Volunteer Country

A Look at Tennessee Football's Recent History of Failure in Fayetteville

Arkansas has not been a kind host for the Vols.

Tanner Johnson

Aug 29, 2024; Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino prior to the game against the Pine Bluff Golden Lions at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
Aug 29, 2024; Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino prior to the game against the Pine Bluff Golden Lions at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
In this story:

The last three times that the Vols have played in Fayetteville, it has not gone well.

Tennessee has not won a game at Arkansas since September 8, 2001. On that day, Tennessee won a 13-3 defensive struggle in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Since then, Tennessee has played in Fayetteville three times and has lost each time. None of those games were particularly close, either.

In 2006, No. 13 Tennessee lost 31-14 to No. 11 Arkansas in what was a matchup of highly ranked teams with SEC divisional implications. Legendary Arkansas running back Darren McFadden had 181 yards and two touchdowns on a staggering 30 carries. The Vols did not put up much of a fight and were down 28-7 at the half. For such a hyped-up game, it was over rather quickly.

The next time the two teams would meet in Fayetteville was one of the worst nights in the history of Tennessee's football program. The No. 8 Razorbacks won the game 49-7, and Joe Adams pulled off one of the greatest punt returns of all time at Tennessee's expense.

From Tennessee's perspective, it was one of the worst plays of all time. Former head coach Derek Dooley's entire Vols tenure can be summed up by that one play. It was a nightmare of epic proportions for the Vols and one that fans wish they could forget.

In 2020, the last time Tennessee played in Fayetteville, it was a very different circumstance than every other time before. It was during the pandemic-plagued season that saw reduced crowds and conference-only SEC schedules. It was also one of the worst seasons in Tennessee history.

The game started on a positive note for Tennessee. The Vols were up 13-0 at halftime but then fell apart in the second half. They allowed 24 consecutive points for the Razorbacks and did not score the rest of the game. This game was in head coach Sam Pittman's first year and was part of the reason he had such a surprisingly successful start to his Arkansas tenure. At the time, Pittman was a breath of fresh air after the disastrous tenure of former head coach Chad Morris.

Fast forward to Saturday, and things look very different than they did four years ago. Tennessee is now ranked fourth in the nation and is riding a wave of momentum into Fayetteville. Led by head coach Josh Heupel, the Vols are looking to do something that no Tennessee team has done in 23 years: beat Arkansas on the road.

Other Tennessee News:

Join the Community:

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @VolunteerCountry & follow us on Twitter at @VCountryFN.

Published
Tanner Johnson
TANNER JOHNSON

Home/Football