Even though there were no national championship implications, there was still a lot on the line when the Tennessee Volunteers battled the Virginia Cavaliers in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day of 1991.
The Volunteers came into the game ranked #10 as they were led by head coach Johnny Majors, who was in his 14th season as the head coach in "Rocky Top" having led Tennessee back from mediocrity following a disappointing 5-6 season in 1988 which led to the promotion of offensive line coach Philip Fulmer to offensive coordinator.
With Fulmer calling the plays and an offense which featured future NFL wide receivers Carl Pickens and Alvin Harper, the team's scoring average went from 19.2 in 1988 to 28.8 in 1989 as Tennessee went 11-1 to finish #5 in both the AP and coaches polls, then increased to 36.8 for the 1990 season in which the Vols went 8-2-2 and won the SEC championship to earn the Vols their first trip to the Sugar Bowl in five years where a victory would guarantee a second straight top 10 ranking in the final polls.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers came into the Sugar Bowl hoping to salvage something of what looked to be at the start of November when they were ranked #1 in the country.
Virginia had entered the 1990 season ranked #15 in the preseason AP poll as the Cavaliers were coming off a 10-win season and an offense which featured quarterback Shawn Moore, running back Terry Kirby, and wide receiver Herman Moore.
The Cavs jumped out to a 7-0 start in 1990 as Virginia took over the #1 spot in both polls for the first time in school history until they were upset by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 41-38 in many consider the greatest game in ACC football history(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here:(https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/college-football-old-school-game-of_14.html).
Virginia bounced back to win the following week against North Carolina which was followed by the Cavs accepting an invitation to play in the Sugar Bowl.
However, the Cavs would lose their final two games of the regular season, first losing to Maryland 35-30 and then to arch rival Virginia Tech 38-13 as Shawn Moore did not play in the finale because of a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.
Having fallen out of both the AP and coaches top 25, the Cavs hoped to end the 1990 season with a bang as Moore would return to the lineup though questions remained on how well he could throw the ball.
Virginia would get the ball to start the game as running back Jerrod Washington returned the opening kickoff 37 yards to the Virginia 39-yard-line.
From there, the Cavs would use the running game to drive 61 yards in 12 plays though Moore would complete all three of his passes on the drive for 21 yards to set up fullback Gary Steele's 10-yard touchdown run to give Virginia a 6-0 lead with 9:19 left in the first quarter as the extra point was blocked.
Tennessee would begin their opening possession of the game at their 45-yard-line as the Vols would drive down to the Virginia 35-yard-line until Thompson fumbled the football after he was hit by Virginia defensive back Keith McMeans as defensive end Donald Reynolds recovered the fumble for the Cavs at their 36-yard-line.
Virginia would drive to the Tennessee 40-yard-line when Moore gave his thumb his toughest test by trying to throw a deep pass for Johnnie Wilson, only to have the pass be underthrown and intercepted by Tennessee free safety Dale Carter at the Vols' eight-yard-line.
The Virginia defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at the Tennessee 28-yard-line after Joey Chapman's punt only went 13 years after the ball hit the side of his foot.
The Cavs would travel 23 yards in five plays to set up a 22-yard field goal by Jake McInerney to increase the Virginia lead to 9-0 with 35 seconds to go in the opening quarter.
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| Despite a dislocated right thumb, Virgina quarterback Shawn Moore would gut it out as he completed 9 of 22 passes for 62 yards and ran for 76 yards on 11 carries. |
The Vols would get the ball back at their 46-yard-line following a 27-yard return by Carter on the ensuing kickoff and seemed poised to get on the scoreboard as the first quarter came to an end with Tennessee at the Virginia 23-yard-line following a 29-yard pass from Kelly to Vince Moore followed by a two-yard run by Thompson.
However, disaster would strike on the second play of the second quarter when Kelly was intercepted by cornerback Tony Covington at the one-yard-line to end the Volunteers' scoring threat.
After moving to their 24-yard-line, the Cavs would punt the ball back to the Vols who took over at their 35-yard-line as Kelly found Vince Moore again, this time for 22 yards for a 1st down at the Virginia 43-yard-line when Kelly threw deep only to be intercepted again, this time by Tyrone Lewis on a deep pass intended for Pickens.
Taking over at their 20-yard-line, the Cavs would use their running game to drive 80 yards in 15 plays(12 of those runs)taking up nearly seven minutes off the clock and not ending until Kirby punched it in for an one-yard touchdown to increase the Virginia lead to 16-0 with 4:06 left in the first half.
The Vols would get the ball at their 24-yard-line to start their ensuing possession when they decided to go no-huddle as they drove to the Virginia 18-yard-line until the drive stalled when Kelly was sacked for an 11-yard loss and threw two incomplete passes to force a field goal attempt.
But Greg Burke's 46-yard attempt would said wide left and no good to keep it 16-0 as Virginia would run out the clock to end the first half which was a nightmare for Tennessee as their offense had committed three turnovers while their defense had spent nearly 22 minutes on the field.
The Vols would get the ball to start the second half as they went back to their no-huddle offense to drive from their 18-yard-line to the Virginia 48-yard-line when they were faced with a 4th & 1 situation.
Majors decided to gamble and go for the 1st down which was successful as Thompson picked the one yard to give the Vols a fresh set of downs.
