The 1932 Tennessee Volunteers football team (variously "Tennessee", "UT" or the "Vols") represented the University of Tennessee in the 1932 Southern Conference football season. Playing as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon), the team was led by head coach Robert Neyland, in his seventh year, and played their home games at Shields–Watkins Field in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The 1932 Vols won nine, lost zero and tied one game (9–0–1 overall, 7–0–1 in the SoCon) and were Southern Conference champions. It was their last year in the conference before moving to the newly formed Southeastern Conference. The team was led by its backfield with Deke Brackett and Beattie Feathers.
Schedule
Game summaries Chattanooga In the season opener, the Vols defeated Chattanooga 13–0.
Ole Miss In the second week of play, Tennessee beat Ole Miss 33–0.
North Carolina The Volunteers defeated the Tar Heels 20–7.
Alabama
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Against rival Alabama, the Vols won 7–3 at Legion Field in rainy conditions. Alabama scored its only points of the game when Hillman Holley connected on a 12-yard field goal in the second quarter to take a 3–0 lead. Alabama held their lead through the fourth quarter when Johnny Cain had a punt of only 12-yards from his own endzone to give Tennessee the ball at the 12-yard line. Three plays later, Beattie Feathers scored on a seven-yard touchdown run and with the extra point, the Volunteers took a 7–3 lead that they would not relinquish. Due to the poor weather conditions, the game was noted for both Alabama head coach Thomas and Tennessee head coach Robert Neyland calling for punt after punt, often on first and second down, in an attempt to gain field position advantage. As a result, Feathers punted 21 times for Tennessee, and Cain punted 19 times for Alabama. Cain's 19 punts and 914 total yards still stand as the single game school records for punts and punting yardage.
Maryville Maryville was swamped 60–0.
Duke
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In a game deemed a "thriller", the Vols beat Wallace Wade's Duke Blue Devils 16–13. Feathers ran through Duke's line time and again. The highlight of the contest came when Fred Crawford intercepted a pass and raced 72 yards for a touchdown. Wynn kicked Tennessee's winning field goal.
The starting lineup was Rayburn (left end), Franklin (left tackle), Ellis (left guard), Maples (center), Frank (right guard), Aitken (right tackle), Warmath (right end), Robinson (quarterback), Vaughn (left halfback), Feathers (right halfback), Middletown (fullback).
Mississippi State Mississippi State was beaten 31–0.
Vanderbilt
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Clyde Roberts and Vanderbilt fought the Vols to a scoreless tie. The game's only score was called back in the second half. Feathers caught a pass but was called out of bounds at the 27-yard line, right in front of the Vanderbilt bench.
Kentucky The Volunteers beat the Wildcats of Kentucky 26–0.
Florida
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The Vols defeated Charlie Bachman's Florida Gators 32–13. Beattie Feathers scored after the opening kickoff.
Players Line 11 Malcolm Aitken tackle54 Alfred Austeletackle25 Howard Bailey tackle13 Bert Bibeecenter51 Thomas Bounds tackle22 J. Molden Butcher tackle 20 James O. Claxton center68 Vincent Cox end53 Jesse Cullumguard40 Hewell Duncan guard21 J. B. Ellis guard30 Milton Frank tackle37 John Franklintackle45 Foosheetackle57 Guinn B. Goodrichguard42 Ralph Hatley guard31 Alton Mark end46 Talmadge Maples center35 C. L. McPherson end34 Kenneth Needhamend56 Ben Ottinger center52 Louis Pounders end39 Virgil Rayburn end33 Roy Rose end 49 Francis Shull end60 Boyd Smith end23 Gordon Smith guard14 Robert Stafford tackle64 H. L. Stewartguard58 Sam Venable guard26 Murray Warmath end
Backfield 32 Malcolm Anderson fullback15 John D. Bayless quarterback43 Deke Brackett quarterback37 Joseph D. Cohen fullback28 Richard T. Dorsey halfback48 Beattie Feathers halfback69 Wade Kever halfback41 Henry Krouse halfback16 Albert Middleton halfback19 Harvey Robinson quarterback38 Leo Petruzze quarterback18 Charles Vaughan halfback24 Herman Wynn fullback
References