1994 Gator Bowl The 1994 Gator Bowl was a post - season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Tennessee Volunteers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville , Florida on December 30 , 1994 . The game was the final contest of the 1994 NCAA Division I - A football season for both teams , and ended in a 45 - 23 victory for Tennessee . The 1994 Gator Bowl saw 17th - ranked Virginia Tech face off against regional rival Tennessee at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the campus of the University of Florida . The game was moved to Gainesville in 1994 due to renovations to the Gator Bowl for the Jacksonville Jaguars . Virginia Tech came into the game with an 8 – 3 regular - season record that included a record of 5 – 2 in Big East Conference competition . The Tennessee Volunteers came entered the game with a regular - season record of 7 – 4 under head coach Phillip Fulmer that included a 5 – 3 record in Southeastern Conference competition . The game kicked off on December 30 , 1994 in Gainesville , Florida . From the start , Tennessee ' s high - scoring offense dominated . The Volunteers scored two touchdowns in the first quarter and three in the second , while Virginia Tech was able to muster a lone touchdown and field goal in the second quarter . At halftime , Tennessee had a commanding 35 – 10 lead , behind the strong play of Freshman QB Peyton Manning . The Hokies struggled back in the third quarter , scoring six unanswered points to close the score to 35 – 16 . In the fourth quarter , however , Tennessee answered Virginia Tech ' s effort with 10 points , putting the game out of reach for the Hokies , who managed only a single touchdown in the fourth quarter . The Hokies fumbled the ball five times — losing it once — and threw two interceptions , allowing Tennessee to cruise to an easy victory , 45 – 23 . Tennessee running back James Stewart was named the game ' s most valuable player . Renovations . In early 1994 , Jacksonville Mayor Ed Austin proposed $ 49 million in renovations to Jacksonville ' s aging Gator Bowl Stadium in order to keep the stadium up to date for the annual Florida - Georgia rivalry game . After Florida and Georgia accepted the renovations , agreeing to play the rivalry game in Athens , Georgia during the renovations , Jacksonville investors proposed expanding the renovation plan in order to attract a National Football League team . The price tag was revised upward — to $ 121 million — and the city successfully attracted a team . Shortly after Jacksonville was awarded its new franchise — the Jacksonville Jaguars — the final plans were unveiled . The stadium would have additional luxury box es , expanded seating , and upgraded facilities for teams and fans . The renovations were much more extensive than had initially been proposed , and required more time to be completed . Instead of beginning in early 1995 , work would have to begin in 1994 , leaving the site of the 1994 Gator Bowl ( played on Dec . 30 ) in doubt . By the end of January 1994 , as the Gator Bowl was being demolished , that doubt was also demolished when a deal was struck to host the Gator Bowl at the University of Florida , in that school ' s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium . The game ' s title sponsor , Outback Steakhouse , and its television sponsor , TBS , would remain constant , and both were in their final year of contracts with the Gator Bowl . Team selection . Prior to the start of the 1994 - 1995 college football season , the Gator Bowl was snubbed by the newly - formed Bowl Alliance , a group of football conferences , bowl games , and television networks created to match up the No . 1 and No . 2 college football teams at the conclusion of each season . Though the Gator Bowl offered to pay $ 115 million for the right to become a Bowl Alliance game , the Orange Bowl was selected in place of the Gator Bowl . This event had repercussions at the end of the season , when the bowl was passed over by high - ranked teams that elected to accept bids to bowls in the new Bowl Alliance . Virginia Tech . During the annual preseason poll of media members covering the Big East conference , Virginia Tech was picked to finish second among Big East teams , behind only Miami . The Hokies entered the 1994 college football season having finished the 1993 season with a win in the 1993 Independence Bowl , and hopes were high that they would return to a bowl game again in 1994 . The Hokies started the season well , winning their first four games in succession and culminating with a victory against West Virginia in the annual battle for the Black Diamond Trophy . The Hokies , who had begun the season ranked No . 21 in the country , rose to No . 14 by their fifth game of the season , a trip to Syracuse , New York , to play the . There , Virginia Tech suffered its first loss of the season , permitting 100 - yard rushing games from Syracuse ' s Malcolm Thomas and Kirby Dar Dar , the last time the Hokies allowed two hundred - yard rushers in the same game . Tech responded to the loss by reeling off another three wins in succession . That winning streak ended at No . 