It’s been awhile since Tennessee has won on the road in the SEC. Almost two calendar years to be exact. The last time the Vols traveled away from Neyland Stadium and picked up a win was in Nashville on November 20, 2010 against Vanderbilt. Tennessee won that game 24-10.
The Vols will look to pick up a big SEC win as they travel to Starkville, MS to take on the 19th ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs (9:15 p.m. EDT, ESPN2). Although the Bulldogs are undefeated and ranked 19th, they haven’t played anyone significant thus far and this may prove to be UT’s last best shot for a road win until they travel to Vanderbilt later on in November.
To say UT has had troubles on the road would be an understatement. The Vols record is 4-15 since 2008 at away games (not counting neutral sites). The only teams the Vols have defeated on the road during that time span is Memphis, Vanderbilt (twice) and Kentucky. Not exactly hostile environments.
It’s been an emotional rolacoaster on the road for the Vols. In 2008 we saw a head scratching defeat in Los Angeles at the Rose Bowl to a terrible UCLA team, then watched the Vols and Tigers in Auburn, AL as they set football back two decades in a 14-12 tussle.
In 2009 we saw the Vols compete, but lose to Florida and then have their heart ripped out by Mount Cody in a 12-10 loss to #1 and eventual National Champion Alabama. That year also saw the Vols travel to Oxford, MS and get completed wiped off the map by the Rebels and Dexter McCluster, 42-17.
2010 was probably the most heart breaking for the Vols. Grasping defeat fromt the jaws of victory, Tennessee lost at LSU 16-14 after having too many defenders on the field for LSU’s final play from scrimmage. A play in which they fumbled the snap 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
2011 was nothing short of a bloodbath. Tennessee was blown away at Alabama and Arkansas, then lost for the first time in over two decades and a half to Kentucky.
2012 hasn’t started any better. The Vols lost a tough one to the then 5th ranked Georgia Bulldogs 51-44 back on September 29th. With a trip to Columbia, SC and the #3 Gamecocks in two weeks, the Vols need to win this game tonight at State. If not, they may be looking for a new coach at the end of the season as well as looking for their first big road win in a long time.
VOLS ROAD RECORD SINCE 2008:
2008: 1-4 (Win: Vanderbilt; Losses: UCLA, Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina)
2009: 1-3 (Win: Kentucky; Losses: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi)
2010: 2-3 (Wins: Memphis, Vanderbilt; Losses: LSU, Georgia, South Carolina)
2011: 0-4 (Losses: Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky)
2012: 0-1 (Loss: Georgia)
TOTAL: 4-15
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