University of Tennessee Athletics
#Vols50Bowls: Best Games
December 05, 2014 | Football
By Brian Rice
UTSports.com
Tennessee will play in its 50th bowl game this season and as part of that milestone, UTSports.com will countdown some of the great bowl memories in Tennessee history.
The series begins with the top five bowl games in Vol history. The rankings are always up for debate, so if you think a bowl is too high, too low or we missed altogether, let me know on Twitter @briancrice.
The bowl recaps are in the words of legendary Tennessee sports information director Haywood Harris, who took such pride in crafting the descriptions for the next season's media brochures that I could not bring myself to edit them.
Now, the countdown:
1. 1986 Sugar Bowl - #8 Tennessee 35, #2 Miami 7 - January 1, 1986
Tennessee rang in 1986 in grand fashion, taking a 35-7 decision over the Miami Hurricanes in the 52nd Sugar Bowl. A crowd of 77,432 saw the Vols spot the Hurricanes an early 7-0 lead, but, after Daryl Dickey and Jeff Smith hooked up for a 6-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter, the Vols were completely in control.
The Vols took the lead late in the first half when wide receiver Tim McGee corralled a Vol fumble in the end zone. They extended their lead in the third quarter as fullback Sam Henderson scored from 1-yard out after Darrin Miller's fumble recovery gave the Vols the ball at the Miami 32.
After a Miami punt, Tennessee's Jeff Powell brought Vol fans to their feet, sprinting 60 yards for another Vol touchdown. All-America defensive back Chris White intercepted Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde in the fourth quarter to set up a 6-yard scoring run by Charles Wilson.
The win evened the Vols' Sugar Bowl mark at 3-3. Dickey, who completed 15 of 25 passes for 131 yards and one touchdown, was named the game's outstanding player.
2. 1999 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - #1 Tennessee 23, #2 Florida State 16 - January 4, 1999
Tennessee won the 1998 national championship, the first for the Vols' since 1951, and completed the school's first-ever 13-0 season with a 23-16 win over the No. 2 Seminoles. Tee Martin completed 11 of 18 passes for 278 yards and threw TD passes to Shawn Bryson and Peerless Price.
Price caught four passes for 199 yards, setting a Tennessee bowl receiving record in the process. A Fiesta Bowl record crowd of 84,470 saw the game, only the second meeting between the schools.
Bryson's TD reception came in the second quarter as it followed Dwayne Goodrich pilfering an FSU pass and returning 54 yards for a score which gave the Vols a 14-0 lead. Goodrich's TD run was the third of his career.
Florida State narrowed the margin to 14-9 at the half and the score remained that way until midway in the fourth quarter when Martin and Price hooked up for the pivotal 79-yard score, followed by a Seminole turnover and a Jeff Hall field goal.
Price was named the Offensive Player of the Game and Goodrich the Defensive Player of the Game.
3. 1991 USF&G Sugar Bowl - #10 Tennessee 23, Virginia 22 - January 1, 1991
Tennessee concluded its 100-year anniversary season and longest in Vol history with a come-from-behind victory in the 57th Sugar Bowl Classic at the Louisiana Superdome. The Vols concluded a 9-2-2 season.
Tennessee trailed for the first 59:29, but won the game when Tony Thompson, who rushed for 151 yards, hurdled the line for a score from 1 yard out. Thompson's score climaxed a Sugar Bowl record-setting 20-point fourth quarter.
Leading 16-3, Virginia looked poised to put the game away late in the third quarter. But Floyd Miley intercepted a Shawn Moore pass at the Vol 6 and the rally was on.
Andy Kelly, voted the game's most outstanding player, led three drives for scores and Dale Carter intercepted a last-gasp Virginia pass to gain the victory.
Thompson scored twice in the fourth quarter rally and Kelly found Carl Pickens wide open for the other score. Carter had two interceptions for his night's work and linebacker Darryl Hardy had eight tackles and four broken-up passes.
