tennessee 0 000 0
  • Date: November 30
  • Location: Waite 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]

Postseason[]

The New York Herald ranked quarterback Buck Hatcher as the season's premier punter.[8] Graham Vowell was the season's only unanimous All-Southern selection, and was a third-team All-America selection by Walter Camp.

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
LHB RHB
Bill Emory James K. Luck
A. G. Shelby Bill Emory
FB
Ned Ring
James K. Luck

-

References[]

  1. ^ "1916 Tennessee Football Schedule". August 23, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d "Tigers Outplayed and Defeated by Tennessee 14 to 0". The Greenville News. October 15, 1916. p. 9. Retrieved December 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  3. ^ a b c "Tennessee 24, Florida 0". Atlanta Constitution. October 29, 1916. p. 5. Retrieved May 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. ^ "Defeat of Vandy Was Big Surprise". The Charlotte Observer. November 13, 1916. p. 6. Retrieved March 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. ^ "Auburn Has Bulge In Weight And Experience Behind Line". The Tennessean. November 15, 1916. p. 12. Retrieved January 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  6. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 42
  7. ^ a b c "Kentucky State Outplays Tenn". Atlanta Constitution. December 1, 1916. p. 8. Retrieved April 23, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  8. ^ "[1]". The Record of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. 37: 150. 1917.

Additional sources[]

  • Woodruff, Fuzzy (1928). A History of Southern Football 1890–1928. Vol. 2.
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