Hyperion
Banned
The 1974 Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia started out as one of the more low key and and underrated bowl games of the college football post season.
The 7th game in Peach Bowl history, the game would mark the second bowl game appearance of the Vanderbilt University Commodores, a Southeastern Conference team, and one of the weakest teams in the conference, would take on the Red Raiders of Texas Tech in what was at the time considered a low key game, but would have vast consequences in coming seasons.
Vanderbilt had not played in a post season game since 1955, when they beat conference rival Auburn in the 1955 Gator Bowl.
Texas Tech, by comparison, had beaten Vanderbilt's in state and conference rival the University of Tennessee Volunteers the previous year in the 1973 Gator Bowl, and had lost a close game in the 1972 Sun Bowl to North Carolina.
While neither team had accomplished much during the 1974 season, Texas Tech had a clear edge.
By comparison, despite Vanderbilt having a weak record, the 1974 season had seen the Commodores with their best record since 1955. The Commodores had fought out to an impressive 7-3-1 season record, including a season finishing tie against the Tennessee Volunteers, a team Vanderbilt historically struggled with year to year.
Vanderbilt took off to an early lead in the first quarter when quarterback David Lee completed a pass to Walter Overton in the Texas Tech end zone.*
Texas Tech would go on to score a 3 point field goal after being stopped by a successful drive late in the 2nd quarter.
The second half of the game would be close, and the field goal units of both teams would turn out to be the driving force of the remaining half of the game. Halfway through the third quarter, Texas Tech would drive home a second field goal, bringing the score to 7 to 6, with Vanderbilt leading by one.
With 5:11 left in the game, Mark Adams of Vanderbilt completed his sole field goal kick of the game, bringing the score up 10 to 6. A late drive appeared to favor Texas Tech, but a determined Vanderbilt defense held the Red Raiders to a third and final field goal. The final score was 10 to 9, with Vanderbilt polishing off their first winning season since 1955, and their second bowl game appearance in school history with a low scoring win against Texas Tech.
Though the Commodores where leagues away from a conference championship, let alone the national title game, many considered the 1974 Peach Bowl to be a coming of age for Vanderbilt. Texas Tech Jim Carlen ended his career as Red Raiders coach soon after the game, and though he assisted with some administrative functions throug the remainder of the 1974-75 school year, his career at Texas Tech was finished.
Steve Sloan, the head coach at Vanderbilt, had privately considered moving on to another school after the 1974 season. After the close and, even to him, surprising win at the Peach Bowl, the university offered him a salary increase and a contract extension, and he would go on to a successful career at Vanderbilt that would last until his appointment as Vanderbilt athletic director in 1985.**
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*In OTL, Lee overthrew Overton, and a Texas Tech player intercepted. Vanderbilt only managed to score a field goal in the second quarter. Here, Lee manages to complete the pass to Overton. Butterflies then take effect and give Texas Tech another field goal and Vanderbilt doesn't get one in the second.
**After the OTL game ended in a 6-6 tie, Steve Sloan ended up leaving Vanderbilt and accepting the recently vacated coaching position at, of all places, Texas Tech. Here, due to winning outright, albeit a close win, the university offers Sloan an extension to his coaching contract, and a small but still decent pay increase. Sloan accepts and decides to stick with the Commodores for at least a couple more years to see how well he can build up the team.
http://www.mmbolding.com/bowls/Peach_1974.htm
While the Peach Bowl was not a major game, in 1974, for those of you familiar with American football, college football only had a total of ten bowl games.
The 7th game in Peach Bowl history, the game would mark the second bowl game appearance of the Vanderbilt University Commodores, a Southeastern Conference team, and one of the weakest teams in the conference, would take on the Red Raiders of Texas Tech in what was at the time considered a low key game, but would have vast consequences in coming seasons.
Vanderbilt had not played in a post season game since 1955, when they beat conference rival Auburn in the 1955 Gator Bowl.
Texas Tech, by comparison, had beaten Vanderbilt's in state and conference rival the University of Tennessee Volunteers the previous year in the 1973 Gator Bowl, and had lost a close game in the 1972 Sun Bowl to North Carolina.
While neither team had accomplished much during the 1974 season, Texas Tech had a clear edge.
By comparison, despite Vanderbilt having a weak record, the 1974 season had seen the Commodores with their best record since 1955. The Commodores had fought out to an impressive 7-3-1 season record, including a season finishing tie against the Tennessee Volunteers, a team Vanderbilt historically struggled with year to year.
Vanderbilt took off to an early lead in the first quarter when quarterback David Lee completed a pass to Walter Overton in the Texas Tech end zone.*
Texas Tech would go on to score a 3 point field goal after being stopped by a successful drive late in the 2nd quarter.
The second half of the game would be close, and the field goal units of both teams would turn out to be the driving force of the remaining half of the game. Halfway through the third quarter, Texas Tech would drive home a second field goal, bringing the score to 7 to 6, with Vanderbilt leading by one.
With 5:11 left in the game, Mark Adams of Vanderbilt completed his sole field goal kick of the game, bringing the score up 10 to 6. A late drive appeared to favor Texas Tech, but a determined Vanderbilt defense held the Red Raiders to a third and final field goal. The final score was 10 to 9, with Vanderbilt polishing off their first winning season since 1955, and their second bowl game appearance in school history with a low scoring win against Texas Tech.
Though the Commodores where leagues away from a conference championship, let alone the national title game, many considered the 1974 Peach Bowl to be a coming of age for Vanderbilt. Texas Tech Jim Carlen ended his career as Red Raiders coach soon after the game, and though he assisted with some administrative functions throug the remainder of the 1974-75 school year, his career at Texas Tech was finished.
Steve Sloan, the head coach at Vanderbilt, had privately considered moving on to another school after the 1974 season. After the close and, even to him, surprising win at the Peach Bowl, the university offered him a salary increase and a contract extension, and he would go on to a successful career at Vanderbilt that would last until his appointment as Vanderbilt athletic director in 1985.**
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*In OTL, Lee overthrew Overton, and a Texas Tech player intercepted. Vanderbilt only managed to score a field goal in the second quarter. Here, Lee manages to complete the pass to Overton. Butterflies then take effect and give Texas Tech another field goal and Vanderbilt doesn't get one in the second.
**After the OTL game ended in a 6-6 tie, Steve Sloan ended up leaving Vanderbilt and accepting the recently vacated coaching position at, of all places, Texas Tech. Here, due to winning outright, albeit a close win, the university offers Sloan an extension to his coaching contract, and a small but still decent pay increase. Sloan accepts and decides to stick with the Commodores for at least a couple more years to see how well he can build up the team.
http://www.mmbolding.com/bowls/Peach_1974.htm
While the Peach Bowl was not a major game, in 1974, for those of you familiar with American football, college football only had a total of ten bowl games.
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