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Tennessee football vs. LSU: Wild endings, upsets, historically significant games – here are the top 15

By Caleb Calhoun

September 26, 2005; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers Gerald Riggs Jr. drives in for the game-winning overtime touchdown against Louisiana State Tigers linebacker Cameron Vaughn (46) at Tiger Stadium Stadium. The Volunteers defeated the Tigers 30-27 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports © 2005 John David Mercer
September 26, 2005; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers Gerald Riggs Jr. drives in for the game-winning overtime touchdown against Louisiana State Tigers linebacker Cameron Vaughn (46) at Tiger Stadium Stadium. The Volunteers defeated the Tigers 30-27 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports © 2005 John David Mercer /
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Tennessee football is one of the top 10 college teams of the 1930s and 40s under coach Robert Neyland, right, at the College Football Hall of Fame.1strangeneylandhof
Tennessee football is one of the top 10 college teams of the 1930s and 40s under coach Robert Neyland, right, at the College Football Hall of Fame.1strangeneylandhof /

839. Final. 6. 817. 14

Oct. 29, 1938

It’s not that Tennessee football beat LSU en route to a national championship season, although that certainly helps. They did that in 1940 as well, and LSU was one of their many victims in the 1939 season in which they went undefeated, untied and unscored on. This was the golden age of the Robert Neyland era.

What stands out, though, is actually the fact that LSU was able to score here. Similar to how 1992 was the last game Johnny Majors won with the Vols before being fired, this was the last game in which the Vols gave up points before they embarked on an NCAA record.

We mentioned that 1939 team. It’s the last team to go undefeated, untied and unscored on during the regular season. That actually dated back to the game after this one, when the Vols shut out the Chattanooga Mocs 45-0. The game was the start of a 15-game shutout streak and an NCAA record 17 regular season-game shutout streak.

No team is ever going to match that record in today’s game. The win over LSU itself wasn’t impressive by any stretch, as the Vols were supposed to dominate that matchup. Had they not let LSU score, though, the streak would’ve been 19 straight games and 21 straight regular season games. Now that’s impressive.

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