The Georgia Tech–Tennessee football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Tennessee Volunteers. The series dates back to 1902 and features two of the most prominent programs in college football history, with Georgia Tech claiming four national championships, 15 conference titles, and 21 consensus All-Americans, and Tennessee claiming six national championships, 16 conference titles, and 38 consensus All-Americans. Tennessee leads the series 24–17–2. The series ended in 1987, but it was announced in July 2015 that the rivalry will be renewed in the September 2017 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.
The teams almost met every year when Georgia Tech was part of the SEC. When Georgia Tech left the SEC in 1963, they still met almost every year after (except 1974, 1975, and 1978) until 1987.
Early years
1902: The programs met for the first time in Atlanta on November 22, 1902. Tennessee won by a 10–6 score. The last 20 minutes of the game were "played in darkness and a slow, drizzling rain." Two Georgia Tech touchdowns were ruled illegal by the officials.
1905: On November 4, 1905, Georgia Tech, coached by John Heisman, defeated Tennessee by a 45–0 score in Atlanta. The game remains notable as the largest point total and the largest margin of victory in series history.
Dodd vs. Neyland
1946: On September 28, 1946, after a 35-year hiatus, Georgia Tech and Tennessee resumed their series in a game billed as pitting long-time Tennessee head coach and "master strategist" Robert Neyland against one of "his most illustrious pupils"—Georgia Tech coach Bobby Dodd. Dodd, who wanted to play for Georgia Tech but was not offered a scholarship, had been the quarterback on Neyland's Tennessee teams that compiled a 27–1–2 record from 1928 to 1930 and had taken over as Georgia Tech's head coach in 1931. The game was also notable as Neyland's first game after returning from five years of military service. Neyland's Volunteers defeated Dodd's Yellow Jackets by a 13–9 score in the 1946 game.
1947: On September 27, 1947, the teams met again in Atlanta, as Dodd's Yellow Jackets beat the Volunteers by a 27–0 score. The New York Times wrote that Neyland, "the 'old Gray Fox' from Tennessee, got a football lesson today from a former pupil" as Dodd's squad "meted out the worst defeat a Neyland-coached team has ever suffered."
1948: On November 6, 1948, Neyland's unranked Volunteers upset Dodd's undefeated, #6-ranked Yellow Jackets by a 13–6 score in Atlanta.
1949: On November 5, 1949, Dodd's Yellow Jackets gained revenge for 1948 upset. Georgia Tech came into the game unranked, but upset Neyland's #14-ranked Volunteers by a 30-13 score before a crowd of 48,000 in Knoxville. The Associated Press led its coverage of the game as follows: "An inspired band of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets unloosed an amazing display of power and razzle-dazzle football today to sting Tennessee, 30 to 13." The 1949 game was the last to pit Dodd and Neyland against each other as head coaches; Dodd compiled a 2–2 record against his mentor.
Dodd vs. Wyatt
1954: After a five-year hiatus, the series was resumed in 1954. Dodd's Yellow Jacket defeated Tennessee, 28–7. Both coaches, Dodd and Bowden Wyatt, were "prize pupils" of former Tennessee head coach, Robert Neyland.
1955: On November 5, 1955, unranked Tennessee played #8 Georgia Tech to a 7–7 tie before an overflow crowd of 50,000 in Knoxville. Tailback Johnny Majors led Tennessee to a touchdown on the game's opening drive. After the game, the Tennessee players carried coach Bowden Wyatt on their shoulders for the traditional handshake with Georgia Tech coach Bobby Dodd.
1956: On November 10, 1956, the teams met in Atlanta before a capacity crowd of 40,000 with an invitation to the Sugar Bowl going to the winner. Georgia Tech was ranked #2 in the AP poll and Tennessee ranked #3. Tennessee won by a 6–0 score behind the passing of Johnny Majors. Georgia Tech's drive late in the game ended in an interception. The victory catapulted Tennessee to #1 in the AP poll.
1957: On November 9, 1957, the programs met with both teams again being ranked, Tennessee at #9 and Georgia Tech at #18. Tennessee won for the second consecutive year, this time by a 21–6 score. Before a record homecoming crowd of 45,500, Bobby Gordon and Bill Anderson led the Volunteers' rushing attack.
1959: On October 10, 1959, #8 Tennessee lost to #3 Georgia Tech by a 14–7 score.
1961: On November 11, 1961, unranked Tennessee upset #9-ranked Georgia Tech by a 10–6 score.
Dodd vs. Dickey
1964: On November 7, 1964, an unranked Tennessee team scored 19 points in the fourth quarter and again upset a ranked (#7) Georgia Tech team, this time by a 22–14 score.
1965: On November 6, 1965, unranked Tennessee upset a ranked (#7) Georgia Tech team for the third time in five years. The 1965 game ended in a 21–7 score in favor of the volunteers.
