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Tennessee football: Vols 10 best seasons coming off a losing record

By Caleb Calhoun

1990: Roland Poles of the Tennessee Volunteers in action during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Joe Patronite /Allsport
1990: Roland Poles of the Tennessee Volunteers in action during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Joe Patronite /Allsport /
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4. 1936

6-2-2 (3-1-2); No. 17 AP

1935 record: 4-5 (2-3)

Our story of Robert Neyland continues into this season with the ones that made this list. After taking over in 1926, Neyland had a nine-year period that included five seasons without a loss and two Southern Conference Championships.

Tennessee football entered the SEC in 1933, and Neyland left in 1934. So in 1935, W.H. Britton filled in for Neyland and stumbled to a 4-5 record. Neyland returned the next year to get things going on the right track again.

But whether or not he could do that remained a mystery. And things started off rough this seasons. The Vols began the year 1-2, beating the Chattaooga Mocs and then losing to the North Carolina Tar Heels and Auburn Tigers. Fortunately for them, they wouldn’t lose another game all season.

After the Alabama tie, Neyland’s team shocked the No. 2 ranked Duke Blue Devils 15-13 in the highlight win of the year. They then went on to beat the Georgia Bulldogs, Maryville Scots, Vanderbilt Commodores and Kentucky Wildcats. A scoreless tie against the Ole Miss Rebels allowed them to close out the season 6-2-2 and in the top 20 of the AP Poll.

But staying competitive like that set the stage for the greatest run in UT history from 1938 to 1940, as Neyland was able to recruit tons of talent off this season and a 6-3-1 season the following year. So this was a huge turnaround year in Neyland’s return to Rocky Top.

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