Tennessee outlasts Clemson to win Orange Bowl, record first 11-win season in 21 years

Publish date: 2024-01-28

Tennessee defeated Clemson 31-14 on Friday night to win the Orange Bowl. Here’s what you need to know:

Tennessee QB Joe Milton III recorded 251 yards and three touchdowns, outplaying Clemson starter Cade Klubnik, who finished with 320 yards and two interceptions. Milton was awarded Orange Bowl MVP after the game.
The Tigers failed a fake field goal on its first drive, and kicker B.T. Potter missed three straight field goals on the ensuing possessions.
The Volunteers improve to 11-2 with the win, their first 11-win season since 2001 and their first New Year’s Six bowl win since 2005.
The game marked Clemson coach Dabo Swinney’s 200th with the program. He has a 161-39 record.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

A season for the ages in Knoxville

The Vols have their first 11-win season in 21 years, since a 2001 Phillip Fulmer-coached team that had the goods to win it all finished 11-2. They should be looking at their first top-5 finish since that same season. And they finally had a good experience in the Orange Bowl, 25 years after Peyton Manning’s final collegiate game was a blowout loss to Nebraska (this is UT’s first Orange Bowl win since Jan. 2, 1939, over Oklahoma, by the way).

Mostly, this was a satisfying finish to a dream season for a program that is well beyond what anyone could have expected when second-year coach Josh Heupel took over a bad situation. UT just beat top-shelf programs Alabama and Clemson in the same season and has relevance it hasn’t enjoyed since Fulmer had it rolling in Knoxville. — Rexrode

How did Milton look?

The Orange Bowl was largely about getting a look at backup quarterback Milton — in for Hendon Hooker, who suffered an ACL tear in the Vols’ Nov. 19 loss at South Carolina — as he tries to make his case to start for the Vols next season. Friday’s performance was a mixed bag, much more good than bad, though Milton isn’t yet Hooker when he runs this offense (and of course, it should be noted that UT’s top two receivers, Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman, have declared for the draft and didn’t play).

Milton threw lasers for touchdowns of 16 and 14 yards to Bru McCoy and Squirrel White, respectively, and connected with White for a 50-yard gain to set up another score. He opened the game up with a 46-yard deep touchdown to Ramel Keyton. He also took some sacks you don’t want to take and didn’t always look comfortable. He finished 19-of-28 passing for over 250 yards and did nothing to change his status as the clear favorite to start next season as UT’s QB1. — Rexrode

Plenty of Clemson miscues

Clemson will spend its offseason counting the miscues that cost the Tigers the Orange Bowl. They’ll have plenty of time and might need it. Senior kicker Potter entered Friday’s game 18-of-21 on field goals but missed his first three attempts and the Tigers failed to convert a fake field goal in the first half, too.

Klubnik also let time get away from him on a pair of quarterback runs that turned a red-zone trip at the end of the first half into a fruitless trip.

Clemson spent most of the first half on Tennessee’s side of the field and only had three points to show for it. In a game slightly lower scoring than expected, that spelled doom for the Tigers’ chances to close the season with a victory. — Ubben

How did Cade Klubnik look?

Freshman five-star Klubnik’s bowl debut had mixed results. He took a parade of hits from Tennessee’s aggressive, blitzing defensive scheme and the Tigers’ offensive line struggled to keep his pocket clean. But in his first career start, Klubnik made plays with his feet and delivered the ball when he had time. However, he looked a bit skittish with oncoming rushers in his face.

His numbers for the day (30-of-54 passing, 320 yards) were decent but it wasn’t the coming out party against Tennessee’s vulnerable secondary that might have ignited an offseason of hype. He showed flashes and promise but also plenty of reminders he’s a work in progress. — Ubben

Highlight of the game

JOE. RAMEL.

What an answer! 🍊

📺 @ESPN pic.twitter.com/kJn4T4xxn6

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 31, 2022

Required reading

(Photo: Doug Murray / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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