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Throwback Thursday: How Tennessee rallied to beat Virginia in the 1991 Sugar Bowl

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•08/31/23•

GrantRamey

1991_Tony_Thompson_winning_TD
Tony Thompson leaps over the Virginia defense and into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown in the 1991 Sugar Bowl (Sugar Bowl)

Tennessee faced fourth-and-1 at the Virginia 23-yard line with 50 seconds left. The fate of the Sugar Bowl hung in the balance on New Year’s Day 1991, as the Vols were trying to complete their furious fourth-quarter comeback against the Cavaliers at the Superdome in New Orleans.

Greg Amsler gained six yards up the middle to keep the drive alive and 19 seconds later it was Tony Thompson leaping over the pile and into the end zone for the go-ahead score with 31 seconds on the clock as Tennessee rallied to beat Virginia 23-22. 

No. 23 Virginia (8-4) led 16-0 at halftime but No. 10 (9-2-2) Tennessee, after trailing for the first 59 minutes, 29 seconds, scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to bring home the Sugar Bowl trophy.

Tennessee quarterback Andy Kelly, after leading the Vols to an SEC championship, completed 24 of 35 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown and Thompson ran 25 times for 151 yards and two scores on the ground to lead the Vols. 

‘(Andy Kelly) was a cool customer in the fourth quarter’

Kelly drove Tennessee 79 yards with under three minutes left for the go-ahead score. He accounted for 64 of the 79 yards himself while completing 7 of 9 passes.

“He was masterful,” Tennessee coach Johnny Majors said after the win.

Virgina out-gained Tennessee 210 to 125 in the first half and converted 9 of 11 third downs, including three conversions on its first drive, to build the 16-0 lead at the half. It was a 16-3 deficit for the Vols entering the fourth quarter. 

The Vols committed there turnovers on their first five possessions to dig the whole.

Greg Burke got Tennessee on the board with a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter. The Vols had the ball for 8:07 in the third, after having possession for just 8:06 in the first half. 

Virgina was knocking on the door with what looked like a response that would put the game on ice, but Floyd Miley stepped in front of a Cavalier pass and picked it off. The Vols would drive 94 yards the other way for the first of what was three touchdown drives in the fourth quarter.

Countdown to Kickoff: Tennessee vs. Virginia, Saturday, Noon ET, ABC

Tennessee’s touchdown drives in the fourth, in order, went 94 yards on nine plays, 80 yards on nine plays and 79 yards on 14 plays.

“(Andy Kelly) was a cool customer in the fourth quarter,” Greg Amsler said.

The touchdown first cut the deficit to 16-10 with 12:51 left, after Thompson ran in from seven yards out. Virginia added a field goal to make it 19-10, but Kelly answered with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Carl Pickens with 4:24 left.

The Cavs added another field goal, this one from 44 yards out, to go up 22-17 with 2:31 left, before Kelly orchestrated the game-winning drive, with Thompson leap serving as the exclamation point

“A great feeling swept over my body,” Kelly said after the game, “when I saw Tony going in for the winning touchdown.”

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