# 1971 Tennessee Volunteers football team

The 1971 Tennessee Volunteers football team (variously "Tennessee", "UT" or the "Vols") represented the University of Tennessee in the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. Playing as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the team was led by head coach Bill Battle, in his second year, and played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. They finished the season with a record of ten wins and two losses (10–2 overall, 4–2 in the SEC) and a victory over Arkansas in the 1971 Liberty Bowl.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 18 | UC Santa Barbara* | No. 8 | Neyland StadiumKnoxville, TN | | W 48–6 | 65,114 |
| September 25 | No. 5 Auburn | No. 9 | Neyland StadiumKnoxville, TN (rivalry) | ABC | L 9–10 | 62,990 |
| October 2 | at Florida | No. 12 | Florida FieldGainesville, FL (rivalry) | | W 20–13 | 61,112 |
| October 9 | Georgia Tech* | No. 13 | Neyland StadiumKnoxville, TN (rivalry) | | W 10–6 | 63,671 |
| October 16 | at No. 4 Alabama | No. 14 | Legion FieldBirmingham, AL (Third Saturday in October) | | L 15–32 | 73,828 |
| October 23 | vs. Mississippi State | No. 18 | Memphis Memorial StadiumMemphis, TN | | W 10–7 | 37,529 |
| October 30 | Tulsa* | No. 16 | Neyland StadiumKnoxville, TN | | W 38–3 | 62,513 |
| November 6 | South Carolina* | No. 11 | Neyland StadiumKnoxville, TN (rivalry) | | W 35–6 | 63,507 |
| November 20 | at Kentucky | No. 11 | McLean StadiumLexington, KY (rivalry) | | W 21–7 | 35,000 |
| November 27 | Vanderbilt | No. 11 | Neyland StadiumKnoxville, TN (rivalry) | | W 19–7 | 56,244 |
| December 4 | No. 5 Penn State* | No. 12 | Neyland StadiumKnoxville, TN | ABC | W 31–11 | 59,542 |
| December 20 | vs. No. 18 Arkansas* | No. 9 | Memphis Memorial StadiumMemphis, TN (Liberty Bowl) | ABC | W 14–13 | 51,410 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game ||||||||

## Season summary
### At Florida

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tennessee | 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| Florida | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Florida Field, Gainesville, Florida
* Date: October 2, 1971
* Game attendance: 61,112
* New York Times, 1971 Oct 03.
Game information :
First quarter
TENN – George Hunt 33-yard field goal. Tennessee 3–0. Drive:
Second quarter
TENN – George Hunt 34-yard field goal. Tennessee 6–0. Drive:
TENN – Curt Watson 8-yard run (George Hunt kick). Tennessee 13–0. Drive: 74 yards.
FLA – Willie Jackson 23-yard pass from John Reaves (kick failed), 2:12. Tennessee 13–6. Drive:
FLA – Hank Foldberg 7-yard pass from John Reaves (Richard Franco kick). Tie 13–13. Drive:
Third quarter
TENN – Stan Trott 20-yard pass from Phil Pierce (George Hunt kick). Tennessee 20–13. Drive: 99 yards.
Top passers
TENN
FLA – John Reaves – 19/40, 213 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
TENN
FLA – Mike Rich – 9 rushes, 80 yards
Top receivers
TENN
FLA – Willie Jackson – 7 receptions, 93 yards, TD :
Third-string quarterback Phil Pierce led Tennessee on a 99-yard drive in the third quarter, capped by a 20-yard touchdown pass to Stan Trott to take the lead for good. The Volunteers lost their first and second-string quarterbacks to knee injuries during the game.

### Penn State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Penn St | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 11 |
| Tennessee | 7 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tennessee
* Date: December 4, 1971
* Game attendance: 54,529
* TV announcers (ABC): Chris Schenkel, Bud Wilkinson
* Ocala Star-Banner, 1971 Dec 05.
Before the game, Bobby Majors was honored alongside his brothers, Iowa State head coach Johnny and the late Billy, for the family's overall contribution to the school's football program. Majors finished his final home game with 195 return yards on kicks and punts. With the win, the Volunteers accepted a bid to play in the Liberty Bowl against Arkansas.

## Team players drafted into the NFL

| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
| Bobby Majors | Defensive back | 3 | 76 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| George Hunt | Kicker | 5 | 122 | Cleveland Browns |
| Jackie Walker | Linebacker | 6 | 148 | San Francisco 49ers |
| Curt Watson | Running back | 6 | 150 | New Orleans Saints |
| Ray Nettles | Linebacker | 6 | 155 | Miami Dolphins |
| Gary Theiler | Tight end | 12 | 308 | Baltimore Colts |
| Joe Balthrop | Guard | 16 | 397 | New Orleans Saints |