Tennessee football: Vols worst loss to every current and former SEC opponent

13. Sewanee Tigers

Year: 1891 (Chattanooga)

Final score: Tennessee Volunteers lose 24-0

We’ve got two former members and the two newest members at the bottom of this list. The second former member, though, is the one school not playing FBS anymore. But don’t forget that the Sewanee Tigers were once a powerhouse program.

The University and the South and the Vanderbilt Commodores was the in-state rivalry everybody cared about at the turn of the 20th century. Tennessee football was an afterthought until after World War I, when they started to dominate both schools. After Sewanee had a 10-1 series lead, the Vols won the final 11 games to take a 12-10 series advantage before Sewanee left the SEC.

Still, the Vols’ worst loss to Sewanee goes all the way back to their first game. Yes, 1891 was the first time UT fielded a football team. Since it counts in the record books, it counts on this list. The significance comes from it being the first game in Tennessee football history.

This was also UT’s only game in 1891. Sewanee agreed to play the Vols in Chattanooga in between their two other games this year, both against Vanderbilt. One was on the road and one was at home. They lost both of those.

But in this game, the Tigers dominated, winning 24-0. So with no coach and a playing as an Independent, the Vols would finish the 1891 season 0-1. Nobody knew what was to come, but the historical nature of the game makes it their worst loss.