Tech/Bama Rivalry

[yellowbritchies]

Actually Holt kicked Granning in the face after he was tackled and on the ground. Interesting enough,when Tech was considering trying to re-join the SEC, Bryant was the one SEC coach that said he would sponser the move. Shug Jordan, who was the coach at Auburn said the only way that Tech would ever get back in, would be over his dead body ! I don't think that UGA was in favor of the move either. Shortly after Tech was admitted into the ACC.

 

[Hun Pilot]

Actually, Holt put an elbow and forearm to Granning's cheek bone and it happened well behind the play which is why Chick was completely caught unaware. The AJC printed a sequential series of pics that showed Holt circling back around as Granning was running in the opposite direction of the play as if going out for a flare pattern. Holt was much shorter than Granning and had to reach up to get his elbow that high. The photos diffused any Alabama comment that his action was just part of the play.

When Bama showed up at Grant Field the next year in 1962, you could cut the excitement with a knife. The stands were packed well before the game...I was in the student section so early we saw Bama come out for their pregame walk around the field in street clothes. Talk about some razzing! I have never been to a more exciting game in my life since. Add the Granning incident and the last second field goal by Bama's Digger O'Dell in the 1960 game, and you could say revenge was sweet.

I believe that night Ray Charles was on campus for a concert and his rendition of "Stars Fell on Alabama" brought down the house!

 

[midatlantech]

Bobby Dodd was a gentleman first, teacher second, football coach third. He beat teams with his brains. He was cunning. His players would run through a truck for him.

Bear Bryant threw 150 players at the problem, the last 100 standing, he kept. He was mean, dirty, repetitive, intolerant. His teams beat you with their might and will. His players had learned to run through the truck because they'd get their asses kicked otherwise.

The two were totally different.

 

[golftango18yankeejuliet]

Actually Holt kicked Granning in the face after he was tackled and on the ground. Interesting enough,when Tech was considering trying to re-join the SEC, Bryant was the one SEC coach that said he would sponser the move. Shug Jordan, who was the coach at Auburn said the only way that Tech would ever get back in, would be over his dead body ! I don't think that UGA was in favor of the move either. Shortly after Tech was admitted into the ACC.

Actually, I think Tech's Ted Davis was the one that kicked a player (I think from Alabama) in the face. Dodd immediately kicked him off of the team.

The auc did an article several years ago on the Granning - Holt incident and I'm pretty sure that it said that Granning was running off the field after the play was dead when it happened.

 

[Essobee]

Actually, Holt put an elbow and forearm to Granning's cheek bone and it happened well behind the play which is why Chick was completely caught unaware. The AJC printed a sequential series of pics that showed Holt circling back around as Granning was running in the opposite direction of the play as if going out for a flare pattern. Holt was much shorter than Granning and had to reach up to get his elbow that high. The photos diffused any Alabama comment that his action was just part of the play.

A lot of stories in this thread...fair catch, kicked on the ground, etc. The above story by Hun is the correct one. I attended the game and recall the series of photos in the AJC plus the picture of Chick's face in the hospital. Holt's action was that of a thug, totally uncalled for and a cheap shot at that. Chick was in no position to protect himself as he was far back in the backfield watching the play action as it ended. It was ugly, cheap, needless, stupid, disgusting and spoke volumes about Bryant and Bama.

 

[beej67]

I heard he shivved him with a broken bottle, and shat down his throat.

 

[cyclejacket]

What were the differences between the two coaching styles? The only thing I've heard about the way Dodd coached was that he was crafty, but never any details. What kind of offense did we run back in the Dodd days?

I believe that Bear Bryant made a comment to the effect of "Let me have the boys to practice during the week and let Dodd coach them for the game." He felt like he would have the team better prepared from a conditioning and practice standpoint, whereas he had utmost respect for Coach Dodd as a game day tactician.