6 Miami , when Tech lost its second game of the season , a loss that was followed by a season - ending defeat to perennial rival . The Hokies concluded the regular season with an 8 – 4 record overall and a 5 – 2 record in the Big East . Ironically , despite their season - ending loss to Virginia , the Hokies were awarded an invitation to the Gator Bowl over the Cavaliers , who lost to in their season - ending game . In addition to that loss , Gator Bowl officials later stated they were reluctant to invite an Atlantic Coast Conference team for a fourth straight year , thus opening the door for the Hokies from the Big East . Tennessee . The Tennessee Volunteers had finished the 1993 season with a 10 – 2 record and a season - ending loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions under first - year head coach Phillip Fulmer in the . Hopes were high that Tennessee ' s second year under Fulmer ' s command would end better than its first . Tennessee was ranked No . 13 in the Associated Press preseason poll at the start of the season , but won just one game in its first four of the season , causing the Volunteers to drop out of the top 25 for the first time since 1989 , breaking a streak of 84 consecutive weeks in the poll . To make matters worse , Tennessee ' s two starting quarterbacks suffered season - ending injuries during that four - game span . In the Volunteers ' season - opener against , Jerry Colquitt suffered a knee injury . Backup quarterback Todd Helton was hurt in the fourth game of the season , a loss to . In response to the poor start , Fulmer overhauled his defense and coped with the loss of his first - and second - string quarterbacks by bringing in acclaimed freshman Peyton Manning , son of National Football League star Archie Manning . Manning ' s first start , a Tennessee homecoming game against Washington State , resulted in a 10 – 9 win . Things got progressively better for the Volunteers after Manning assumed the starting role , as they won six of their final regular - season games . The sole loss was a 13 – 17 defeat at the hands of then - No . 10 Alabama in Knoxville . The loss was merely a bump in the road , however , as Tennessee won all four regular - season games that followed , ending the regular season with a 65 – 0 drubbing of in - state rival . In response to Fulmer ' s success at turning the team around from a slow start , he was awarded with a one - year contract extension by the university . Pregame buildup . The matchup of Virginia Tech and Tennessee was the first game between the two teams since 1937 , an unusual fact since both teams are located in the Appalachian Mountains and the two schools are just 3 . 5 hours by car apart . This proximity generated multiple news stories about towns lying between the two schools and the divided loyalties of their fans . In Washington County , Virginia , which lies along the Tennessee border , the county supervisor — a Virginia Tech graduate — proclaimed the week of the Gator Bowl to be " Hokie Week " over the objections of the county attorney , who graduated from Tennessee . This natural rivalry was amplified by a basketball game held the day prior to the Gator Bowl that pitted the two schools ' varsity teams against each other . In exchange for participating in the game , each team received $ 1 . 5 million from the Gator Bowl Association . Ticket sales were brisk in the month between the announcement of the Tech - Tennessee matchup and the day of the game . By December 14 , two weeks after the initial announcement , Virginia Tech had sold 16 , 000 tickets to Tennessee ' s 9 , 000 . On December 23 , one week before the game , Tech had sold 17 , 653 tickets . By the day of the game , the two teams had combined to sell approximately 33 , 000 tickets . Two days prior to the game , spread bettors favored Tennessee to win by seven points . Tennessee offense . The Tennessee offense was led by freshman quarterback Peyton Manning , son of NFL great Archie Manning , who had played against the Hokies in the 1968 Liberty Bowl . During the regular season , Peyton played in seven games , winning six of them and completing 86 of his 139 pass attempts for 1 , 114 yards , 11 touchdowns , and six interceptions . Manning ' s passer rating of 145 . 2 was the third - highest among starting quarterbacks in the SEC . In recognition of his achievements , Manning was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year . One of Manning ' s more prominent passing targets was Billy Williams , who , despite suffering a stress fracture in the first game of the season , recovered to catch 20 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns . He also returned 17 kickoffs for an average of 20 . 8 yards per return . Manning ' s favorite target was Joey Kent , who caught 36 passes for 470 yards during the regular season , but slightly injured his ankle in a pre - Gator Bowl practice . The Volunteers ' rushing offense had been led by Aaron Hayden during the regular season , but Hayden broke his leg during Tennessee ' s final regular season game . Due to the injury , James Stewart was forecast to start the game at running back for the Volunteers . During the regular season , Tennessee was ranked No . 13 in rushing , accumulating an average of 231 . 2 rushing yards per game . Stewart accounted for 93 . 