All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football has played Alabama 10 other times with both teams in top 10

By Caleb Calhoun

Oct 23, 1999; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jamal Lewis (31) leaping into the end zone against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 1999; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jamal Lewis (31) leaping into the end zone against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 10
Next
Andy Kelly #8, Quarterback for the University of Tennessee Volunteers runs the ball during the NCAA Southwest Conference Cotton Bowl Classic championship college football game against the University of Arkansas Razorbacks on 1 January 1990 at the Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, Texas, United States. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 31 – 27. (Photo by Joe Patronite/Allsport/Getty Images)
Andy Kelly #8, Quarterback for the University of Tennessee Volunteers runs the ball during the NCAA Southwest Conference Cotton Bowl Classic championship college football game against the University of Arkansas Razorbacks on 1 January 1990 at the Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, Texas, United States. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 31 – 27. (Photo by Joe Patronite/Allsport/Getty Images) /

Final. 30. 839. 47. 829

Oct. 21, 1989

Welcome to the last time Tennessee football and Alabama faced off undefeated. The Vols were in the midst of a dramatic rebound. A year earlier, after an 0-6 start, they won five straight to finish the season. Then, this year, they scored top 10 wins at the UCLA Bruins and at home against the Auburn Tigers to get to 5-0 and No. 6.

Alabama, meanwhile, looked like it had finally arrived in Bill Curry’s third season on the job. The Tide roared off to a 5-0 start as well, and while they hadn’t beaten anybody yet, they still rose from No. 16 to No. 10 in the polls by the time these two teams kicked off.

Two key factors derailed the Vols, though. They had an open date before this matchup, and in that open date, their star running back, Reggie Cobb, was dismissed. Meanwhile, they made a switch at quarterback, from Sterling Henton to Andy Kelly. Kelly was better than Henton, and Cobb’s replacement, Chuck Webb was better, but it wasn’t a good time for the change.

Ironically, though, Alabama won by torching the Vols’ defense. They scored 47 points and were unstoppable. The Vols managed to win out, though, and finish 11-1, and when Alabama lost to Auburn at the end of the year, these three teams shared the SEC Championship. UT was the highest ranked at the end at No. 5.

Home/Vols Football