Tennessee vs. LSU: 10 things every fan needs to know about this rivalry
By Les East
Published:
Tennessee vs. LSU is one of the SEC’s better, now occasional rivalries.
Both programs have won national championships. Twice, these programs met in the SEC Championship Game. While they used to meet as part of a 2-year home-and-home, the new scheduling rotation keeps them apart longer than we’d like.
Saturday, they’ll face each other for the first time since 2017.
Here are 10 things every fan on both sides needs to know about the Tennessee vs. LSU rivalry.
1. Rare rivals
The Tigers and Vols have been among the least frequent opponents of each other among original SEC members. They have met 33 times and the Vols lead 20-10-3.
The only SEC opponents that LSU has faced less often are Vanderbilt (32) and Georgia (32) as well as newcomers South Carolina (22) and Missouri (3). The Tigers have faced former SEC member and in-state rival Tulane 90 times and Rice 56 times.
The only SEC opponents that Tennessee has faced less often are all newcomers – Arkansas (19), Missouri (10) and Texas A&M 4. The Vols have faced non-SEC foe Georgia Tech 44 times.
2. Longest winning streaks
LSU is riding a 5-game winning streak over Tennessee — the Tigers’ longest in series history — but they can’t match the Vols’ streak.
It spanned multiple decades — from the mid 1930s to late 1950s — but Tennessee won 10 games in a row against LSU. Only a 3-3 tie in 1964 ended the streak, but then the Vols won the next 2 games, too.
3. Bowling together
LSU and Tennessee have met one time in a bowl game. That was the 1972 Bluebonnet Bowl in which Tennessee defeated LSU 24-17.
4. Monday night football
Only one time have the Tigers and the Volunteers met on a day other than Saturday. No, it wasn’t the Bluebonnet Bowl. That was a Saturday bowl game.
It was a Monday night meeting in 2005. Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc with LSU’s home schedule and the game against the Vols in Tiger Stadium was moved from Saturday to Monday. The Vols won 30-27 in overtime.
5. Not so fast, Vols
LSU has had some notable wacky finishes against Ole Miss, Auburn, Kentucky and others. It had 1 against Tennessee that didn’t receive quite as much attention, but which was wacky nonetheless.
In 2010, the Vols seemed to have escaped Tiger Stadium with a 14-10 victory over No. 12 LSU when they made a goal-line stand as time expired. But the Vols were penalized for having 13 men on the field despite arguing that the officials didn’t give them an opportunity to substitute after LSU had substituted.
LSU coach Les Miles, who had torn off his headset in frustration at the apparent stop, couldn’t communicate with his offensive coordinator in the press box and called the subsequent play for an untimed down. Stevan Ridley’s 1-yard touchdown run gave LSU a 16-14 win.
6. 1958 champions’ first loss
One of the most famous plays in LSU history was Billy Cannon’s punt return for a touchdown to defeat Ole Miss on Halloween night 1959 in Tiger Stadium. The play likely secured the Heisman Trophy for Cannon and kept the reigning national champions undefeated and No. 1.
But what often gets lost is that Cannon’s heroics merely delayed the end of LSU’s winning streak because the next week No. 13 Tennessee defeated LSU 14-13 in Knoxville, ending the Tigers’ hope for a repeat title as well as their 19-game winning streak.
7. SEC Championship Game matchups
LSU and Tennessee have met twice in the SEC Championship Game. The Tigers won both times, defeating the No. 2 Vols 31-20 in 2001 to deny them a berth in the national title game and beating them 21-14 on the Tigers’ way to the 2007 national championship. That also was Tennessee’s most recent appearance in the SEC title game.
8. Never met in Peyton’s place or elsewhere
LSU faced Archie Manning. And Eli Manning.
But in between those 2, the other Manning to play quarterback in the SEC – Peyton –never faced LSU. Peyton – Archie’s middle son and a native of New Orleans – spurned his home state’s flagship school to become a Volunteer. Neither side got bragging rights because LSU and Tennessee never met while Peyton was a Volunteer (1994-97).
9. Games involving a No. 1 team
There have been 3 meetings between LSU and Tennessee when 1 of the teams was ranked No. 1, including the aforementioned Volunteers’ upset of the No. 1 Tigers in 1959.
Tennessee was ranked No. 1 in 1939 when it defeated LSU 20-0. In 2011, the Tigers were ranked No. 1 when they beat the Vols 38-7.
10. More rankings stuff
When LSU and Tennessee meet on Oct. 1 in Tiger Stadium, it will mark a change in the status of the programs in recent meetings. The Vols are ranked No. 8. LSU re-entered the poll at No. 25.
Before the Vols’ recent drought, both teams had been ranked for 5 consecutive meetings.
This will be the first time since their 2007 SEC title game that both teams are ranked at kickoff.
Les East is a New Orleans-based football writer who covers LSU for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow him on Twitter @Les_East.
