All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football: 10 years Vols beat Alabama but not Kentucky

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Detailed view of the checkered endzone at Neyland Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chattanooga Mocs on October 11, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 45-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Detailed view of the checkered endzone at Neyland Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chattanooga Mocs on October 11, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 45-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
8 of 11
Next
KNOXVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 22: Smokey the live Tennessee Volunteers mascot on the sidelines during the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won the game 47-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 22: Smokey the live Tennessee Volunteers mascot on the sidelines during the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won the game 47-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /

7. 1957

Tennessee: 14 Alabama: 0

One year after that legendary 1956 campaign, UT suffered a season-opening loss to the Auburn Tigers. However, they had gotten to 2-1 with wins over the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Chattanooga Mocs. The Alabama Crimson Tide were still at their worst as a program.

Led by Jennings Bryan “Ears” Whitworth, this team was in the midst of a 4-24-2 three-year run. Entering this game, they were 0-2-1 and stood no chance hosting the Vols. Bowden Wyatt’s team, which had gotten back to No. 19, shut them out 14-0 to get to 3-1 on the season.

Kentucky: 20 Tennessee: 6

After getting to 6-1, highlighted by a win over the No. 18 ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Tennessee football got to No. 7. However, a loss to the No. 8 ranked Ole Miss Rebels knocked them to No. 12 as they got set to visit a 2-7 Kentucky Wildcats team.

This should have been an easy win for the Vols, but they laid an egg and lost by two touchdowns to UK. It was an embarrassing outing and the start of a downward slide for Rocky Top under Wyatt and as a program that runs the traditional single-wing.

Result of the season

Rocky Top rebounded from that loss to beat the Vanderbilt Commodores, and then it ruined Bear Bryant’s last game with the Texas A&M Aggies by beating his team in the Cotton Bowl 3-0. As a result, the Vols finished the season 8-3, No. 16 in the Coaches Poll and No. 13 in the AP Poll.

Home/Vols Football