Series Snapshot: Tennessee vs. Arkansas

Tennessee and Arkansas have played only sparingly since the Razborbacks joined the SEC more than 30 years ago, but Saturday night's primetime clash in Fayetteville is set up for one of the more high-profile games in the series.

The No. 4 Vols (4-0, 1-0 SEC) look bound for the College Football Playoff through four games, passing the eye test with flying colors, while Arkansas (3-2, 1-1) is looking for a signature win after letting two games against ranked teams slip away from it late.

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Tennessee hasn't won in Fayetteville since 2001, though the two teams have only played eight times in the past 25 years. The Razorbacks, meanwhile haven't beaten a top five team on their home turf since Nov. 13, 1999 when they beat the then-No. 3 Vols, 28-24 at Reynolds-Razorback Stadium.

Though Tennessee holds a 13-6 edge in the series, it has produced a number of memorable games--both before the two teams were conference foes and after--that have helped decide both conference and national titles.

Ahead of the 20th meeting between both teams, here is a look at the all-time series.

Who: No. 4 Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 SEC) at Arkansas (3-2, 1-1)

When: Saturday, Oct. 5 | 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Reynolds-Razorback Stadium | Fayetteville, Arkansas

TV: ABC (Chris Folwer, play-by-play; Kirk Herbstreit, analyst; Holly Rowe, reporter)

Series: 20th meeting (Tennessee leads, 13-6)

Tennessee's 2020 campaign was memorable for all of the wrong reasons.

The Vols started 2-0 with wins over South Carolina and Missouri, then went toe-to-toe with Georgia for a half on the road. What followed was five-straight losses that weren't particularly competitive in the COVID-shortened season.

Tennessee limped into Fayetteville for the first time in nearly decade following a 48-17 loss to Alabama, but jumped out to a 13-0 lead over the Razorbacks behind two Brent Cimaglia field goals and an Eric Gray touchdown run.

The Vols didn't score again. Arkansas scored 24 unanswered in the third quarter and won 24-13. Tennessee salvaged one game--a win at Vanderbilt--but head coach Jeremy Pruitt was fired following the season after a 3-7 finish and a pending NCAA investigation for recruiting violations.

Josh Heupel was hired as his replacement in January 2021 and the Vols are 31-12 since.

Dec. 20, 1971: Arkansas was about to land the knockout blow.

The Razorbacks, up six with less than three minutes left, had a Liberty Bowl victory over Tennessee in a battle of Southwest Conference and SEC teams in their sights before Jon Richardson had the ball dislodged and the Vols recovered to give them life late.

Curt Watson paid off the turnover, rambling 17 yards for a game-tying touchdown in the final minutes. Then it was up to Tennessee kicker George Hunt. His extra point was the difference in a 14-13 Vols' win to cap their second-straight 10 or more win season under Bill Battle.

The result wasn't without controversy, though. An Arkansas field goal that might have been the difference was taken off the board for a holding call from the SEC officiating crew earlier in the fourth quarter. On the critical fumble recovery, Arkansas offensive lineman Tom Reed said after that he recovered the ball initially and handed it to an official before it was ruled Tennessee's ball.

"We played well enough to win, but didn't," Arkansas head coach Frank Broyles told reporters after the game. "And that's all I want to say about it."

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Jan. 1, 1990: Maybe Tennessee was getting too complacent.

Afterall, Carl Pickens' interception in the end zone that snuffed out a potential Arkansas scoring drive and set up another for the Vols to pull ahead 17-6 at halftime of the 1990 Cotton Bowl. It was getting more out of hand after the Razorbacks fumbled in the third quarter and Greg Amsler scored eight plays later to stretch the lead to 24-6.

But Arkansas, the Southwest Conference champion, didn't go away. The Razorbacks stormed back, narrowing Tennessee's lead to four with 1:25 left in the game. With momentum on its side, Arkansas tried for an onside kick to try for the go-ahead drive, but it was recovered by Alvin Harper and the Vols held on to win, 31-27 to finish off an 11-win season.

Arkansas out-rushed Tennessee (361 to 320), out-passed it (207-150) and had more first downs (31-16), but the Vols forced three turnovers and running back Chuck Webb rushed for 250 yards on 26 carries.

Arkansas joined the SEC along with South Carolina two years later in 1992.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Three numbers to know as Tennessee travels to Arkansas

Nov. 14, 1998: It seemed that the devil had finally caught up with Tennessee.

The Vols had turned the ball over twice and trailed by two scores at one point, but Deon Grant blocked an Arkansas field goal that would have made it a touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter. Tennessee was driving for the lead. Then Tee Martin was sacked, pushed back midfield and Tennessee's No. 1 ranking and unbeaten season was suddenly hanging by a thread with five minutes left at a rain-soaked Neyland Stadium.

The Vols had pulled off one escape act after the other that other: a last-second field goal to beat Syracuse in the opener, an overtime win over Florida. Here Tennessee was again. A safety had inched it two points closer, but what looked like its last opportunity with the ball ended in a fourth down stop at midfield with less than two minutes left.

Arkansas needed to just run the clock out, but two plays into the drive, Razorbacks' quarterback Clint Stoerner tripped over one of the foot of one of his offensive linemen and laid the ball on the turf. Vols' defensive Billy Ratliff jumped on top of it and Tennessee had the ball back--and some life.

Travis Henry put the Vols into field goal range quickly, taking his first handoff to the Arkansas' 28. There was no need to give the ball to anyone else. Henry ran the ball four more times, leaping into the end zone on the fifth carry of the drive for the go-ahead touchdown.

Tennessee won, 29-24 and went on to win the BCS National Championship, capping a perfect season with a 23-16 triumph over Florida State.

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