5 yards of that total , having carried the ball 170 times for 1 , 028 yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season . One of Tennessee ' s other backup running backs , Jay Graham , was predicted to be kept out of the game due to an injury , but played after undergoing surgery . Graham , who rushed 61 times for 275 yards during the regular season , suffered a broken jaw after being punched in the face by a teammate . Because of the injury to Graham , fourth - string running back Ronnie Pillow , who had carried the ball just five times during the regular season , was predicted to back up Stewart during the game . Prior to the game , Tennessee coach Fulmer pronounced himself unsatisfied with the Vols ' performance in opponents ' red zone during the regular season . Tennessee scored on just 36 of 52 possessions inside the opposition ' s 20 - yard line , a conversion rate of 69 . 2 percent . Fulmer vowed to raise that percentage to what it had been the previous season , when Tennessee converted 41 of 46 possessions , or 89 . 1 percent . Virginia Tech offense . On offense , the Virginia Tech Hokies were led by quarterback Maurice DeShazo , who completed 164 of his 296 pass attempts during the regular season for 2 , 110 yards , 13 touchdowns , and 13 interceptions . DeShazo ' s success during the season helped him become the No . 4 all - time passing leader in Virginia Tech history , finishing his career with 5 , 720 passing yards . DeShazo ' s favorite passing target was wide receiver Antonio Freeman , who finished the season having caught 38 passes for 586 yards and five touchdowns . The Gator Bowl was Freeman ' s final collegiate game , just as it was DeShazo ' s . Freeman finished his career as the No . 1 receiver in Virginia Tech history in terms of yardage ( bowl games were not counted in statistics until 2003 ) with 2 , 207 receiving yards . Freeman also was the team ' s leading punt returner , having returned 39 kicks for 467 yards and a touchdown , and received second - team All - Big East honors . On the ground , Virginia Tech ' s rushing offense was led by running back Dwayne Thomas , who carried the ball 142 times for 642 yards and five touchdowns . Backing up Thomas was Tommy Edwards , son of former Virginia Tech player Ken Edwards , who played with the Hokies from 1967 to 1969 , including the Hokies ' trip to the 1968 Liberty Bowl . By participating in the Gator Bowl and in the previous season ' s Independence Bowl , the Edwardses became the first father - son combo in Virginia Tech history to have competed in a bowl game . At the beginning of December , Virginia Tech ' s offensive preparations for the Gator Bowl were disrupted when offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill abruptly quit the team in order to join friend Nick Saban , who had been hired as the head coach at Michigan State . Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer announced simultaneous with Tranquill ' s departure that assistant head coach Billy Hite would control the offense during the Gator Bowl . Shortly after the announcement of Tranquill ' s departure , Virginia Tech announced that former offensive coordinator Ricky Bustle would be returning to the team to fill the position after the Gator Bowl . Though he was not able to actively coach the team during the Gator Bowl , Bustle offered advice and strategy to Beamer during the weeks before the game . Virginia Tech receiver Cornelius White fractured his patella while playing pick - up basketball . Tennessee defense . During the regular season , the Volunteers ' scoring defense was ranked the second - best in the SEC , allowing an average of just 16 . 82 points per game . Tennessee also allowed just eight passing touchdowns and 20 touchdowns overall . One of Tennessee ' s defensive leaders was defensive end Steve White , who led the Volunteers in sacks and tackles for loss with seven and eight , respectively . Tennessee ' s leader in interceptions was Ronald Davis , who had two during the regular season . Scott Galyon had the most tackles on the team , with 93 . Strong safety Ray Austin , who had been named most valuable player in the Volunteers ' loss to Penn State during the 1993 Citrus Bowl , had 50 tackles — second - best among Tennessee defensive backs — two fumble recoveries , a sack , and two tackles for loss despite playing in only six games . The Volunteers ' defense also featured a cornerback named Tony Edge , a player from Virginia ' s Phoebus High School who had been heavily recruited by both Virginia Tech and Tennessee . Edge suffered a dislocated shoulder in the Volunteers ' last regular - season game , but pledged he would play against the Hokies despite doctors ' disapproval . Virginia Tech defense . Defensively , the Virginia Tech Hokies allowed an average of 308 yards per game and 18 . 4 points per game . During the last two games of the regular season , however , the Hokies permitted 34 points and 42 points to Rutgers and Virginia , respectively . The Virginia Tech defense was led by two strong performers in the defensive secondary . Safety Torrian Gray intercepted four passes during the regular season , returning one of the catches for a touchdown . He tied with cornerback William Yarborough for the most interceptions on the team during the regular season . Neither player was the team ' s leading tackler , however . That honor went to linebacker George DelRicco , who had 130 tackles during the regular season . Fellow linebacker Ken Brown was named a first - team All - Big East selection , signifying his status as one of the best players at his position in the conference . He finished the season with 93 tackles , including six for loss and two sacks , enough for No . 