Tennessee football: Vols top 10 upset wins in school history

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Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images
Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images /

5. 1936: Tennessee beats Duke 15-13

Yes, we go way back in history for this one. Tennessee football had built a powerhouse program by this point thanks to Robert Neyland’s first stint, but he left in 1934 for active duty in the U.S. Army. In 1935, W.H. Britton served as head coach, and this team fell to a 4-5 losing record. It was a disaster by any standards.

Neyland returned, though, in 1936. But with Britton demoted back to ends coach, it seemed the program would need time to return to its glory days from the turn of the 1920s into the 1930s. What made that more clear was the start of the season.

Tennessee football fell to 1-2-1 with their only win over Chattanooga, which was followed by losses to the North Carolina Tar Heels and Auburn Tigers. A tie against the Alabama Crimson Tide, though, gave them some hope. That hope was all they needed.

Related Story: Tennessee football's 30 greatest games in history

The Duke Blue Devils came to town a week later. Ranked No. 2 in the nation in the first year of the Associated Press, Duke was undefeated and thinking about a national championship with All-American Ace Parker.

But the Vols came to life. In a back and forth game, Duke was leading 13-9 late in the fourth quarter. Then Red Harper stepped up. The 155-pound halfback returned a punt 70 yards for what turned into the game winning touchdown.

The Vols won 15-13 in a shocking upset that proved they were back under Neyland. This upset is not just significant for its magnitude. It’s significant for what it set off. After this game, Tennessee won four straight and finished 6-2-2. They went 6-3 the next year, and continued the momentum into 1938, when they began a string of three straight undefeated regular seasons and three straight national championships. The dominance dates back to newfound momentum in this upset.