... playing football in 1890, when they played the University of Nashville.

This was the first college football game played in the state of Tennessee. Vanderbilt won the game 40-0 and was coached by Elliott H. Jones. Coach Jones would coach the Commodores for two more years, going 8-5 in his three years as coach. W.J. Keller would take over as coach of the Commodores in 1893 and he would finish 6-1 in his first season as the coach.

Vanderbilt was one of the founding members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1894. Along with Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and the University of the South (Sewanee), these teams were the first members of the SIAA Conference.<...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - College Football