Tennessee looks to earn 40th win all-time against Alabama

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The University of Tennessee is preparing for its 107th matchup with Alabama on Saturday, and the team is seeking its 40th win against the Crimson Tide.

The Vols have only beaten Alabama once since 2007 with a dramatic last-second field goal snapping the 15-game losing streak in 2022. While the Crimson Tide have dominated the rivalry’s recent history, it has historically been very competitive.

Of the 106 games that Tennessee has played against Alabama, the Vols have won 39. Alabama won 60 of those games, and there were seven ties.

The Vols first played the Crimson Tide in 1901 in a game that ended in a 6-6 tie. During the next 10 games from 1903 to 1913, Tennessee only walked away with a single win in 1904 and suffering shut out losses the other years. After that, the Vols had a three-game winning streak in 1914, 1928 and 1929, followed by a loss in 1930 and two more wins in 1931 and 1932.

Tennessee’s second tie against Alabama came in 1936 in a scoreless game, amidst 4 losses between 1933 and 1937. In 1938 and 1939, the Vols snagged two shutout wins, 13-0 and 21-0 respectively, which were followed by a 27-12 win in 1940.

Through the remainder of the ’40s, the Vols only earned two more wins, with two other games ending in ties. The 1950s ushered in a better era of Tennessee, with the team earning 7 wins. Alabama only earned one win during the ’50s, and the other two games in in 1953 and 1959 resulting in ties.

The 1960s was a more difficult decade for the Vols, with them not earning a single win between 1961 and 1966. Alabama won all of those games, aside from the 1965 game that ended in a 7-7 tie. Starting in 1967, the Vols had a four-game winning streak against Alabama, followed by an 11-game losing streak that Tennessee broke with a win in 1982.

Between 1982 and 1965, the Vols held a four-game winning streak again, this time including the game with their closest win margin over Alabama of 28-27 in 1984, followed by a 16-14 win in 1985.

Between 1986 and 1994, Alabama beat Tennessee in all but one game. They tied 17-17 in 1993 in a game that was ultimately forfeited by Alabama due to NCAA violations. The Vols began their longest winning streak against Alabama in 1995. It continued until 2002 when the Vols lost 34-14.

In 2003, Tennessee brought home another win from Tuscaloosa against Alabama after the game went into fifth overtime. The Vols earned another win in 2004, but they lost the following game against Alabama in 2005, 3-6. After another Vols win in Knoxville in 2006, Tennessee began its longest losing streak to Alabama in 2007, which stretched until the win the Vols secured in the final minute of their 2022 game in Knoxville. Last year, the Vols played Alabama in Tuscaloosa again, falling 20-34.

Notably, Tennessee has won 21 home games and 18 away games against Alabama. On the other Hand, Alabama has beaten the Vols 27 times in Knoxville, and 32 times in games outside of Knoxville.

On Saturday, October 19, the Vols will be taking on Alabama once again in Neyland Stadium at 3:30 p.m . Although Alabama is ranked No. 7 compared to Tennessee’s No. 11 ranking in the AP Poll , the game may be much tighter than fans on either side would prefer. Two weeks ago, Alabama lost 40-35 to Vanderbilt , and then managed only a 27-25 win over South Carolina. On the other hand, Tennessee lost 14-19 to Arkansas and then brought back an overtime win against Florida last weekend . Ahead of the game, SEC Nation will be in Knoxville live at 10 a.m.

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