Here’s ESPN’s takeaway from Tennessee’s big Orange Bowl win
The Tennessee Volunteers left no doubt which was the better team on Friday inside Hard Rock Stadium. The Vols laid down a 31-14 beat down of the Clemson Tigers to earn the Orange Bowl win. Dabo Swinney’s gang came in toting the ACC championship trophy as well as an edge in the betting odds, but Rocky Top prevailed.
Following the upset victory, ESPN’s Chris Low opined on the battle of two orange teams in the Orange Bowl. Take a look below at what he had to offer on Tennessee’s fifth postseason victory in its last six tries.
Quarterback Joe Milton III, filling in for his injured friend and roommate Hendon Hooker, threw a pair of second-half touchdown passes, and Tennessee’s defense made one key stop and one key play after another to steer the Vols to their first 11-win season since 2001. The Tigers ran a staggering 101 plays on offense and moved the ball (484 total yards) with true freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik making his first career start, but they missed three field goal attempts in the first half and couldn’t finish drives. Clemson also failed on a fake field goal and was stopped on fourth-and-short late in the third quarter. Linebacker Aaron Beasley spearheaded a spirited Tennessee defensive effort, as the Vols held the ACC champion Tigers to just one touchdown. Josh Heupel, in his second season at Tennessee, said the best is yet to come for the Vols, who beat six ranked teams this season.
The win gives the Vols an 11-2 final mark and their first double-digit win season since 2007. Josh Heupel has an 18-8 record since taking over the program two years ago.
