Billy Teas 1954

GSOJacket

Jolly Good Fellow
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It was late October 1954, a couple of days before we were to play #16 Duke in Durham. Our star was halfback Billy Teas, a likely All American with a 7.9 yards per carry average to that point in the season. On Thursday before the game Coach Dodd kicked Teas off the team for missing curfew. Dodd said he didn't have many rules but those he did have he expected to be adhered to. On Saturday I was sick as a dog, listening to the Duke game broadcast from my bed in Charlotte. For most of the first three quarters Tech's sophomore backfield ran wild, building up a 20 - 0 lead. Then we totally ran out of gas and lost 21 - 20. Terrible loss, dropping our record to 4W, 3L, but this game saw the emergence of one of the great Tech backfields. The team went on to win their last three games over Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia, and beat Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl.
 
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It was late October 1954, a couple of days before we were to play #16 Duke in Durham. Our star was halfback Billy Teas, a likely All American with a 7.9 yards per carry average to that point in the season. On Thursday before the game Coach Dodd kicked Teas off the team for missing curfew. Dodd said he didn't have many rules but those he did have he expected to be adhered to. On Saturday I was sick as a dog, listening to the Duke game broadcast from my bed in Charlotte. For most of the first three quarters Tech's sophomore backfield ran wild, building up a 20 - 0 lead. Then we totally ran out of gas and lost 21 - 20. Terrible loss, dropping our record to 4W, 3L, but this game saw the emergence of one of the great Tech backfields. The team went on to win their last three games over Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia, and beat Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl.
Billy Teas was the first thing that came to mind when I heard the dismissal of Dedrick Mills. I was four years old in 1954, but my father, IM '50, told me the tale of Billy Teas several times during my childhood. It was part of Tech lore for sure. And it was always told as some kind of morality story, a teachable moment when I was choosing to be a rule breaker. There is no "I" in "team" and all that. I think all will agree Coach Dodd did the right thing. I think even Billy publicly acknowledged that at some point.
 

GSOJacket

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No, McAshan played in the early 70s well before Curry's stint as head coach. McAshan sat out the game in protest, not because he was suspended.
 

iceeater1969

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That's the number of loses each year from 51 -56 which is the time that frank broyles was ast to Dodd. While being the top team during that period, the set their legacy by having the coach of the year award and the ast coach of the year award named for them .

Coaching matters. They are legends.

I am sad for mills but confident we have a good coach.
It's going to be a chip shoulder thing for 17.
 
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actually I think it was the Bowl game in Memphis with McAshan

Dewberry sent home from the party town of Birmingham by Curry.

McAshan got the *** because he couldn't get extra tickets and cut practice. Carson suspended him. Eddie played the race card but didn't play. We lost to Georgia and won the bowl game.
 

TheSilasSonRising

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Eddie "walked out" (for lack of better phrase) before ugag game over a ticket issue.

FULCHER was our coach during this.

Things got somewhat ugly before Liberty Bowl vs Iowa State, coached in his last game there by Johnny Majors. Split factions, different groups trying to get groups of players to side one way or another, outside influences, etc.

Great game by the TEAM however!
 

MikeJackets1967

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I worked with a guy one time who told me that Billy Teas was the greatest GT running back he has ever seen. Too bad he could never keep bed check and that's why he was thrown off the team. Bobby Dodd used to call the homes of the married players to see if they were home for bed check and Billy Teas was always out playing poker.
 

TheSilasSonRising

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It was late October 1954, a couple of days before we were to play #16 Duke in Durham. Our star was halfback Billy Teas, a likely All American with a 7.9 yards per carry average to that point in the season. On Thursday before the game Coach Dodd kicked Teas off the team for missing curfew. Dodd said he didn't have many rules but those he did have he expected to be adhered to. On Saturday I was sick as a dog, listening to the Duke game broadcast from my bed in Charlotte. For most of the first three quarters Tech's sophomore backfield ran wild, building up a 20 - 0 lead. Then we totally ran out of gas and lost 21 - 20. Terrible loss, dropping our record to 4W, 3L, but this game saw the emergence of one of the great Tech backfields. The team went on to win their last three games over Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia, and beat Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl.


Back then, a 20 - 0 lead was quite large. Dodd went WAY to conservative and did it WAY to early and it cost us the game.
 

GSOJacket

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That was the one platoon era. The Duke radio announcer's take was that Tech had worn themselves down running up and down the field with a bunch on good but inexperienced sophomores. Really tough loss. Several of my classmates were hyper obnoxious Duke fans, and they certainly let me know it. Couple that with the only blemish on our 1951 record, a 14-14 tie with Duke (which I saw), and you might understand my 'never forget' attitude toward Duke (although I am glad that their recent resurgence has made this a more interesting rivalry again).
 

MikeJackets1967

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That was the one platoon era. The Duke radio announcer's take was that Tech had worn themselves down running up and down the field with a bunch on good but inexperienced sophomores. Really tough loss. Several of my classmates were hyper obnoxious Duke fans, and they certainly let me know it. Couple that with the only blemish on our 1951 record, a 14-14 tie with Duke (which I saw), and you might understand my 'never forget' attitude toward Duke (although I am glad that their recent resurgence has made this a more interesting rivalry again).
The 13-12 loss to Florida was worse because Florida was 5-5 in 1954.
 
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