Lighten up, Vandy fans. Yesterday's 43-0 loss to Georgia was only the 22nd worst loss in Vanderbilt history. Imagine how bad Dan McGugin, the winningest coach in Vandy history, felt the morning after his Commodores or whatever they were called back then lost 83-0 at Georgia Tech in 1917.
And Robbie Caldwell's got nothing on Gerry DiNardo, who in his four seasons masterminded three of Vandy's Top 10 losses of all time: 65-0 against Tennessee in 1994, 52-0 at Florida in 1993, and 62-14 at Tennessee in 1993.
Just for kicks, here are the 35 games Vanderbilt has lost by 40 or more points since it starting playing organized football in 1890:
1. 83-0 at Georgia Tech, Nov. 3, 1917 (Dan McGugin)
2. 71-0 Alabama, Nov. 17, 1945 (Doby Bartling)
3. 65-0 Tennessee, Nov. 26, 1994 (Gerry DiNardo)
4. 66-3 Alabama, Sept. 29, 1979 (George MacIntyre)
5. 71-13 at Florida, Nov. 3, 2001 (Woody Widenhofer)
6. 52-0 at Florida, Nov. 20, 1993 (Gerry DiNardo)
7. 56-6 at Auburn, Oct. 13, 1990 (Watson Brown)
7. 56-6 at Auburn, Oct. 23, 1920 (Dan McGugin)
9. 48-0 at Tennessee, Nov. 22, 2003 (Bobby Johnson)
9. 48-0 at Chicago, Oct. 13, 1917 (Dan McGugin)
9. 48-0 North Carolina, Nov. 3, 1900 (J.L. Crane)
9. 62-14 at Tennessee, Nov. 27, 1993 (Gerry DiNardo)
13. 47-0 at Ole Miss, Oct. 28, 1961 (Art Guepe)
14. 46-0 Tennessee, Nov. 29, 1952 (Bill Edwards)
14. 46-0 at Centre College, Oct. 17, 1896 (R.G. Acton)
16. 45-0 at Tennessee, Nov. 30, 1991 (Gerry DiNardo)
16. 45-0 at Georgia, Oct. 16, 1976 (Fred Pancoast)
16. 45-0 at Tennessee, Dec. 1, 1945 (Doby Bartling)
19. 44-0 Alabama, Sept. 29, 1973 (Steve Sloan)
19. 44-0 Georgia Tech, Oct. 16, 1920 (Dan McGugin)
19. 47-3 Georgia, Oct. 18, 1975 (Fred Pancoast)
22. 43-0 at Georgia, Oct. 16, 2010 (Robbie Caldwell)
22. 43-0 Tennessee, Dec. 2, 1950 (Bill Edwards)
24. 42-0 at Mississippi State Sept. 5, 1998 (Woody Widenhofer)
24. 42-0 Alabama, Oct. 9, 1971 (Bill Pace)
24. 42-0 at Georgia Tech, Sept. 24, 1966 (Jack Green)
24. 45-3 at Georgia Tech, Aug. 31, 2002 (Bobby Johnson)
24. 49-7 at Ole Miss, Oct. 18, 1993 (Gerry DiNardo)
24. 49-7 LSU, Oct. 12, 1985 (George MacIntyre)
24. 49-7 Auburn, Oct. 14, 1978 (Fred Pancoast)
35. 41-0 Tennessee, Nov. 28, 1998 (Woody Widenhofer)
35. 41-0 at Notre Dame, Sept. 16, 1995 (Rob Dowhower)
35. 41-0 at Georgia, Oct. 18, 1980 (George MacIntyre)
35. 41-0 at Alabama, Sept. 30, 1980 (George MacIntyre)
35. 47-6 at Baylor, Oct. 17, 1953 (Art Guepe)
If you're wondering, DiNardo was the master of being on the wrong end of a 40-point blowout, leading his team to five of them in his four seasons.
DiNardo had one more of them than McGugin had in 35 seasons as head coach or George MacIntyre had in seven seasons.
In all, 17 of Vandy's 26 coaches have suffered a 40-plus-point blowout. Here's how they rank, in order of worst to best:
1. Gerry DiNardo (1991-1994): five in four seasons (1.3:1)
2. Robbie Caldwell (2010): one in one season (1:1)
3. Doby Bartling (1944-1945): two in two seasons (1:1)
4. Fred Pancoast (1975-1978): three in four seasons (1:1.3)
5. Woody Widenhofer (1997-2001): three in five seasons (1:1.7)
6. George MacIntyre (1979-1985): four in seven seasons (1:1.8)
7. Rod Dowhower (1995-1996): one in two seasons (1:2)
7. Steve Sloan (1973-1974): one in two seasons (1:2)
7. J.L. Crane (1899-1900): one in two seasons (1:2)
7. Bill Edwards (1949-1952): two in four seasons (1:2)
11. R.G. Acton (1896-1898): one in three seasons (1:3)
12. Jack Green (1963-1966): one in four seasons (1:4)
12. Bobby Johnson (2002-2009): two in eight seasons (1:4)
14. Watson Brown (1986-1990): one in five seasons (1:5)
14. Art Guepe (1953-1962): two in 10 seasons (1:5)
16. Bill Pace (1967-1972): one in six seasons (1:6)
17. Dan McGugin (1904-1934): four in 31 seasons (1:7.8)
And these guys never got whipped by 40 or more:
• Red Sanders (1940-1942, 1946-1948): zero in six seasons (0:6)
• Ray Morrison (1935-1939): zero in five seasons (0:5)
• Elliott Jones (1890-1892): zero in three seasons (0:3)
• W.H. Watkins (1901-1902): zero in two seasons (0:2)
• Henry Thornton (1894): zero in one season (0:1)
• W.J. Keller (1893): zero in one season (0:1)
• C.L. Upton (1895): zero in one season (0:1)
• J.H. Henry (1903): zero in one season (0:1)
• E.H. Alley (1943): zero in one seasons (0:1)
3 comments:
Oh yes, I remember #4 well. Bama was winning 58-3 and scored again. They went for two. I have never ever heard a Vandy crowd so angry. Of course, all the bama papers were saying how dare Vandy boo the Bear. That was the worst sportsmanship I have ever seen in my life. I still haven't forgiven Bama for that. In fact I was telling my husband about for the hundredth time last week. I think in the same game, the ball was kicked into the word "Vanderbilt" on the scoreboard. The name shattered and fell off. Unbelievable.
Wow. Great story. Anybody got any others?
Thank You!!!
Very Amusing (And Informative! Post). After Vanderbilt was blown out by Alabama (Fall, 1973), they beat Georgia the next home game. I don't remember if it was the evening after that game or the upst of Florida the next year (1974), the team had a candlelight supper in the Branscomb Quad dining room. I believed steaks were served.
Post a Comment