1970 Tennessee Volunteers football team

American college football season

1970 Tennessee Volunteers football

Sugar Bowl champion

Sugar Bowl, W 34–13 vs. Air Force

Conference| Southeastern Conference
Ranking
Coaches| No. 4
AP| No. 4
Record| 11–1 (4–1 SEC)
Head coach|

* Bill Battle (1st season)

Captain| Tim Priest
Home stadium| Neyland Stadium

Seasons

<- 1969

1971 ->

1970 Southeastern Conference football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 7 LSU $  | 5  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 3  | - | 0
No. 4 Tennessee | 4  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 11  | - | 1  | - | 0
No. 10 Auburn | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 2  | - | 0
No. 20 Ole Miss | 4  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 4  | - | 0
Florida | 3  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 4  | - | 0
Georgia | 3  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Alabama | 3  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 1
Mississippi State | 3  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Vanderbilt | 1  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 7  | - | 0
Kentucky | 0  | - | 7  | - | 0 |  |  | 2  | - | 9  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1970 Tennessee Volunteers football team (variously "Tennessee", "UT" or the "Vols") represented the University of Tennessee in the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. Playing as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the team was led by head coach Bill Battle, in his first year, and played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. They finished the season with a record of eleven wins and one loss (11–1 overall, 4–1 in the SEC) and a victory over Air Force in the Sugar Bowl. The 1970 Tennessee defense holds the record for most takeaways in a single season with 57, not including the bowl game in which they recorded 8 more.[1]

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Opponent| Rank| Site| TV| Result| Attendance| Source

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

September 19| SMU*| |

* Neyland Stadium
* Knoxville, TN

| | W 28–3| 54,158| [2]
September 26| Auburn| No. 17|

* Legion Field
* Birmingham, AL (rivalry)

| | L 23–36| 65,306| [3]
October 3| Army*| |

* Neyland Stadium
* Knoxville, TN

| | W 48–3| 59,817| [4]
October 10| at No. 13 Georgia Tech*| No. 20|

* Grant Field
* Atlanta, GA (rivalry)

| | W 17–6| 59,624| [5]
October 17| Alabama| No. 14|

* Neyland Stadium
* Knoxville, TN (Third Saturday in October)

| | W 24–0| 64,947| [6]
October 24| Florida| No. 11|

* Neyland Stadium
* Knoxville, TN (rivalry)

| ABC| W 38–7| 64,069| [7]
October 31| Wake Forest*| No. 9|

* Memphis Memorial Stadium
* Memphis, TN

| | W 41–7| 26,381| [8]
November 7| at South Carolina*| No. 8|

* Carolina Stadium
* Columbia, SC (rivalry)

| | W 20–18| 42,788| [9]
November 21| Kentucky| No. 8|

* Neyland Stadium
* Knoxville, TN (rivalry)

| | W 45–0| 63,452| [10]
November 28| Vanderbilt| No. 7|

* Dudley Field
* Nashville, TN (rivalry)

| | W 24–6| 33,850| [11]
December 5| UCLA*| No. 5|

* Neyland Stadium
* Knoxville, TN

| | W 28–17| 63,242| [12]
January 1| vs. No. 11 Air Force| No. 4|

* Tulane Stadium
* New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl)

| ABC| W 34–13| 78,655| [13]

* *Non-conference game
* Homecoming
* Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

## Roster

[edit]

1970 Tennessee Volunteers football team roster

Players  | Coaches
Offense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

|
|
|

QB | `10` | Bobby Scott | Sr
G | `65` | Phillip Fulmer | Sr
G | `50` | Chip Kell | Sr
WR | `85` | Lester McClain | Sr
Defense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

|
|
|

DB | `13` | David Allen | So
DL | `86` | Tom Bennett | Jr
S | `44` | Bobby Majors | Jr
LB | `58` | Ray Nettles | Jr
OLB | `52` | Jackie Walker | Jr
Special teams | Pos. | # | Name | Class

|
|
|

K | `9` | George Hunt | Jr

Head coach

* Bill Battle

Coordinators/assistant coaches

* * *

Legend

* (C) Team captain
* (S) Suspended
* (I) Ineligible

* Injured
* Redshirt

## Team players drafted into the NFL

[edit]

Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club

|
|
|
|

Lester McClain | Wide receiver | 9 | 220 | Chicago Bears
Bobby Scott | Quarterback | 14 | 340 | New Orleans Saints
Chip Kell | Center | 17 | 429 | San Diego Chargers

[14]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Kersey, Jason (June 18, 2019). "The art of the takeaway: There are specific traits to..." The Athletic. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
2. ^ "SMU spilled by Vols". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. September 20, 1970. Retrieved May 7, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ "Dr. Pat operates nicely as Vols go down, 36–23". The Anniston Star. September 27, 1970. Retrieved May 7, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ "Tennessee pours it on, tramples Cadets, 48–3". The Record. October 4, 1970. Retrieved May 7, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ "Vols bash Ga. Tech, 17–6". The Clarion-Ledger. October 11, 1970. Retrieved May 7, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ "Tennessee hauls down 'Bama, 24–0". Johnson City Press-Chronicle. October 18, 1970. Retrieved May 7, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "Volunteers greet Dickey with smashing 38–7 loss". Tallahassee Democrat. October 25, 1970. Retrieved May 7, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ "Tennessee rips Deacons, 41 to 7". The News and Observer. November 1, 1970. Retrieved May 7, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "Last-grasp Tennessee FG spoils S.C. upset bid". The Times and Democrat. November 8, 1970. Retrieved May 7, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ "Tennessee rips Kentucky 45–0". Battle Creek Enquirer. November 22, 1970. Retrieved May 7, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ "Vols tumble Vandy 24–6". The Tennessean. November 29, 1970. Retrieved May 7, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ "Vols' late rally nips UCLA 28–17". The Sacramento Bee. December 6, 1970. Retrieved May 7, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
13. ^ "Tennessee demolished Air Force defense". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. January 2, 1971. Retrieved May 7, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
14. ^ "1971 NFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2012.

* v
* t
* e

Tennessee Volunteers football

Venues|

* Baseball Park (1892–1893)
* Fountain City Park (1894)
* Baldwin Park (1895–1900, 1902–1905)
* Chilhowee Park (1901, 1907)
* Baker-Himel Park (1906)
* Waite Field (1908–1920)
* Neyland Stadium (1921–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Alabama: Third Saturday in October
* Auburn
* Florida
* Georgia
* Georgia Tech
* Kentucky
* South Carolina
* Vanderbilt

Culture & lore|

* History
* Smokey
* "Rocky Top"
* Pride of the Southland Band
* Battle at Bristol
* Porter Cup

People|

* Head coaches
* Starting quarterbacks
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

National championship seasons in bold

This college football 1970s season article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

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* v
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*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number