The above picture is of former Kentucky head coach Jerry Claiborne being carried off the field by his players after defeating the Tennessee Volunteers 17-12 at Neyland Stadium on November 24th, 1984. Fast forward to November 26th, 2011, the day of the 107th meeting between the border rivals (tied for the 17th most played rivalry in FBS football). Still no victory against the Vols since that “Victory Ride” for Jerry. It has now been 9,863 days since Kentucky last defeated Tennessee in football. I was born 274 days into the streak, so I have never been alive to witness a Wildcats victory in this series. Here are some numbers and facts of interest concerning Tennessee and Kentucky since that fateful November day in Knoxville of 1984:
29 different teams have defeated Tennessee a total of 95 times since Kentucky last defeated Tennessee. Here are those teams and the number of times they have defeated the Volunteers:
- Florida – 17
Alabama – 15
Georgia – 9
Auburn – 7
LSU – 7
South Carolina – 5
Arkansas – 4
Notre Dame – 3
Penn State – 3
UCLA – 3
Maryland – 2
Mississippi State – 2
Nebraska – 2
Army – 1
Boston College – 1
California – 1
Clemson – 1
Duke – 1
Georgia Tech -1
Kansas State – 1
Memphis – 1
Miami (FL) – 1
North Carolina – 1
Ole Miss – 1
Oregon – 1
Vanderbilt – 1
Virginia Tech – 1
Washington State – 1
Wyoming – 1
Every other SEC team has defeated Tennessee at least once.
Average score: Tennessee – 37.1 Kentucky – 16.8 (965-438)
Most points scored by Tennessee: 59 (1997, 1998, 2000)
Least points scored by Tennessee: 16 (1991)
Most points scored by Kentucky: 50 (2007)
Least points scored by Kentucky: 0 (1985, 1993, 1994, 2002)
Most combined points scored by both teams: 102 (2007, Tennessee – 52 Kentucky – 50 4 Overtimes)
Least combined points scored by both teams: 23 (1991, Tennessee – 16 Kentucky – 7)
Largest margin of victory for Tennessee: 52 (1994, Tennessee – 52 Kentucky – 0)
Smallest margin of victory for Tennessee: 2 (1987, Tennessee – 24 Kentucky – 22 and 2007, Tennessee – 52 Kentucky – 50 4 Overtimes)
13 games played at Commonwealth Stadium (Average score: Tennessee – 36.7 Kentucky – 18.9)
13 games played at Neyland Stadium (Average score: Tennessee – 37.6 Kentucky – 14.7)
Defeats of 1 to 9 points: 9 times (1987, 1988, 1991, 1995, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009)
Defeats of 10 to 19 points: 6 times (1986, 1990, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010)
Defeats of 20 to 29 points: 4 times (1989, 1992, 1997, 2002)
Defeats of 30 to 39 points: 3 times (1998, 1999, 2000)
Defeats of 40 points or more: 4 times (1985, 1993, 1994, 1996)
Tennessee scoring 10 to 19 points: 2 times (1991, 2006)
Tennessee scoring 20 to 29 points: 8 times (1986, 1987, 1988, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010)
Tennessee scoring 30 to 39 points: 6 times (1989, 1992, 1995, 2001, 2004, 2009)
Tennessee scoring 40 to 49 points: 3 times (1985, 1990, 1993)
Tennessee scoring 50 or more points: 7 times (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2007)
Kentucky scoring 0 to 9 points: 8 times (1985, 1986, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2002, 2003, 2005)
Kentucky scoring 10 to 19 points: 6 times (1989, 1992, 1996, 2006, 2008, 2010)
Kentucky scoring 20 to 29 points: 7 times (1987, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009)
Kentucky scoring 30 or more points: 5 times (1995, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2007)
Kentucky and Tennessee scoring a combined 20 to 29 points: 4 times (1991, 2002, 2003, 2006)
Kentucky and Tennessee scoring a combined 30 to 39 points: 4 times (1986, 2005, 2008, 2010)
Kentucky and Tennessee scoring a combined 40 to 49 points: 5 times (1985, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993)
Kentucky and Tennessee scoring a combined 50 to 59 points: 3 times (1988, 1994, 2009)
Kentucky and Tennessee scoring a combined 60 to 69 points: 3 times (1995, 1996, 2004)
Kentucky and Tennessee scoring a combined 70 to 79 points: 4 times (1990, 1999, 2000, 2001)
Kentucky and Tennessee scoring a combined 80 points or more: 3 times (1997, 1998, 2007)
Tennessee has been ranked in the AP Poll in 17 of the 26 games (1985, 1987, 1989-1993, 1995-1999, 2001, 2003-2004, 2006-2007) (Average score: Tennessee – 39.1 Kentucky – 19.4)
Tennessee has been unranked in 9 of the 26 games (1986, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008-2010) (Average score: Tennessee – 33.3 Kentucky – 12.1)
Kentucky has been unranked in all 26 of the games
Kentucky had a better record than Tennessee going into the game 5 times (1986, 1988, 2008, 2009, 2010) (Average score: Tennessee – 27.6 Kentucky – 16.2)
Kentucky had the same record as Tennessee going into the game 1 time (2002) (Score: Tennessee -24 Kentucky – 0)
