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Tennessee football: Vols 10 worst upset losses in school history

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 19: Quarterback Rick Clausen #7 of the Tennessee Volunteers calls the audible at the line during the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores on November 19, 2005 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. Commodores defeated the Volunteers 28-24. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 19: Quarterback Rick Clausen #7 of the Tennessee Volunteers calls the audible at the line during the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores on November 19, 2005 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. Commodores defeated the Volunteers 28-24. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /
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Doug Pensinger /Allsport
Doug Pensinger /Allsport /

3. 1996: Memphis beats Tennessee 21-17

The Memphis Tigers have recently appeared to have a more successful football program than the Vols. But travel into the city and talk college football and this will still be the game they remember. It’s one they’ll talk about forever.

“We beat Peyton Manning!”

“I was there for the 21-17 upset!”

“We made it to the ESPYs!”

Meanwhile, all Vols fans can remember is a blown call in which a Kevin Cobb was clearly down on his ESPY-winning kickoff return touchdown. But nonetheless, that’s where we are. So let’s bring up the context.

Tennessee football had won 15 straight against the Memphis Tigers and never lost in the series. This was a bad Memphis team as well, which would eventually go 4-7 on the year.

Meanwhile, the Vols were 6-1 and looked like they would repeat exactly what they did the year before: go 11-1 with their only loss to the Florida Gators. At No. 6, it made sense for them to look past Memphis.

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Well, entering the game as extremely heavy favorites, it didn’t matter that the game was at the Liberty Bowl. Any Tennessee at Memphis game was just an opportunity for Vols fans in Memphis to fill up the stadium. That’s exactly what they did. They were prepared to watch Peyton Manning put on a show. But he didn’t.

Vols fans can bring up the call all they want. The Tigers D shut down Manning and co. that day. The game was only tied at 7 at halftime, and Memphis’s only touchdown was set up by a pick Manning threw that was returned to the one. After the Vols took a 14-7 lead, Cobb had that kickoff return for a touchdown.

Manning still got nothing going, and late, Tennessee only led 17-14. That’s when Memphis struck. The offense came alive the one time it was needed. Qadry Anderson completed a bomb that set up a touchdown pass to Chris Powers late in the game.

That was all the team needed. Tennessee football ran out of time when it had the ball, and the Tigers pulled away victorious for a shocking 21-17 upset. It remains Memphis’s only win in the series, and it’s one that’s still hard to explain.

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