Auburn–Tennessee football rivalry

The Auburn–Tennessee football rivalry is an American college football rivalry[2][3][4][5] between the Auburn Tigers and Tennessee Volunteers. The game was traditionally played prior to the 1992 football season, when the Southeastern Conference split into its Eastern and Western divisions. Auburn leads the series 29–22–3.

Auburn–Tennessee football rivalry
Auburn Tigers
Tennessee Volunteers
First meetingNovember 10, 1900
Auburn, 23–0
Latest meetingNovember 21, 2020
Auburn, 30–17
Statistics
Meetings total54
All-time seriesAuburn leads, 29–22–3[1]
Largest victoryTennessee, 42–0 (1980)
Longest win streakAuburn, 6 (2003–13)
Current win streakAuburn, 1 (2020–present)
🌍
Locations of Auburn and Tennessee

Series history

The series started in 1900 with a 23–0 Auburn victory in Birmingham, Alabama, and was played traditionally from 1956 to 1991. When the SEC split into two divisions in 1992, Auburn was placed to west division and Tennessee was placed to the east division, and the rivalry was no longer played annually with both schools only meeting every five to seven years. Every east and west teams had two permanent cross division opponent's. Auburn opponent's were Florida and Georgia, and Tennessee's were Alabama and Arkansas. Although, Florida was dropped from Auburn's schedule ending that annual rivalry, and Arkansas was removed from Tennessee's leaving only one permanent cross division opponent. From their current divisions, Tennessee started a rivalry with Georgia, while Auburn began an important rivalry with LSU. Auburn is 7–3 vs Tennessee since the SEC expanded, and both teams met in the 1997, and 2004 SEC Championship Game. Auburn owns the longest win streak in series history at six from 2003 to 2013.

The Auburn–Tennessee game has been played in four locations. They have played in Birmingham, Alabama at Legion Field, Knoxville, Tennessee at Neyland Stadium, Auburn, Alabama at Jordan–Hare Stadium and Atlanta, Georgia at the Georgia Dome. Auburn leads 10–5 in Birmingham, Tennessee leads 13–10–2 in Knoxville, Auburn leads 8–3–1 in Auburn and the teams are tied 1–1 in Atlanta.

On July 30, 2021, Texas and Oklahoma accepted to join the Southeastern Conference effective July 1, 2024, which could potentially lead to both teams meeting annually again.[6]

Notable games
  • 1970: Auburn overcame a 10–0 deficit and defeated the #17 Vols by a score of 36–23 in Birmingham. It was the only loss of the year for Tennessee and cost the Vols the SEC Championship.
  • 1972: Unranked Auburn upset No. 4 Tennessee in Birmingham. Auburn led most of the game 10–0. Tennessee came back to cut the lead 10–6, but Auburn held on for the upset.[7]
  • 1985: In a game nationally televised by ABC, the Tigers came to Neyland Stadium ranked #1 with Heisman Trophy candidate Bo Jackson. However, Tennessee quarterback Tony Robinson made a case to be considered for the Heisman himself by passing for 259 yards and four touchdowns in a 38–20 blowout.[8]
  • 1990: Proving once again that big leads do not hold up in the Auburn–Tennessee series, Auburn spotted Tennessee a 26–9 fourth-quarter lead, only to storm back to tie it at 26–26. Auburn QB Stan White threw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes, both on fourth down. Tennessee missed a potential game-winning field goal with 15 seconds left.[9]
  • 1991: The last annual meeting between both teams due to the expansion of the SEC. At that time, Neyland Statium set a record of attendance were the #5 Tennessee defeated #13 Auburn, 30–21.[10]
  • 1997 SEC Championship Game: In the 1997 SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, Auburn scored 20 unanswered points to take a 20–7 lead. Tennessee scored two touchdowns late in the third quarter and another early in the fourth to win, 30–29. Tennessee's quarterback Peyton Manning threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns, while Auburn signal caller Dameyune Craig passed for 262 yards and a pair of scores.[11] Tennessee went on and lost to Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, 42–17.[12][13]
  • 2003: Tennessee came into Jordan–Hare Stadium ranked No. 7. Auburn took their opening drive 80 yards and scored on a 6-yard run by Ronnie Brown. On their next possession, Jason Campbell threw a 29-yard touchdown pass in the left corner of the end zone to Ben Obomanu. The Auburn defense held Tennessee in check for most of the first half, but the Vols drove 85 yards to cut the lead to 14–7 at halftime. Cadillac Williams scored on a 1-yard run on Auburn’s first possession of the second half to give the Tigers a 21–7 lead. Jason Campbell then completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Cole Bennett on the second play of the fourth quarter to put Auburn up 28–7. Clausen threw for a touchdown on each of the Vols’ next two possessions bringing the score to 28–21 with just over seven minutes left in the game. The Vols drove to the Auburn 30-yard line late in the game but Carlos Rogers intercepted a pass to end the threat. Auburn won 28–21 to beat Tennessee for the first time since 1988.[3]
  • 2004 SEC Championship Game: After Auburn blew out the Vols in the regular season the two teams won their divisions and played again in SEC Championship game. Auburn won the SEC Championship with a 38–28 victory then went on to defeat Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.[14][15][16]