4. 1996 CompUSA Florida Citrus Bowl - #4T Tennessee 20, #4T Ohio State 14 - January 1, 1996
Jeff Hall kicked two fourth quarter field goals and the Vols defense held Ohio State in check as UT defeated the Buckeyes 20-14 on a rainy day in the Florida Citrus Bowl.
Jay Graham, the game's MVP, rushed for 154 yards, including a 69-yard scoring dash late in the first half that pulled the Vols even, 7-7, at halftime. Peyton Manning completed 20 of 35 passes for 182 yards and one touchdown.
Joey Kent led the Vol receiving corps with seven catches for 109 yards, including a 47-yard scoring toss from Manning that gave UT a 14-7 advantage in the third quarter.
Hall's two field goals in the fourth quarter came after the Buckeyes had tied the game, 14-14. Tennessee's defense, which had stopped the Buckeyes on a second quarter fourth-and-inches at the 3-yard line, forced three turnovers in OSU's final four possessions.
UT held Ohio State, with Heisman winner Eddie George, to a season-low 89 yards on the ground.
The victory upped Tennessee's record to 11-1, its best since 1989 and propelled the Vols to a No. 2 finish in the final CNN/USA Today poll, UT's highest since 1967. The Vols were tabbed No. 3 in final Associated Press voting.
5. 1971 Liberty Bowl - #9 Tennessee 14, #18 Arkansas 13 - December 20, 1971
Late in the fourth quarter, Arkansas looked to be a sure winner of the 1971 Liberty Bowl game only to see that Tennessee had enough left in the tank to grab an improbable victory.
A packed house at the Liberty Bowl that was nearly evenly divided in its loyalties saw the two schools battle for the first time since 1907 on a cold December evening.
Leading 13-7 and apparently dominating the game, the Razorbacks had a potential game-winning field goal nullified by a penalty. A series later, the Hogs lost a fumble after a completed pass at their 36.
The Vols struck quickly for the winning score, just as Gen. Neyland's game maxims had said. Quarterback Jim Maxwell, pressed into service in the Tulsa game earlier in the season and undefeated as a starter, hit tight end Gary Theiler to the Arkansas 19.
Fullback Curt Watson, "The Crossville Comet," who was closing out a brilliant career in Orange and White, finished the drive with a 17-yard touchdown run. George Hunt's extra point was the margin of victory. Eddie Brown had an interception on the ensuing series to seal the deal.
The narrow victory enabled the Vols to finish No. 9 in both national polls and 10-2 for the second-consecutive year.
A few honorable mentions:
1993 Hall of Fame Bowl - #17 Tennessee 38, #16 Boston College 23 - January 1, 1993
Tennessee scored 14 points despite having the ball only 3:32 of the first quarter and added 24 more in the third and early fourth quarters to take a 38-23 decision over Boston College in the Hall of Fame Bowl at Tampa Stadium.
Game MVP Heath Shuler led the way in Phillip Fulmer's first official game as head coach, completing 18 of 23 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns while scoring two himself.
2002 Capital One Citrus Bowl - #8 Tennessee 45, #17 Michigan 17 - January 1, 2002
The Vols threw nearly every offensive weapon possible at Michigan and rolled to a 45-17 victory in the Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl. Capping an 11-2 season, Tennessee's 28-point win matched its largest bowl triumph.
Game MVP Casey Clausen threw for a career-high 393 yards on 26-of-34 completions. He also passed for three touchdowns and nearly had two more -- twice Donte' Stallworth was tackled inside the 1-yard line.
2005 SBC Cotton Bowl - #15 Tennessee 38, #22 Texas A&M 7 - January 1, 2005
Tennessee took the first drive of the game in for a touchdown and never looked back, forcing five turnovers in a 38-7 win over Texas A&M in the 69th SBC Cotton Bowl.
Offensive MVP Rick Clausen threw three TD passes and Cedric Houston and Gerald Riggs, Jr. scored on the ground to pace the Vols' offensive attack.
