With Nov. 1 showing up on the calendar today, let's think about one of the best-known famous phrases in all of college football, courtesy of John Majors.
"They Remember What You Do In November."
When he was coach at Tennessee, he always said it, to the point everybody believed it to be true. It was posted all over the Neyland-Thompson Center.
It was a mere seven words, but it was an article of faith.
Is it really true?
The easy answer is, "John Majors said so," but there is evidence that it is.
Think about the following.
As a Vol tailback in 1956, Majors, named the SEC's Player of the Year for a second time, led the Vols to a 10-0 record and SEC title, winning four times in November and once in December.
The highlight was a 6-0 win over Georgia Tech on Nov. 10, one of the greatest Tennessee wins of all time, but there were also wins over North Carolina, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. Majors, the Heisman runner-up that season, had a steady hand on the throttle for a team that scored 275 points and gave up just 88.
There were several classic moments on the Majors coaching resume at Tennessee that proved the truth of the adage.
There were four wins in five tries in November 1978, when fans started catching on to the Majors magic at the end of his second year in Knoxville. There were more wins than losses by a great deal in the ensuing years, leading up to a magic season Vol fans still talk about.
It was 1985. Backup quarterback Daryl Dickey did nothing but win in replacing the injured Tony Robinson, as the Vols stormed down the stretch run of the season to win the SEC title and set up the classic match-up with Miami in the 1986 Sugar Bowl.
The Vols just refused to lose, winning against Rutgers, Memphis State, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. There were three shutouts in that five-game span.
This was a team of destiny. No doubt about it.
Chris White, who seemed destined for another year on the bench that season, got his chance at safety and made All-America with an NCAA-leading nine interceptions, one for a score. It was a mark good for second on the single-season interception list. He had two interceptions and blocked a punt in the Ole Miss game.
A record crowd of 97,372 showed up for the Vanderbilt game, a 30-0 Vol win, one that cinched the Sugar Bowl invite.
The rest is, as they say, history. Tennessee 35, Miami 7. There were Jeff Powell "roaring down the greensward for a score," and Ken Donahue's defense, led by the inspirational Dale Jones, getting after Miami. The final stats were illustrative: 32 net rushing yards for the Hurricanes, with the Vols claiming four interceptions, seven sacks, and four lost-yardage tackles.
Here's what Majors said afterwards: "This is the most distinct and responsive group of champions I have ever been around. The championship teams I have been involved with in the past may have had more experience, strength, and speed at certain positions, but as a group, this is the most remarkable one in terms of improvement since spring practice and since a period of reconstruction at midseason."
You could also think about the championship year of 1989, when the Vols defeated Mississippi, Kentucky and Vanderbilt to bring home the SEC title again and defeat Arkansas in the 1990 Cotton Bowl. The Vols had a tenuous couple of weeks against Alabama and LSU, when the pass defense sprang a leak, but when the multi-talented Carl Pickens went to defense, order was restored.
Rhea County's Andy Kelly went under center in the first half of the loss to Alabama, and the Vols didn't lose again.
A year later, even after the Vols lost a close one to No. 1 Notre Dame, they found the strength to win in each Grand Division of the state to close the season, over Ole Miss in Memphis, Kentucky in Knoxville, and Vanderbilt in Nashville. Then came a Sugar Bowl victory over Virginia, despite the Vols trailing 16-0 at the half.
In an inspiring story, running back Tony Thompson came off the bench when Chuck Webb banged up a knee and was lost for the season. When they called his name, the little guy from Lake Wales, Fla., was there to answer the bell. All Tony did was gain 1,261 yards and lead the SEC in rushing. He was also named team captain.
No one can argue with three SEC titles in a seven-year period and some of the most exciting players in school history. It's a never-to-be-forgotten time.
"Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November," the children's rhyme reads.
So here it is, another November, 30 days for fans to cement their impressions of another Tennessee team.
For Vol fans over the years, November has proved to be a vintage time.
Then as now, John Majors knew what he was talking about.
Tom Mattingly is the author of "The Tennessee Football Vault: The Story of the Tennessee Volunteers, 1891-2006" (2006), now available in second edition at fine bookstores everywhere, and "Tennessee Football: The Peyton Manning Years" (1998). Send comments to tjmshm@comcast.net. His News Sentinel blog is called "The Vol Historian."
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Comments » 6
sidwalkvol writes:
and what was CPF's record in November?
chbradshaw writes:
I love the Vols but this article is silly. What good program would not have a good history when you play Memphis State, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Vanderbilt most Novembers?
In fact, the weakness of the schedule often fooled many into thinking the Vols had improved after stumbling in September and October when the quality of the opposition simply got worse.
linebam writes:
It's a bit different this year... the quality of the final teams down this stretch HAS improved. But then, so have the Vols. I believe we should win out, but it won't be as easy as in the past Novembers.
richvol writes:
No doubt some of what you say is true but things have changed quite a bit since Majors played and his impressions of November were formed.
When Johnny played it had not been long since Vandy had been a power in the south. Ole Miss was really a championship program with a national title and a series of SEC championships under Johnny Vaught. I remember a stretch where they beat us nine years in a row. Kentucky had Bear Bryant as coach in the fifties and were consistantly better than they have been the past several years.
tnmantravel#531151 writes:
when watching the sugar bowl in 1986.....jeff powell, a track runner, was running for a touchdown, the great frank broyles of arkansas fame was broadcasting the game on abc, exclaimed about powell "if he's even, he's leavin' " OMG what a night for the Mighty Vols!!!
asleep#212036 writes:
Kind of like they talked about South Carolina's collapses down the stretch. Well, their last games always include Tennessee, Florida, and Clemson. You know the old saying, ..."There are lies, d..mn lies, and statistics.". Even this year, except for a road game at resurgent Ole Miss, the last 4 aren't that daunting compared to most teams. Even SC in Knoxville has only turned out badly once. Still, I would be ecstatic with winning out and probably scoring a New Year's Day bowl game considering how they started the season. Go Vols!!!
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