Game results
Auburn victoriesTennessee victoriesTie games
No.DateLocationWinning teamLosing team
1 November 10, 1900 Birmingham, AL Auburn 23 Tennessee 0
2 November 2, 1929 Knoxville, TN Tennessee 27 Auburn 0
3 October 12, 1935 Birmingham, AL Tennessee 13 Auburn 6
4 October 10, 1936 Knoxville, TN Auburn 6 Tennessee 0
5 November 6, 1937 Birmingham, AL Auburn 20 No. 15 Tennessee 7
6 October 8, 1938 Knoxville, TN Tennessee 7 Auburn 0
7 December 9, 1939 Knoxville, TN No. 2 Tennessee 7 Auburn 0
8 September 29, 1956 Birmingham, AL Tennessee 35 Auburn 7
9 September 28, 1957 Knoxville, TN Auburn 7 No. 8 Tennessee 0
10 September 27, 1958 Birmingham, AL No. 3 Auburn 13 Tennessee 0
11 September 26, 1959 Knoxville, TN Tennessee 3 No. 3 Auburn 0
12 September 24, 1960 Birmingham, AL Tennessee 10 Auburn 3
13 September 30, 1961 Knoxville, TN Auburn 24 Tennessee 21
14 September 29, 1962 Birmingham, AL Auburn 22 Tennessee 21
15 September 28, 1963 Knoxville, TN Auburn 23 Tennessee 19
16 September 26, 1964 Birmingham, AL No. 8 Auburn 3 Tennessee 0
17 September 25, 1965 Knoxville, TN Tie13Tie13
18 September 24, 1966 Birmingham, AL Tennessee 28 Auburn 0
19 September 30, 1967 Knoxville, TN Tennessee 27 Auburn 13
20 November 9, 1968 Birmingham, AL No. 18 Auburn 28 No. 5 Tennessee 14
21 September 27, 1969 Knoxville, TN No. 19 Tennessee 45 No. 17 Auburn 19
22 September 26, 1970 Birmingham, AL Auburn 36 No. 17 Tennessee 23
23 September 25, 1971 Knoxville, TN No. 5 Auburn 10 No. 9 Tennessee 9
24 September 30, 1972 Birmingham, AL Auburn 10 No. 4 Tennessee 6
25 September 29, 1973 Knoxville, TN No. 9 Tennessee 21 No. 11 Auburn 0
26 September 28, 1974 Auburn, AL Auburn 21 No. 14 Tennessee 0
27 September 27, 1975 Knoxville, TN No. 16 Tennessee 21 Auburn 17
28 September 25, 1976 Birmingham, AL Auburn 38 Tennessee 28
No.DateLocationWinning teamLosing team
29 September 24, 1977 Knoxville, TN Auburn 14 Tennessee 12
30 September 30, 1978 Birmingham, AL Auburn 29 Tennessee 10
31 September 29, 1979 Knoxville, TN Tennessee 35 Auburn 17
32 September 27, 1980 Auburn, AL Tennessee 42 No. 18 Auburn 0
33 September 26, 1981 Knoxville, TN Tennessee 10 Auburn 7
34 September 25, 1982 Auburn, AL Auburn 24 Tennessee 14
35 September 24, 1983 Knoxville, TN No. 11 Auburn 37 Tennessee 14
36 September 29, 1984 Auburn, AL No. 20 Auburn 29 Tennessee 10
37 September 28, 1985 Knoxville, TN Tennessee 38 No. 1 Auburn 20
38 September 27, 1986 Auburn, AL No. 8 Auburn 34 Tennessee 8
39 September 26, 1987 Knoxville, TN Tie20Tie20
40 September 24, 1988 Auburn, AL No. 4 Auburn 38 Tennessee 6
41 September 30, 1989 Knoxville, TN No.12 Tennessee 21 No. 4 Auburn 14
42 September 29, 1990 Auburn, AL Tie26Tie26
43 September 28, 1991 Knoxville, TN No. 5 Tennessee 30 No. 13 Auburn 21
44 December 6, 1997 Atlanta, GA No. 3 Tennessee 30 No. 11 Auburn 29
45 October 3, 1998 Auburn, AL No. 3 Tennessee 17 Auburn 9
46 October 2, 1999 Knoxville, TN No. 7 Tennessee 24 Auburn 0
47 October 4, 2003 Auburn, AL Auburn 28 No. 7 Tennessee 21
48 October 2, 2004 Knoxville, TN No. 8 Auburn 34 No. 10 Tennessee 10
49 December 4, 2004 Atlanta, GA No. 3 Auburn 38 No. 15 Tennessee 28
50 September 27, 2008 Auburn, AL No. 15 Auburn 14 Tennessee 12
51 October 3, 2009 Knoxville, TN Auburn 26 Tennessee 22
52 November 9, 2013 Knoxville, TN No. 7 Auburn 55 Tennessee 23
53 October 13, 2018 Auburn, AL Tennessee 30 No. 21 Auburn 24
54 November 21, 2020 Auburn, AL No. 23 Auburn 30 Tennessee 17
Series: Auburn leads 29–22–3[1]

