One of Tennessee's most recognizable campus tributes suffered some serious damage Saturday.
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The statue of Smokey I outside Gate 21 at Neyland Stadium was left without its head, according to Cora Hall of the Knoxville News Sentinel. A photo circulating on social media before the Volunteers' Oct. 10 road game against Arkansas showed the head on the sidewalk beside the statue.
The statue was later covered with a white tarp secured by black duct tape. A barrier was also placed around it to prevent additional damage, Hall reported.
How the damage occurred was not established in the News Sentinel's report. While the image showed a startling scene outside the stadium, there was no reported explanation for what caused the head to break off.
The statue honors the original Smokey, the bluetick coonhound who launched a Tennessee tradition that has lasted more than seven decades. Smokey I first appeared at the Volunteers' football game against Duke in 1953 and served as the mascot through the 1954 season, according to the statue's plaque.
Other Smokey statues across campus recognize the dogs who followed him in the role. The newest member of that lineage, Smokey XII, debuted this season and became the first rescue dog to serve as Tennessee's live mascot.
Saturday's damage involved the tribute to the dog who started it all. That familiar stop outside Neyland is now covered up, with the circumstances behind the damage still unexplained in the initial report.