Kentucky had a worse record than Tennessee going into the game 20 times (1985, 1987, 1989-2001, 2003-2007) (Average score: Tennessee – 40.2 Kentucky – 17.9)
Kentucky had the lead in the 4th quarter or overtime in 6 games (1987, 1995, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007)
5 games coached under Jerry Claiborne (1985-1989) (Average score: Tennessee – 30.6 Kentucky – 13)
7 games coached under Bill Curry (1990-1996) (Average score: Tennessee – 40.3 Kentucky – 12.7)
4 games coached under Hal Mumme (1997-2000) (Average score: Tennessee – 58.3 Kentucky – 23.3)
2 games coached under Guy Morriss (2001-2002) (Average score: Tennessee – 31 Kentucky – 17.5)
7 games coached under Rich Brooks (2003-2009) (Average score: Tennessee – 30.1 Kentucky – 20.3)
1 game coached under Joker Phillips (2010) (Score: Tennessee – 24 Kentucky – 14)
8 games played against Johnny Majors (1985-1992) (Average score: Tennessee – 30.6 Kentucky – 14.1)
16 games played against Phillip Fulmer (1993-2008) (Average score: Tennessee – 37 Kentucky – 15.9)
1 game played against Lane Kiffin (2009) (Score: Tennesse – 30 Kentucky – 24 Overtime)
1 game played against Derek Dooley (2010) (Score: Tennessee – 24 Kentucky – 14)
Here are some occurrences since Kentucky last defeated Tennessee in football:
There have been 5 different U.S. Presidents (Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama)
There have been 4 different Tennessee head coaches (Johnny Majors, Phillip Fulmer, Lane Kiffin, Derek Dooley)
There have been 6 different Kentucky head coaches (Jerry Claiborne, Bill Curry, Hal Mumme, Guy Morriss, Rich Brooks, Joker Phillips)
There have been 6 different Kentucky governors (Martha Layne Collins, Wallace G. Wilkinson, Brereton Jones, Paul E. Patton, Ernie Fletcher, Steve Beshear)
There have been 5 different Kentucky senators (Walter Huddleston, Mitch McConnell, Wendell H. Ford, Jim Bunning, Rand Paul)
There have been 5 different University Of Kentucky presidents (Otis A. Singletary, David Roselle, Charles T. Wethington, Jr. Lee T. Todd, Jr., Eli Capilouto)
There have been 4 different University Of Kentucky athletic directors (Cliff Hagan, C.M. Newton, Larry Ivy, Mitch Barnhart)
There have been 5 different Tennessee governors (Lamar Alexander, Ned McWherter, Donald K. Sundquist, Phil Bredesen, Bill Haslam)
There have been 8 different Tennessee senators (Jim Sasser, Bill Frist, Bob Corker, Howard Baker, Al Gore, Jr., Harlan Mathews, Fred Thompson, Lamar Alexander)
There have been 7 different University of Tennessee presidents (Edward J. Boling, Lamar Alexander, Joseph E. Johnson, J. Wade Gilley, Emerson H. Fly, John W. Shumaker, John D. Peterson)
Kentucky’s Top Individual Performances Against Tennessee
Passing
- 476 yards, Tim Couch (1997)
- 430 yards, Andre’ Woodson (2007)
- 406 yards, Jared Lorenzen (2001)
- 361 yards, Dusty Bonner (1999)
- 337 yards, Tim Couch (1998)
- 328 yards, Jared Lorenzen (2000)
Receiving
- 170 yards, Dee Smith (1987)
- 157 yards, Quentin McCord (2000)
- 147 yards, Kio Sanford (1997)
- 120 yards, Jacob Tamme (2006)
- 118 yards, Derek Abney (2001)
- 116 yards, Randall Cobb (2010)
- 114 yards, James Whalen (1999)
- 111 yards, Scott Mitchell (2004)
- 108 yards, Rafael Little (2007)
- 104 yards, Jacob Tamme (2007)
- 102 yards, Craig Yeast (1998)
Rushing
- 151 yards, Moe Williams (1995)
- 137 yards, Derek Homer (1997)
- 137 yards, Mark Higgs (1987)
- 119 yards, Rafael Little (2006)
- 109 yards, Matt Riazzi (1992)
- 101 yards, Randall Cobb (2009)
Tennessee’s Top Individual Performances Against Kentucky
Passing
- 523 yards, Peyton Manning (1997)
- 397 yards, Erik Ainge (2007)
- 362 yards, Casey Clausen (2000)
- 354 yards, Tyler Bray (2010)
- 349 yards, Rick Clausen (2004)
- 317 yards, Peyton Manning (1996)
- 300 yards, Andy Kelly (1990)
Receiving
- 205 yards, Denarius Moore (2010)
- 201 yards, Carl Pickens (1990)
- 195 yards, Marcus Nash (1997)
- 169 yards, Donte Stallworth (2001)
- 145 yards, Robert Meachem (2004)
- 143 yards, Peerless Price (1996)
- 138 yards, Joey Kent (1995)
- 135 yards, Alvin Harper (1988)
- 117 yards, Cedrick Wilson (2000)
- 116 yards, Robert Meachem (2006)
- 108 yards, Tim McGee (1985)
- 105 yards, Jamal Lewis (1997)
- 103 yars, Lucas Taylor (2007)
- 100 yards, Cedrick Wilson (1998)
Rushing
- 186 yards, Charlie Garner (1993)
- 179 yards, Montario Hardesty (2009)
- 179 yards, Travis Henry (1999)
- 149 yards, James Stewart (1991)
- 147 yards, Jay Graham (1995)
- 145 yards, Chuck Webb (1989)
- 144 yards, Reggie Cobb (1987)
- 143 yards, James Stewart (1994)
- 139 yards, Travis Henry (2000)
- 138 yards, Charlie Garner (1992)
- 128 yards, Jamal Lewis (1997)
- 127 yards, Cedric Houston (2004)
- 121 yards, Greg Amsler (1988)
- 118 yards, Arian Foster (2007)
- 114 yards, Arian Foster (2005)