Saturday, August 31, 2013

Another game to add to 'The Lost Years'

The University of Tennessee did not officially sponsor a football team during the 1894 and 1895 seasons. There was a student team lead by W.B. Stokely.  The 2013 UT football media guide lists six games for the 1895 season. Here's one that they haven't included. I assume that they just didn't know about it.

The (current) Tennessee School for the Deaf went toe to toe with the University school boys and ended in a 10-10 tie.  I'm not up on football of the mid 1890s but a few things stood out to me from the article.  There is not a quarterback listed.  Also, each team made two touchdowns and a goal.  How many points was a touchdown worth in 1895?  And what exactly was a goal?  Could the reporter have been wrong and they each made a touchdown (and PAT) plus a field goal?  That would make it 10-10.  More research is needed.

Knoxville Daily Journal - November 26, 1895

image from Genealogy Bank

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