1966: On October 8, 1966, the two programs met with both ranked in the top ten, Georgia Tech at #9 and Tennessee at #8. In a nationally televised game, Georgia Tech came out on top, 6 to 3, behind two field goals by Bunky Henry.
Carson vs. Dickey
1969: On October 11, 1969, #10 Tennessee defeated Georgia Tech in Knoxville, 26-8. Tennessee receiver Lester McClain caught two touchdown passes, and Tennessee halfback Richmond Flowers carried 20 times for 101 yards.
Carson vs. Battle
1970: On October 10, 1970, #20 Tennessee defeated #13 Georgia Tech in Atlanta by a 17–6 score. Tennessee quarterback Bobby Scott threw two touchdown passes to lead the Volunteers, while the Tennessee defense intercepted Georgia Tech quarterback Eddie McAshan four times.
Curry vs. Majors
1980: On October 11, 1980, the first meeting between Georgia Tech head coach Bill Curry and Tennessee head coach Johnny Majors, both of whom had returned to their respective alma maters in hopes of restoring them to glory, resulted in a 23-10 Tennessee victory. The game was tied 10-10 going into the fourth quarter, when two long fields goals by Tennessee kicker Alan Duncan and a touchdown run by Tennessee tailback James Berry allowed the Volunteers to pull away.
1981: On October 10, 1981, Tennessee edged Georgia Tech 10-7 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. With Tennessee leading 3-0 in the third quarter, Georgia Tech linebacker Robert Horton recovered a fumble by Tennessee quarterback Steve Alatorre in the end zone to give the Yellow Jackets a 7-3 lead. Alatorre would respond with a 5-play, 80-yard fourth quarter drive, capped by a 42-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Hancock, to give the Volunteers the win.
1982: On October 23, 1982, Curry notched his first victory over Tennessee as the Yellow Jackets defeated the Volunteers 31-21 in Atlanta. Georgia Tech running back Robert Lavette rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns, and the Yellow Jackets' Jack Westbrook returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Tennessee kicker Fuad Reveiz hit an SEC-record 60-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
1984: On October 27, 1984, Tennessee defeated Georgia Tech 24-21 in a wild game in Atlanta. After a Lavette touchdown gave Georgia Tech an early lead, Tennessee responded with a touchdown run by Tony Robinson and two Fuad Reveiz field goals. A 30-yard touchdown pass from Georgia Tech quarterback John Dewberry to Gary Lee, however, gave the Yellow Jackets a 14-13 halftime lead. Tennessee again took the lead 21-14 in the fourth quarter on a touchdown pass and two-point conversion pass by Robinson, but Georgia Tech quickly responded with a 59-yard run by Lavette to the 2-yard line and a touchdown by Dewberry on the ensuing play to tie the game. Robinson engineered one final drive late in the fourth, highlighted by a 31-yard, fourth down pass to Jeff Smith, to set up Reveiz's game-winning 22-yard field goal.
1985: On October 26, 1985, Tennessee and Georgia Tech played to a 6-6 tie in a game dominated by the two teams' heralded defenses, namely Georgia Tech's "Black Watch" defense, and Tennessee's "Big Orange Crush" defense. An early Tennessee turnover allowed Georgia Tech to take a 3-0 lead, which remained the only score until the fourth quarter, when a David Bell field goal extended the Yellow Jackets' lead to 6-0. Tennessee quarterback Daryl Dickey engineered three fourth-quarter drives into Georgia Tech territory, the first culminating with a 55-yard field goal by Carlos Reveiz, the second ending with a 21-yard missed field goal by Reveiz, and the third culminating in a 51-yard field goal by Reveiz with just seconds remaining to tie the game at 6.
1986: On October 25, 1986, Georgia Tech edged Tennessee 14-13 in Atlanta. With Tennessee nursing a 13-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, Georgia Tech quarterback Rick Strom engineered a 70-yard drive, which he capped with a 3-yard touchdown run, to give the Yellow Jackets the lead. Tennessee quarterback Jeff Francis led the Volunteers on one final drive to the Georgia Tech 10-yard line with less than two minutes remaining, but Carlos Reveiz's 27-yard field goal attempt bounced off the upright, sealing the win for Georgia Tech.
On July 20, 2015, Georgia Tech and Tennessee announced that their rivalry series will resume on September 4, 2017 in Atlanta. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since their 1987 game. It will be Tennessee's second appearance in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, having previously defeated North Carolina State in 2012. Georgia Tech will be playing in the event for the first time in what is essentially its backyard. "I know our team, coaches and fans are excited for the renewal of this old SEC rivalry. This is a fantastic chance for Georgia Tech to play in prime time and on a national stage," Georgia Tech Director of Athletics Mike Bobinski said.
