University of Tennessee Athletics
Wyche Preceded Clausen as Crucial Third-String Quarterback
December 02, 2004 | Football
Dec. 2, 2004
When Rick Clausen ran into the Vol huddle on the first series of the second half of the Notre Dame game, at least one former Vol signal-caller watching the game felt a sense of déjà vu.
It was 37 years ago in 1967 that Bubba Wyche, then a third-string quarterback for the Doug Dickey-coached Vols, got the call to enter the Georgia Tech game after Charley Fulton was injured. Dewey Warren had been injured a week earlier, so getting the Vol ship of state into port safely fell squarely on Wyche's shoulders.
"I remember Coach Dickey coming up to me and asking if I was ready," Wyche recalled. "I told him there weren't a whole lot of options. I had never taken a snap from Bob Johnson, so Coach Dickey asked the official if I could take a snap or two. He agreed, reluctantly.
"It was one of those cases where preparation met opportunity. We were in the red zone. The first three plays were busts and we kicked a field goal. After we got to the sidelines, Bob and I took some snaps and I settled down. I'm from Atlanta and was looking across the line at players I had known from high school."
The next week, Wyche got the start against Alabama at Legion Field in a game the Vols won 24-13.
"I had a week of preparation, with the game plan and the strategies," he said. "I don't think there's ever been a more exciting time.
"I remember walking to the middle of the field after the game when Coach Dickey and Coach Bryant were shaking hands. I told Coach Bryant that this was the greatest moment of my career. He congratulated me and said I had a very good game."
As for Clausen, Wyche said their entry into the games were very similar, to the point he had flashbacks of that October day 37 years ago.
"I take my hat off to Rick Clausen," he said. "He definitely has the mechanics and I have no reservations about him doing the job. I'm pulling for him 100 percent."
Wyche, who was the starting signal-caller in the 1968 season, now lives and works in Atlanta, with wife Lindy and three dogs. He is owner of The Uptown Greenery, Inc., an environmental horticulture business he started in 1975. The company designs, installs and maintains plants for customers such as hotels and shopping malls.
VOL NETWORK TO `STADIUMCAST' FROM ATLANTA
The Vol Network is providing a radio "StadiumCast" for fans at Saturday's SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. The frequency at the Georgia Dome will be 93.7 on the FM dial.
For Tennessee road games, the Vol Network uses a portable, low-power FM transmitter to broadcast its signal inside the stadium to Big Orange fans in attendance. A digital radio is recommended, but not required for reception. Because of the various press box and seating configurations on the road, as well as FCC restrictions, reception can vary from location to location inside a stadium.
"The Kickoff Call-In Show" begins Vol Network coverage Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, with hosts Bob Kesling, Tim Priest, Jeff Francis and John Wilkerson. Kickoff from Atlanta is set for 6 p.m.
Tennessee fans in the Atlanta area also may be able to pick up the game on Vol Network affiliates in Atlanta, WNIV-AM 970 and 1400. Also, Nashville's WLAC-AM 1510 can be heard in 28 states at night and reaches the Atlanta area.
Fans not attending the game and out of earshot of the 70-plus Vol Radio Network affiliates can follow the action through a number of other sources. The game can be heard online by going to UTSports.com and signing up for a subscription pass through Yahoo! Sports. The Vol Network broadcast of the SEC Championship Game also is scheduled to be on Sirius Satellite Radio. Fans can listen to the game over the telephone by calling Teamline at 1-800-846-4700 (Tennessee access code is 5405).
