University of Tennessee Athletics
#Vols50Bowls: Best Plays
December 26, 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 count down some of the great bowl memories in Tennessee history.
The series finishes with the top five bowl plays in Vol history. The rankings are always up for debate, so if you think a play is too high, too low or we missed altogether, let me know on Twitter @briancrice .
The countdown:
1. Tee Martin to Peerless Price - 1999 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Tennessee had dominated play for much of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, but held a precarious 14-9 lead going to the final quarter with the national championship on the line.
After a Tee Martin interception, a long run from Florida State's Travis Minor had the Seminoles in field goal range to potentially pull closer to the Volunteers. But a Darwin Walker sack on third down forced a punt instead, setting up UT at the 20. A pair of fruitless plays had Tennessee facing third-and-9 at its own 21 with 9:29 to go.
Martin dropped back and heaved long down the far sideline, where Peerless Price beat his defender and took care of the rest. At 79 yards, the touchdown catch was the longest play of the year, and it came at the perfect time. A blocked extra point held the score at 20-9, but the score gave Tennessee the momentum back in the game en route to the national championship.
2. Bill Duff denies Eddie George - 1996 CompUSA Florida Citrus Bowl
The situation is simple. Ohio State has the ball on the 11-yard line with four plays to get the 11 yards for a commanding 14-0 second-quarter lead on a sloppy, rainy day in the Citrus Bowl. Or, they could simply get 10 yards, then four more cracks at the end zone. To accomplish the feat, the Buckeyes had Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George running behind fellow future first-round NFL draft pick Orlando Pace.
Tennessee had other ideas. On first down, George carried 4 yards to the 7-yard line. He picked up 4 more yards on second down. He would get no further. George twice ran behind Pace on third and fourth down, and went nowhere. After the massive stop on fourth down, Bill Duff emerged from the pile with the game-changing stop with 3:26 to go ion the half.
The two teams would trade punts, leading to Jay Graham's 69-yard run to tie the game 7-7 just seconds before the halftime break in a game Tennessee would win 20-14.
3. Steve Johnson seals it - 1999 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
The Martin-to-Price pass had Tennessee in command on the scoreboard, but there was still one play that needed to be made to thwart a Florida State comeback try.
The Volunteers were just trying to run out the clock, already a sure thing to at very least add a field goal to make it a two-score game with under 2:00 to go. But a Travis Henry fumble inside the FSU 10-yard line gave the Seminoles the ball back with 1:29 to go.
On the very next play, Marcus Outzen looked long down the middle of the field for Laveranues Coles. But Tennessee had the big receiver in double coverage. Deon Grant tipped the pass, Steve Johnson grabbed it at the UT 40 and returned it 15 yards to the FSU to start the celebration party in Tempe.
4. Tony Thompson over the top - 1991 USF&G Sugar Bowl
Tennessee trailed the entire game against the heavy underdogs from Virginia, but a furious second-half rally had the Volunteers in position to change it all in the game's final minute.
Andy Kelly hit Alvin Harper to give UT a first-and-goal at the 4-yard line. Fullback Greg Amsler got the ball to the 1. Then, it was Tony Thompson's turn. On the final carry of his Tennessee career, Thompson went to the air over left guard for the last of his 151 yards and the go-ahead touchdown with 34 seconds to go.
The Vols' 2-point conversion try was tipped away from Carl Pickens, but a Dale Carter interception of a last-gasp pass made Thompson's TD stand for a 23-22 win.
5. Jeff Powell's exclamation point - 1986 Sugar Bowl
Tennessee led Miami 21-7 in the third quarter, but the quick-strike ability of the Hurricanes made it still a tenuous lead, even at that point. The Vols nearly came up with a Vinny Testaverde fumble on third-and-9 inside the UM 20. Testaverde nearly picked up a first down recovering that same fumble. But a punt set up UT at its own 40, looking to add to the lead.
It would not take long for the Volunteers to do just that. Daryl Dickey handed off to Jeff Powell and the next person to touch the speedster would be his teammate Eric Swanson in an end-zone embrace.
Powell popped through a gaping hole opened by the Tennessee offensive line and weaved through defenders to the near sideline for a 60-yard touchdown, the longest run surrendered by the Hurricane defense in the 1985 season. The score pushed the Tennessee lead to 28-7, putting any thoughts of a Miami comeback out to Bourbon Street.