My father (EE Class of 1956) raised me to hate Bama (we lived in Huntsville so we were a small minority) because of the Holt-Granning incident. He felt like it was a dirty play that was uncalled for and was disturbed by the lack of sportsmanship entering college football. The first game I ever attended was when I was 7 years old. In 1963 he took me to Legion Filed to watch Bama and Tech square off after we had upset them in 62. Lothridge, Martin, and Davis for Tech, with Namath, Ray Ogden and other stars lining up for Bama. They won 27-11 but I was hooked on Tech football.

My father gave up on his hate and even let me go to UA for my MBA (1980).

 

[GT_LUVER]

I starting to really hate BAMA now. Lets schedule these assholes and spank that hinny.

 

[floridajacket]

I starting to really hate BAMA now. Lets schedule these assholes and spank that hinny.

They are scheduled, but it's not until 2010 or something like that.

Until I moved to Georgia, I was indifferent towards Bama. Now, after working with some old Bama people, my hate for them is only exceeded by my hate for UGA and ND.

On the other hand, I've always had good experiences with Auburn fans. Apparently, many people become Auburn fans after bad experiences with Bama fans.

 

[knoxjacket]

Were we an option team back in Dodd's day? I know we ran it out of the wishbone during the Pepper era.

 

[beej67]

I think everyone did at least *some* option back then.

 

[Essobee]

Were we an option team back in Dodd's day? I know we ran it out of the wishbone during the Pepper era.

Very much so. Stan Gann was a good option QB. So was Billy Lothridge. The best I ever saw...for any team anywhere...was Kim King. King would hold the ball until he was hit. It would look like he fumbled the ball straight up, only the halfback would catch it in mid air and scamper for yardage.

 

[gnats67]

Dodd coached like Chan, except with good luck instead of terrible luck. (or maybe disciplined play instead of undisciplined play?)

We won a lot of games 7 to 6 under Dodd. I've read in several places that Dodd used to have the QB punt on 3rd down when nobody expected it, if he didn't think he was going to get the first.

Absolute bulls&t. This guy is on drugs. Probaly never saw a TECH game back in the old days. Ridiculous comparison.

 

[Hun Pilot]

Actually there is some truth re:Dodd's punting on 3rd down via the quick kick. A tactic frequently used in the 50's mainly from what I have read. In my five football seasons as a student - 60 thru 64 - I do not remember seeing it being done. Did hear a funny story about Pepper Rogers punting deep inside the opponents end of the field. Dodd in an attempt not to run up the score had chewed Pepper out for going for and making it on a fourth down. Dodd apparently told him to punt the next time a fourth down situation came up. Pepper took it to an extreme and punted it out of the stadium because they were so close to the end zone. Can't speak for the veracity of the story but it is funny and sounds like something crazy Pepper would have done. Anyone else hear this fable?

 

[RickyReck]

TECH, under Dodd ran what was called the belly series which basically was the TO.
Dodd did not invent the the belly but he perfected it.
If I can remember his name I think, Emory Ballard an asst at Texas under Daryl Royal or something like that invented the formation called the wishbone.
He later was HC at Texas A&M

 

[texstinger]

Yeah, Robert Lee pretty much perfected what was called the "belly series". He had learned a lot about it from Pacific U's Eddie LeBaron during an all star game I believe.

Tech got a lot of mileage out of it.

Some thought punting on 3rd was very conservative, and I guess it was. But on the other hand it was being very aggressive with your D, your discipline, and your advantage in getting turnovers.

The Ted Davis incident was against Auburn, a year or two after the Graning mugging. Dodd, that next week, dismissed Ted from the team. As should have bryant with holt if he had been a man of courage and conviction.

 

[Bogey]

Thanks guys. How did we do vs Bama back in those days?

