Ranking the 50 best defenses in college football history (Tennessee appears once)

[YankeeVol]

ESPN+ article

6. 1939 Tennessee

Head coach: Bob Neyland
Scoring defense: 1.3 PPG
Record: 10-1 (second in the AP poll)

No. 8 Alabama lost 21-0. No. 18 LSU lost 20-0. Two other solid, late-season opponents (Kentucky and Auburn) lost by a combined 26-0. Through 10 regular-season games, Neyland's best Tennessee defense didn't allow a single point. All of his seven pillars -- the team with the fewest mistakes wins, play for and make the breaks (and when one comes your way, score), carry the fight to your opponent for 60 minutes and so on -- were on perfect display, and All-Americans Ed Molinski, George Cafego and Bob Suffridge made sure the effort was matched with raw talent.

The perfect record fell when No. 3 USC beat the Vols 14-0 -- with a touchdown coming in the final minute of each half -- in the Rose Bowl. But the scoreless regular season built a lasting reputation.

 

[Freak]

From wikipedia regarding that team:

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Tennessee entered the season as defending national champions and coach Neyland led the team to their second of three consecutive undefeated regular seasons. The 1939 Vols were also the last team in NCAA history to go undefeated, untied, and unscored upon in the regular season.[1] Tennessee had two All-American performers that year: George Cafego, a single-wing halfback, and Ed Molinski, a guard.

 

[Firebirdparts]

I've always been amazed at how few points were scored on them in 1927-32 range. 27, 28, and 30 are those 3 undefeated years in a row that you've heard so much about. Mostly shutouts back then, and that might have been common for a lot of the better teams that were limited to playing whatever schools they could find in a 150 or 200 mile radius, whatever they did back then.

 

[VOLfrombama]

Gen. Neyland was a genius on and off the field. What an incredible man and coach.

 

[VolBricks]

all that and still no heisTman winners............. Media in the northeast was never going to vote for some wild eyed southern boy.