Sources: 2011 Auburn Football Media Guide [17] 2011 Tennessee Football Media Guide [18] and College Football Data Warehouse.[19]

See also

References
  1. "Winsipedia - Auburn Tigers vs. Tennessee Volunteers football series history". Winsipedia.
  2. "Vols-Tigers series has grown into a great rivalry". The Tuscaloosa News. September 26, 1980. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  3. Martin, Dave (October 4, 2003). "Tennessee first trip to Auburn since 1998". Times Daily. p. 1. Retrieved August 5, 2016. The Auburn Tigers welcomed an old rival back to Jordan-Hare Stadium in the Tennessee Volunteers.
  4. "Auburn-Tennessee rivlalry losing steam since SEC split". The Times. AP. October 3, 2003. p. 195. Retrieved July 31, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. icon of an open green padlock
  5. "AU-UT series often heated". The Montgomery Advertiser. September 22, 1983. p. 15. Retrieved July 31, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. The Auburn-Tennessee rivalry is one of the best in the Southeast. icon of an open green padlock
  6. Crawford, Brad (May 31, 2022). "SEC football: How future scheduling pod system could look with Texas, Oklahoma at spring meetings". p. 1. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  7. "Looking back: Auburn's 'Amazin's' knocked off No. 4 Tennessee at Legion Field on Sept. 30, 1972". AL.com. September 30, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  8. "#1 Auburn Stunned by Tennessee 38–20". New York Times. September 27, 1985. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  9. "#3 Auburn rallies to tie #5 Tennessee 26–26". Washington Post. Richard Scott. September 30, 1990. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  10. "How can 91,902 can add up to 97,731". The Tennessean. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  11. "Vols getting last laugh in comdey of errors". The Tennessean. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  12. "Orange Bowl looks familiar to Huskers". Florida Today. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  13. "1990s Orange Bowls". Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  14. "#3 Auburn vs #15 Tennessee at the SEC Championship". November 29, 2004. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  15. "Auburn wins the SEC". December 4, 2004. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  16. "71st annual Sugar Bowl". January 3, 2005. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  17. 2011 Auburn Tigers Football Media Guide Archived November 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Auburn University Athletic Department, Auburn, Alabama, pp. 178–189, 191 (2011). Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  18. 2011 Tennessee Football Media Guide, Tennessee Athletics Department, Knoxville, Tennessee, pp. 166–179 (2011). Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  19. College Football Data Warehouse, Auburn vs Tennessee Archived January 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
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