1939 Tennessee Volunteers football team
Encyclopedia
The 1939 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee
in the 1939 college football season
. Tennessee began the season as defending national championships
and were ranked #5 in the country. Head coach Robert Neyland
led the team to their second of three consecutive undefeated regular seasons, but the Volunteers's 23-game winning streak came to an end in the Rose Bowl
with a 14–0 loss to the USC Trojans (ironically Tennessee was shut-out in the Rose Bowl after shutting out all 10 opponents in the regular season). The 1939 Vols were the last team in NCAA
history to go undefeated, untied, and unscored upon in the regular season. Tennessee had two All-American
performers that year: George Cafego
, a single-wing halfback
, and Ed Molinski
, a guard
.
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
in the 1939 college football season
1939 college football season
The 1939 college football season concluded with the Aggies of The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas being named as the national champions by the voters in the Associated Press writers' poll....
. Tennessee began the season as defending national championships
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
and were ranked #5 in the country. Head coach Robert Neyland
Robert Neyland
Robert Reese Neyland, MBE was an American football player and coach and and officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of brigadier general. He served three stints as the head football coach as the University of Tennessee...
led the team to their second of three consecutive undefeated regular seasons, but the Volunteers's 23-game winning streak came to an end in the Rose Bowl
1940 Rose Bowl
The 1940 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1940, was an American Football bowl game. It was the 26th Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 14-0. Ambrose Schindler, the USC quarterback, was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game when the award was created in 1953 and...
with a 14–0 loss to the USC Trojans (ironically Tennessee was shut-out in the Rose Bowl after shutting out all 10 opponents in the regular season). The 1939 Vols were the last team in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
history to go undefeated, untied, and unscored upon in the regular season. Tennessee had two All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
performers that year: George Cafego
George Cafego
George Cafego was a college, and professional American football player and coach. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1969.-High school and collegiate career:...
, a single-wing halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
, and Ed Molinski
Ed Molinski
Ed Molinski was a Hall of Fame college football player for the University of Tennessee. He later became a doctor after being involved in boxing, World War II, and college coaching.-Football career:...
, a guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Result | September 29 | @ North Carolina State | W | 13 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 7 | vs. *Sewanee | W | 40 | 0 | |
| October 14 | @ Chattanooga University of Tennessee at Chattanooga The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a public university located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The University, often referred to as UTC or simply "Chattanooga" , is one of three universities and two other affiliated institutions in the University of Tennessee System; the others being in... |
W | 28 | 0 | |
| October 21 | vs *Alabama University of Alabama The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States.... |
W | 21 | 0 | |
| October 28 | vs. Mercer Mercer University Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,... |
W | 17 | 0 | |
| November 4 | @ *LSU LSU Tigers football The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as... |
W | 20 | 0 | |
| November 11 | vs. The Citadel | W | 34 | 0 | |
| November 18 | vs. *Vanderbilt Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the... |
W | 13 | 0 | |
| November 30 | @ *Kentucky University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky... |
W | 19 | 0 | |
| December 9 | vs. *Auburn Auburn University Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts... |
W | 7 | 0 | |
| January 1^ | vs. USC | L | 0 | 14 | @ Pasadena, CA • Rose Bowl |
| *Conference Game • ^Played in 1940 | |||||