We won the most important game EVER with them at Grant Field. The next year we plyed them they were #1 in the country Joe Willie as QB. We kicked ass the first half and was ahead 7-0. The second half was all theirs and they scored late in the game, went for 2, and were stopped on the goal line. I will always rember Furnman Bisher's words the next day, something like this in his artcile titled "TECH STARS FALL ON ALABAMA": After a hard and bitterly fought grid iron contest glorious Saturday afternoon on Grant Field, the number one team in the country was the number 2 team on Grant Field.
What a game. The next year I went to Tuscaloosa and we got whipped. Chick Graning was my ROTC platoon leader. As I rmember it though, he was coming off the field after a kickoff and Holt slammed his elbow into his face. It was not during a fair catch because if he had his helmet on, the damage would not have been so severe. The thing that enraged us, and Dodd, so bad was that Bryant NEVER took discipline action against him.
However, the very next year late in the season, one of our defensive guys (not mentioning any names), stomped on the head of an Auburn RB on the goal line. We used to go to Harry's on 14th street after games to rehash them and the player came in after the game all dejected that Dodd had immediately kicked him off the team and would miss the bowl game. That was the difference between our gray fox and the ugly Bear. Till this day, I HATE UA much more than the leg humpers, and always will.

 

[oldfoggy]

We won the most important game EVER with them at Grant Field. The next year we plyed them they were #1 in the country Joe Willie as QB. We kicked ass the first half and was ahead 7-0. The second half was all theirs and they scored late in the game, went for 2, and were stopped on the goal line. I will always rember Furnman Bisher's words the next day, something like this in his artcile titled "TECH STARS FALL ON ALABAMA": After a hard and bitterly fought grid iron contest glorious Saturday afternoon on Grant Field, the number one team in the country was the number 2 team on Grant Field.
What a game. The next year I went to Tuscaloosa and we got whipped. Chick Graning was my ROTC platoon leader. As I rmember it though, he was coming off the field after a kickoff and Holt slammed his elbow into his face. It was not during a fair catch because if he had his helmet on, the damage would not have been so severe. The thing that enraged us, and Dodd, so bad was that Bryant NEVER took discipline action against him.
However, the very next year late in the season, one of our defensive guys (not mentioning any names), stomped on the head of an Auburn RB on the goal line. We used to go to Harry's on 14th street after games to rehash them and the player came in after the game all dejected that Dodd had immediately kicked him off the team and would miss the bowl game. That was the difference between our gray fox and the ugly Bear. Till this day, I HATE UA much more than the leg humpers, and always will.

We need to get some things straight. It was on a pass play near the side line and Chick had taken his helmet off, the play was well over when Holt did indeed hit him in the cheek bone and broke it. Chick was, after he left Tech, drafted by a team I believe in the old AFL. The game was played in Birmingham not Tuscaloosa. In those day Birmingham because of Auburn and Bama playing home games in Legion Field called themselves The Football Capital of the South.

 

[beej67]

Absolute bulls&t.

So, umm, conservative offense, stingy defense, reliance on player discipline, less emphasis on player emotion, stress on player character, no running up the score ... any of that ring a bell?

Chan's teams were certainly less disciplined than Dodd's teams. I already mentioned that above. But the blueprint for their wins was the same. Unless I'm missing something ..? All the stories of the great Dodd wins I've heard sound like Tech vs Top Ten Auburn or Tech vs Top Ten Miami under Chan.

I'm not saying Chan = Dodd. Don't put words in my mouth. I'm saying they're the same conservative style of football. No? What am I missing?

Tell me what I'm missing, Gnats.

 

[Bogey]

We need to get some things straight. It was on a pass play near the side line and Chick had taken his helmet off, the play was well over when Holt did indeed hit him in the cheek bone and broke it. Chick was, after he left Tech, drafted by a team I believe in the old AFL. The game was played in Birmingham not Tuscaloosa. In those day Birmingham because of Auburn and Bama playing home games in Legion Field called themselves The Football Capital of the South.

I know damn well where the game was played Foggy. I went to Tuscaloosa, visited with the girl friend of a friend of ours at Tech, stayed over night, and went to the game at Legion Field the next day, after buying a pint from one of the "houses" near the stadium. I never said where the game was played, onloy that I went to Tuscaloosa, which I did.