1966 Tennessee A&I Tigers football team
| 1966 Tennessee A&I Tigers football | |
|---|---|
Black college national champion MAA champion | |
Grantland Rice Bowl, W 34–7 vs. Muskingum | |
| Conference | Midwest Athletic Association |
| Record | 10–0 (– MAA) |
| Head coach |
|
| Home stadium | W.J. Hale Stadium |
The 1966 Tennessee A&I Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College as a member of the Midwest Athletic Association (MAA) during the 1966 NCAA College Division football season. In their fourth season under head coach John Merritt, the Tigers compiled a perfect 10–0 record, won the MAA championship, shut out five of ten opponents, defeated Muskingum in the 1966 Grantland Rice Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a total of 410 to 51.[1] The Tigers compiled a 24-game unbeaten streak that encompassed the 1965 and 1966 seasons.
The team was also recognized as the 1966 black college national champion and was ranked No. 2 in the final 1966 NCAA College Division football rankings issued by the Associated Press and No. 3 in the final poll issued by the United Press International. The team's No. 2 ranking was the highest achieved by a black college team to that point in time. The Pittsburgh Courier called the 1966 Tennessee A&I team as "the finest force yet produced by Negro college football."[2]
On October 22, the Tigers became the first team to defeat the Florida A&M Rattlers in Bragg Memorial Stadium and the first team to shut out the Rattlers in 16 years.[3]
Three Tennessee A&I players were selected as first team players on the Pittsburgh Courier's 1966 All-America team: quarterback Eldridge Dickey, fullback Bill Tucker, and defensive tackle Claude Humphrey.[4] Other key players included halfback Noland Smith and split end Johnnie Robinson.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 24 | at North Carolina A&T | Greensboro, NC | W 55–0 | [5] | ||||
| October 1 | Texas Southern | W 52–0 | 7,720 | [6] | ||||
| October 8 | at Grambling | No. 10 | Grambling, LA | W 31–23 | [7] | |||
| October 22 | at Florida A&M | No. 10 | W 29–0 | [3] | ||||
| October 29 | Southern | No. 6 |
| W 31–9 | [8] | |||
| November 5 | Morris Brown | No. 4 |
| W 28–0 | 2,260 | [9] | ||
| November 12 | at Lincoln (MO) | No. 4 |
| W 28–6 | 3,000 | [10] | ||
| November 19 | at Allen | No. 2 | Columbia, SC | W 39–6 | [11] | |||
| November 24 | Kentucky State | No. 2 |
| W 83–0 | 11,000 | [12][13] | ||
| December 10 | vs. No. 7 Muskingum | No. 2 | W 34–7 | < 7,000 | [14] | |||
| ||||||||
References
- ^ "Tennessee State Yearly Results (1965-1969)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
- ^ "Tenn. State Wins No. 2 (AP) No. 3 (UPI)". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 17, 1966. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "State Socks Rattler 29-0". Tallahassee Democrat. October 23, 1966. p. 2C – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Talent Galore on 41st All America Team: Juniors Dominate Annual Selections". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 24, 1966. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A&I Romps 55-0; Streak Now At 15". The Nashville Tennessean. September 25, 1966. p. 7E – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A&I Romps Over Texans; Dickey Stars". October 2, 1966. p. 2E – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Down 16 Points, A&I Roars Back". The Nashville Tennessean. October 9, 1966. p. 7E – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A&I Roars 31-9". The Nashville Tennessean. October 30, 1966. p. 6D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A&I Downs Morris Brown". The Nashville Tennessean. November 6, 1966. p. 5E – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tenn. State Downs Lincoln". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 13, 1966. p. 2F – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tennessee A&I Rolls, 39-6". The Nashville Tennessean. November 20, 1966. p. 9E – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A&I Wins 'Grudge' Game 83-0". The Nashville Tennessean. November 25, 1966. p. 34 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tenn. State Rips Ky. State, 83-0". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 3, 1966. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tennessee A&I Routs Muskingum 34-7". The Daily News Journal. December 11, 1966. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.