From there, the Vols would drive down to the Virginia 10-yard-line when Kelly fired a pass for Harper at the goal line for an apparent touchdown, only for it to be ruled incomplete to force a 4th down as Burke would come on to end the 16-play, 72-yard drive with a 27-yard field goal to make it 16-3 with 9:05 left in the third quarter.
Virginia would begin its opening possession of the second half at their 21-yard-line as six straight running plays put the Cavs at the Tennessee 33-yard-line until back-to-back incomplete passes forced a 50-yard field goal attempt by McInerney which would miss to the left to keep the score 16-3 with 5:33 remaining in the third quarter.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Cavs would get the ball back at their 46-yard-line when they ran the ball five straight times as they drove to the Tennessee 23-yard-line when Moore put the ball up in the air again as he threw a pass intended for tight end Aaron Mundy only to have it intercepted by cornerback Floyd Miley at the Tennessee six-yard-line with just 35 seconds left in the third quarter.
Sticking to the no-huddle, Thompson would carry the ball five straight times for 65 yards with the biggest run being a 38-yard gallop on the opening play of the fourth quarter, to led Tennessee to the Virginia 29-yard-line.
Following a 14-yard pass from Kelly to Pickens on 3rd & 8, Thompson got the ball again as he ran for eight yards on 1st down, then for a seven-yard touchdown run to end the nine-play, 94-yard drive in which the senior running back carried the ball seven times for 80 yards to put the Vols on the board down 16-10 with 12:51 left in the fourth quarter.
The Cavs would start their ensuing drive at their 32-yard-line with eight consecutive running plays, which included a 4th & 1 quarterback sneak at the Vols' 48-yard-line, until Moore threw two straight incomplete passes to bring up 4th down and a a punting situation.
However, the Cavs would get a reprieve when Tennessee cornerback J.J. McCleskey ran into punter Ed Garno, drawing a 15-yard roughing-the-kicker penalty to give the Cavs a fresh set of downs at the Vols' 31-yard-line.
But the Cavs would be unable to pick up a 1st down as two more passes by Moore fell incomplete, forcing Virginia to settle for a 43-yard field goal by McInerney to push the Virginia lead to 19-10 with 7:34 remaining in the game.
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| Tennessee quarterback Andy Kelly would complete 14 of 18 passes for 142 yards in the fourth quarter. |
The Vols would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line as Kelly came out firing as he completed four consecutive passes for 39 yards before handing the ball off to running back Greg Amsler on back-to-back plays as the fullback gained 13 yards on his two carries to put Tennessee at the Virginia 28-yard-line.
Tennessee would go back to the air as Kelly completed a 11-yard pass to Amsler, which was followed by a two-yard run by Amsler to set up 2nd & 8 when Kelly found Pickens in the right corner of the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown to bring the Vols to within two points at 19-17 with 4:24 in the game.
With their 16-point halftime lead all but evaporated, the Cavs looked to their running game to bail them out as they began their next drive at their 32-yard-line.
The drive got off to a promising start as Moore ran for 22 yards on the first play from scrimmage which was followed by a Tennessee penalty for having too many men on the field to give the Cavs another 15 yards and the ball at the Vols 31-yard-line.
Two straight running plays picked up five yards to set up 3rd & 5 when Moore threw another incomplete pass to bring up 4th down and the field goal unit as McInerney came on to kick a 44-yard field goal to make it 22-17 in favor of Virginia with 2:31 left in the game.
Following a 21-yard return by Carter on the ensuing kickoff, the Vols took over at their 21-yard-line as Kelly completed a four-yard pass to Amsler followed by an incomplete pass to force a 3rd & 6 situation when Kelly hit Pickens for eight yards and a 1st down.
Kelly would go back to Pickens on the next play, this time connecting for 22 yards to give the Vols a 1st down at the Virginia 45-yard-line when an incomplete pass and a five-yard run by Thompson brought up another 3rd down situation for Tennessee as Kelly completed an eight-yard pass to Harper to pick up another 1st down at the Cavs' 32-yard-line.
Passes to Amsler for Amsler for three yards and tight end Von Reeves set up a 3rd & 1 when Kelly threw an incomplete pass to bring up a do-or-die 4th & 1 with 54 seconds to go.
That is when Kelly handed the ball off to Amsler who ran up the middle for six yards and a 1st down at the Cavs' 17-yard-line.
From there, Kelly would connect with Harper for 13 yards to give the Vols a 1st-and-goal at the Virginia four-yard-line as Amsler would carry for three yards to the one-yard-line to set up 2nd down when Kelly handed the ball off to Thompson who dove over the top for the touchdown to give Tennessee its first lead of the game at 23-22 with 31 seconds to play.
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| Tony Thompson dives for what would be the game-winning touchdown. |
Tennessee attempted a two-point conversion following the touchdown but Kelly's pass intended for Pickens fell incomplete.
When the Cavs' offense came back onto the field, they did so Blundin taking over at quarterback for Moore who had been unable to complete a pass in the second half going 0-for-6.
However, it was too little too late as Blundin threw an incomplete pass on 1st down, was sacked on 2nd down, and then was picked off by Carter on the final play of the game with the Vols on top 23-22.
Despite the loss, the Cavs would finish ranked #15 in the final coaches poll and #23 in the final Associated Press poll while the Vols would climb to #7 in the coaches poll and #8 in the AP poll.
Majors would coach Tennessee through the 1992 season when was he forced to step down as head coach in favor of Fulmer, who had led the Vols to a 3-0 record earlier in the 92 season when Majors was recuperating from heart surgery.
