University of Tennessee Athletics
1951 Cotton Bowl Champs' Reunion Set
December 29, 2000 | Football
DALLAS - Members of Tennessee's 1951 Cotton Bowl championship team will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Volunteers' 20-14 victory over Texas this week during festivities surrounding the 2001 Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl Classic.
Ten players from that team will gather in Dallas to watch the Vols play Kansas State on the same field that produced one of Tennessee's greatest bowl victories ever. It set the stage for the Vols' run to the national championship the following season.
Tennessee's championship team will celebrate their reunion at a noon luncheon on Saturday, December 30 at Landry's Seafood House in Dallas' West End District.
The Volunteers' alumni team is represented by fullback Andy Kozar, the Most Valuable Player of the 1951 Classic, Hall of Fame guard John Michels, center Bob Davis, end John Gruble, halfback Jim Hahn, halfback Jim Hill, guard Buddy Lyons, linebacker Gene Moeller, linebacker Gordon Poloski, and kicker Pat Shiers.
In the 1951 Classic, General Robert Neyland's fourth-ranked Vols battled No. 3 Texas in one of the hardest hitting contests in Cotton Bowl history. Halfback Hank Lauricella sparked the Volunteers to an early 7-0 lead, galloping 75 yards to the Texas five on Tennessee's second series of the day. Seconds later, Herky Payne passed to Gruble for the opening score. But, Texas rallied for two touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 14-7 lead at halftime.
Neither the Vols or Horns could muster any points in the third quarter, but as the period closed, Tennessee was mounting a drive. Led by Kozar, Hahn and Lauricella, the Vols began to dominate the Longhorns. Kozar bulled over on a five-yard scoring run early in the fourth period, but a missed extra point left the Volunteers trailing by one, 14-13.
Minutes later, Tennessee was back on the prowl following a fumble recovery by Hill at the Texas 43. It took the Vols only four plays to reach the end zone, and the call again went to Kozar who barreled over from the one for the winning touchdown.
The 20-14 victory wrapped up an 11-1-0 season for the Vols and started Tennessee down the path toward college football's national championship in the fall of 1951.
