1966 Tennessee A&I Tigers football team

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.

1966 Tennessee A&I Tigers football
Grantland Rice Bowl, W 34–7 vs. Muskingum
ConferenceMidwest Athletic Association
1966 record10–0 (– MAA)
Head coachJohn Merritt (4th season)
Home stadiumW.J. Hale Stadium

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&TGreensboro, NCW 55–0[5]
October 1Texas Southern
W 52–07,720[6]
October 8at GramblingNo. 10Grambling, LAW 31–23[7]
October 22at Florida A&MNo. 10
W 29–0[3]
October 29SouthernNo. 6
  • W.J. Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 31–9[8]
November 5Morris BrownNo. 4
  • W.J. Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 28–02,260[9]
November 12at Lincoln (MO)No. 4
W 28–63,000[10]
November 19at AllenNo. 2Columbia, SCW 39–6[11]
November 24Kentucky StateNo. 2
  • W.J. Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 83–011,000[12][13]
December 10vs. No. 7 MuskingumNo. 2
W 34–7< 7,000[14]
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
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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. "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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