Tennessee wins 10 games in regular season for first time since 2003

No. 10 Tennessee reached 10 wins in a season for the 21st time in program history with a 56-0 win over Vanderbilt Saturday night at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville. It’s the first time the Vols have reached 10 wins since 2007 and the first time they’ve done it in the regular season since 2003.

Tennessee started the season 8-0, before losing 27-13 at No. 1 Georgia. The Vols bounced back with a 66-24 win over Missouri at Neyland Stadium a week later, but fell at South Carolina last week.

Here’s a look back the 20 previous times Tennessee won at least 10 games in a season:

2007 — 10-4 (6-2): Tennessee lost two of its first three games of the season, at California and Florida, then won eight of nine, with the only other loss coming at Alabama. Tennessee lost to LSU in the SEC Championship Game, then beat Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl.

2004 — 10-3 (7-1): Tennessee lost two home games, to Auburn in October and Notre Dame in November, and lost its rematch with Auburn in the SEC Championship Game. The Vols reached 10 wins with the 38-7 win over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. 

2003 — 10-3 (6-2): Tennessee started 4-0, lost back-to-back games against Auburn and Georgia, then won six straight to end the regular season with 10 wins. The Vols haven’t won 10 games in the regular season since then. They were upset by Clemson in the Peach Bowl, 27-14, finishing 15 in the Associated Press despite finishing tied for first in the SEC East.

2001 — 11-2 (7-1): Tennessee won 10 games in the regular season, with the only loss coming to Georgia in Knoxville, but was upset in the SEC Championship Game by LSU, 31-20. Instead of playing for a national championship, the Vols had to settle for a 45-17 win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl. 

1998 — 13-0 (8-0): Tennessee survived a season-opening scare at Syracuse, pandemonium reigned against Florida in overtime two weeks later and the Vols beat Mississippi State in the SEC Championship game. The final hurdle was Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl, a 23-16 win that capped an undefeated season, a single-season record for wins and the program’s first national championship since 1951. It capped a four-year run in which the Vols won 45 of 50 games.

1997 — 11-2 (7-1): Tennessee won 11 games for the second time in three years, winning eight straight between a loss at Florida in September and the 42-17 loss to Nebraska in the Orange Bowl in Miami. The Vols beat Auburn in the SEC Championship game but finished seventh in the Associated Press after the loss to the Cornhuskers.

1996 — 10-2 (7-1): Tennessee started 6-1, was upset 21-17 at Memphis, then won four in a row to reach 10 wins. The Vols beat Northwestern in the Citrus Bowl, finishing second in the SEC East and ninth in the Associated Press.

1995 — 11-1 (7-1): Tennessee’s most dominant stretch in modern history started with 11 wins, including a win over Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl. The Vols finished second in the SEC East and third in the Associated Press.

1993 — 10-2 (7-1): The first season under Phillip Fulmer ended with 10 wins in the regular season, including seven wins and a tie over the final eight games on schedule. Tennessee lost to Penn State in the Citrus Bowl but finished tied for first in the SEC East and 12th in the Associated Press.

1989 — 11-1 (6-1): Tennessee bounced back from a 5-6 season in 1988 to win 11 games in 1989. The Vols lost to Alabama in Birmingham after starting the season 5-0, then won six straight to end the year. It was a 31-27 win over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas to cap the season, finishing as SEC Champions and fifth in the Associated Press.

1987 — 10-2-1 (4-1-1): Tennessee beat Indiana in the Peach Bowl for its 10th win, after a tie with Auburn in September and losses at Alabama and at Boston College in October. Tennessee finished third in the SEC and 14th in the Associated Press Top 25.

1972 — 10-2 (4-2): The Vols started 4-2 — with losses to Auburn and Alabama — then won six straight games, finishing at 10-2 with a win over LSU in Houston in the Astro Bluebonnet Bowl. Tennessee finished fourth in the SEC and eighth in the Associated Press.

1971 — 10-2 (4-2): Tennessee lost two of its first five games of the season —losing to Auburn and Alabama — then ended the year with seven straight wins, capped with a 14-13 win over Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis for win No. 10. The Vols finished tied for fourth in the SEC and was ninth in the Associated Press.

1970 — 11-1 (4-1): Tennessee won 10-plus games for the first time in 14 years by going 10-1 in the regular season — the only loss was in Week 2 against Auburn in Birmingham — then beat Air Force 34-13 in the Sugar Bowl. The Vols finished second in the SEC and were fourth in the Associated Press poll.

1956 — 10-1 (6-0): Tennessee went 10-0 in the regular season and won another SEC Championship, but the Vols lost to Baylor 13-7 in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, finishing second in the Associated Press poll. 

1951 — 10-1 (5-0): The Vols went 10-0 in the regular season, finishing tied for first in the SEC, and were still named a consensus national champion despite losing to Maryland 28-13 in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

1950 — 11-1 (4-1): Tennessee lost 7-0 at Mississippi State in the second week of the season, then won 10 straight on the way to the 1950 national championship, beating Texas 20-14 in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

1940 — 10-1 (5-0): Tennessee went undefeated in the regular season for a third straight year but lost 19-13 to Boston College in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Still, after allowing just 26 points in the regular season, to go with eight shutouts, the Vols were SEC Champions and named national champions by two outlets (Dunkel and Williamson).

1939 — 10-1 (6-0): Tennessee had won 21 straight games — allowing just 16 total points with 18 shutouts over the 21 games — after going 10-0 through the regular season, on the heels of the 11-0 season and national championship in 1938, but lost 14-0 to Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl. The Vols finished tied for first in the SEC and second in the Associated Press poll.

1938 — 11-0 (7-0): In the third year of General Neyland’s second stint as Tennessee head coach, the Vols went undefeated and allowed just 16 total points in 11 games. Sewanee scored three points in the season-opener, Clemson scored seven a week later and LSU scored six on Homecoming in Knoxville. There were eight shutouts, including the 17-0 win over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.