NEW ORLEANS (November 17, 2022) – Many current media members have projected the University of Tennessee to be selected for the 89th annual Allstate Sugar Bowl on December 31. While a lot of football remains to be played before selection day (December 4), the Sugar Bowl is "turning back the clock" to January 1, 1991 when Tennessee made its last appearance in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl.
 
Full History Story – 1991 Allstate Sugar Bowl
 
Quarterback Andy Kelly capped a superb evening for the Volunteers with a handoff to Tony Thompson, who banged into the end zone. There were 31 seconds left in the 57th Sugar Bowl and this was the last of 20 fourth-quarter points to which Kelly had directed his team – each one obviously consequential in the thrilling 23-22 victory.
 
On that final drive, Kelly connected on 7-of-9 passes for 64 yards, before Thompson, who gained 151 yards on the night, crashed in for the win.
 
Perhaps the game's most important play came seconds earlier, on fourth-and-one at the Virginia 23, with 50 seconds to play, when Greg Amsler slammed into the line for six yards.
 
Despite dislocating the thumb on his throwing hand early, Cavalier quarterback Shawn Moore and the Cavs moved almost at will, holding the ball for nearly 22 minutes in the first two quarters, building a 16-0 advantage.
 
The Vols cracked the scoring column on a 27-yard Greg Burke field goal and an interception by the Vols' Floyd Miley late in the third quarter halted a Cavalier drive deep into Tennessee territory. The Vols then drove 94 yards, slicing the margin to 16-10 on a seven-yard run by Thompson with 12:51 to go.
 
Virginia responded with another field goal, but Kelly found Carl Pickens for a 15-yard score with 4:24 remaining to pull within two at 19-17. The injured Moore coolly directed another Cavalier drive that led to a 44-yard field goal with 2:31 on the clock. From then on it was Kelly against the clock.


 
The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 100 Hall of Fame players, 51 Hall of Fame coaches and 20 Heisman Trophy winners in its 88-year history. The 89th Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which will feature top teams from the SEC and the Big 12, is scheduled to be played on December 31, 2022. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting over $2.2 billion into the local economy in the last decade. For more information, visit www.AllstateSugarBowl.org.