1966 Tennessee A&I Tigers football
ConferenceMidwest Athletic Association
Record10–0 (2–0 MAA)
Head coach
Home stadiumHale 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

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 24at North Carolina A&T*Greensboro, NCW 55–0[5]
October 1Texas Southern*
W 52–07,720[6]
October 8at Grambling*No. 10Grambling, LAW 31–23[7]
October 22at Florida A&M*No. 10
W 29–0[3]
October 29Southern*No. 6
  • Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 31–9[8]
November 5Morris Brown*No. 4
  • Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 28–02,260[9]
November 12at Lincoln (MO)No. 4
W 28–63,000[10]
November 19at Allen*No. 2Columbia, SCW 39–6[11]
November 24Kentucky StatedaggerNo. 2
  • Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 83–011,000[12][13]
December 10vs. No. 7 Muskingum*No. 2
W 34–7< 7,000[14]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

  1. ↑ "Tennessee State Yearly Results (1965-1969)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Tenn. State Wins No. 2 (AP) No. 3 (UPI)". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 17, 1966. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "State Socks Rattler 29-0". Tallahassee Democrat. October 23, 1966. p. 2C – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Talent Galore on 41st All America Team: Juniors Dominate Annual Selections". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 24, 1966. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "A&I Romps 55-0; Streak Now At 15". The Nashville Tennessean. September 25, 1966. p. 7E – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "A&I Romps Over Texans; Dickey Stars". October 2, 1966. p. 2E – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Down 16 Points, A&I Roars Back". The Nashville Tennessean. October 9, 1966. p. 7E – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "A&I Roars 31-9". The Nashville Tennessean. October 30, 1966. p. 6D – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "A&I Downs Morris Brown". The Nashville Tennessean. November 6, 1966. p. 5E – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Tenn. State Downs Lincoln". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 13, 1966. p. 2F – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Tennessee A&I Rolls, 39-6". The Nashville Tennessean. November 20, 1966. p. 9E – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "A&I Wins 'Grudge' Game 83-0". The Nashville Tennessean. November 25, 1966. p. 34 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Tenn. State Rips Ky. State, 83-0". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 3, 1966. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Tennessee A&I Routs Muskingum 34-7". The Daily News Journal. December 11, 1966. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
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