3 on the team in tackles . Despite that success , Brown suffered a pulled hamstring before Virginia Tech ' s final regular - season game and his presence in the Gator Bowl was doubtful . Virginia Tech sophomore defensive end Cornell Brown was named the best defensive college player in the state of Virginia by the Roanoke Times after earning 20 tackles for loss , including 11 sacks , and 35 quarterback hurries during the regular season . Game summary . The 1994 Gator Bowl kicked off on December 30 , 1994 at 8 p . m . EST at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville , Florida . An estimated 62 , 200 fans were in attendance , and millions more people watched the game on television . TBS televised the game in the United States , and Gary Bender , Pat Haden , and Craig Sager were the broadcasters . Tennessee won the ceremonial pre - game coin toss and elected to kick off to Virginia Tech to begin the game . First quarter . Virginia Tech ' s Tommy Edwards fielded the opening kickoff , which was returned to the Tech 29 - yard line , where the Hokies ' offense began the first play of the game , an incomplete pass by Virginia Tech quarterback Maurice DeShazo . On the second play of the game , DeShazo again attempted a forward pass . This time , however , the ball was intercepted by Tennessee linebacker Tyrone Hines . Hines returned the ball to the Tech 28 - yard line , allowing the Volunteers ' offense to begin the game already in scoring position . Tennessee ' s first play was a run up the middle by James Stewart , who gained three yards . On the second play , Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning completed a nine - yard pass to wide receiver Nilo Silvan . During the play , Silvan suffered a broken ankle and did not return to the game . Now at the 16 - yard line , Tennessee continued its drive with a rush by Stewart , who wasn ' t able to advance the ball . On the next play , the Volunteers were penalized 10 yards for a block in the back of a Virginia Tech player . Despite the penalty and an incomplete pass on a subsequent play , Tennessee was able to gain a first down to the five - yard line with a pass from Manning to Joey Kent . Two plays later , the Volunteers scored on a one - yard touchdown run by Stewart . The extra point kick was successful , and Tennessee took a 7 – 0 lead with 11 : 41 remaining in the first quarter . Following Tennessee ' s touchdown , the two teams traded possessions , each going three and out . Virginia Tech regained the ball after a Tennessee punt to its 20 - yard line with 7 : 31 remaining in the quarter . After a Tech fumble that was recovered by the Hokies , Tech running back Dwayne Thomas ran nine yards for the first Tech first down of the game . After an incomplete pass , DeShazo and Thomas connected on an eight yard pass before Thomas broke free for an 11 - yard run and another first down . Thomas continued advancing the ball , picking up eight yards on two rushing plays . DeShazo then completed a four - yard pass for a first down at the Tennessee 39 - yard line . There , however , Tennessee ' s defense stiffened and did not allow the Hokies another first down . The Tech punt was downed at the Tennessee 7 - yard line , where the Volunteers began their third possession of the game . On the first play of the drive , Tennessee committed a five - yard false start penalty , pushing the Volunteers back toward their goal line . A Tennessee rush was stopped for no gain , then Stewart picked up eight yards on a running play . Needing eight yards for a first down , Manning threw an 11 - yard pass to Kent for the first down . On the next play , Manning completed a 43 - yard toss to Kent , driving the Volunteers into the Virginia Tech half of the field . Manning ' s next throw was a 35 - yard touchdown throw to Marcus Nash . The extra point was good , and Tennessee took a 14 – 0 lead with 1 : 08 remaining in the quarter . Tennessee ' s kickoff went out of bounds , allowing Tech ' s offense to start at its 35 - yard line . DeShazo threw an incomplete pass , then completed one for a nine - yard gain . Needing one yard for a first down , Tech fullback Bryan Edwards was stopped for a loss and the Hokies were forced to punt . Tennessee fair caught the ball at their 20 - yard line , where the Volunteers ' offense again began to work . A five - yard penalty pushed the Volunteers backward , but running back Jay Graham regained the lost five yards with a run on the next play and the clock ran out in the quarter . At the end of the first quarter , Tennessee led , 14 – 0 . Second quarter . At the beginning of the second quarter , Tennessee had the ball at its 19 - yard line , facing a second down and ten . On the first play of the quarter , Tennessee ran an end - around to Kendrick Jones , who ran the ball for 76 yards , giving the Volunteers a first down at the Virginia Tech five - yard line . Three plays later , running back Jay Graham crossed the goal line for the first Tennessee touchdown of the second quarter . The extra point was good , and with 13 : 23 remaining in the first half , Tennessee took a 21 – 0 lead . Following Tennessee ' s post - touchdown kickoff and a short kick return , the Virginia Tech offense began at its 24 - yard line . The first Tech play of the quarter , a run up the middle by Edmonds , resulted in a 17 - yard gain and a first down . Dwayne Thomas followed Edmonds ' run with one of his own , advancing the ball to the 50 - yard line . He pushed into Tennessee territory on the next play , a five - yard run that gave the Hokies a first down at the Tennessee 45 - yard line . DeShazo then ran nine yards , and Tech gained a first down on the next play . Inside the Tennessee 35 - yard line , however , the Volunteers ' defense stiffened . DeShazo passed for a seven - yard gain , but the Hokies were unable to gain a first down until DeShazo scrambled for a 13 - yard gain on fourth down . The run kept the Tech drive alive as the Hokies now had a first down at the Tennessee 14 - yard line . Tennessee forced another third - down play , but the Hokies gained a first down at the Tennessee three - yard line with a pass from DeShazo to Thomas . Four plays later , the Hokies scored their first points of the game as Thomas dove across the goal line on fourth down . The subsequent extra point was good , and the Hokies cut Tennessee ' s lead to 21 – 7 with 5 : 17 remaining in the first half . Virginia Tech ' s kickoff was returned to the Tennessee 26 - yard line , and the Volunteers ' offense returned to the field . Instead of Peyton Manning , backup quarterback Branndon Stewart came on the field to lead Tennessee . On the second play of the Tennessee drive , Stewart gained 24 yards on a quarterback scramble , giving the Volunteers a first down at the Tennessee 49 - yard line . On the next play , he completed a 27 - yard pass to Kent for another first down . Two plays later , James Stewart broke free for an 18 - yard run that gave Tennessee a first down at the Virginia Tech one - yard line . One play later , Stewart crossed the goal line for Tennessee ' s second touchdown of the quarter . The extra point was good , and Tennessee ' s lead was again 21 points , 28 – 7 , with 3 : 22 remaining in the quarter . The Volunteers ' kickoff was returned to the Tech 22 - yard line , and the Hokies began another drive . On the first play of the drive , however , Maurice DeShazo scrambled for a ten - yard gain but fumbled the ball . The loose ball was recovered by a Tennessee defender , and the Volunteers took over on offense from the Tech 32 - yard line . Branndon Stewart came out onto the field in place of Manning , and completed an eight - yard pass to James Stewart to begin the drive . James Stewart then ran to the 20 - yard line for a first down . On the next play , Tennessee executed a trick play in which James Stewart received the ball via a hand - off , imitating a running play , but threw the ball instead . The pass was caught by James Kendrick for a touchdown , and after the extra point , Tennessee had a 35 – 7 lead with 2 : 08 remaining in the first half . The kickoff was returned to the Tech 27 - yard line , and the Hokies began the final drive of the second quarter . Antonio Freeman caught a six - yard pass from DeShazo , then DeShazo completed a five - yard pass to Shawn Scales . DeShazo completed a four - yard pass , then Ken Oxendine had a seven - yard catch from DeShazo at the Tech 49 - yard line . On the next play , Oxendine caught a short pass that pushed the Hokies to the Tennessee 45 - yard line , then DeShazo threw his first incomplete pass of the drive . The incompletion stopped the clock with 37 seconds remaining , allowing time for DeShazo to complete a 26 - yard pass to Bryan Still on the next play . Now inside the Tennessee red zone , the Hokies continued to move the ball via short passes . Tech gained a first down at the Tennessee six - yard line , and used a timeout to stop the clock in order to have a chance to earn a touchdown before halftime . On a subsequent play , however , Tech committed a five - yard penalty , and Tech head coach Frank Beamer ordered kicker Ryan Williams into the game . Williams ' 27 - yard field goal attempt was good , and Tech cut Tennessee ' s lead to 35 – 10 at the end of the first half . Third quarter . Because Virginia Tech received the ball to begin the game , Tennessee received the ball to begin the second half . Tech ' s kickoff was returned to the Tennessee 13 - yard line , and Peyton Manning returned to the field to lead the Volunteers ' offense . The first play of the second half was an eight - yard run by James Stewart , which was followed by a six - yard run by Stewart for a first down at the Tennessee 27 - yard line . Another Stewart run was followed by two short completions from Manning , and the Volunteers had another first down at the 37 - yard line . Tennessee ' s next play was negated by an offensive pass interference penalty against the Volunteers , who were pushed back to the 22 - yard line by the penalty . Though Manning gained 22 yards with a third - down pass , Tennessee was unable to gain enough yards for a first down and punted . During the kick , Tennessee committed a penalty and had to kick again after the five - yard penalty was assessed . The punt was fair caught at the Tech 25 - yard line , and the Hokies began their first offensive possession of the second half with 10 : 14 remaining in the third quarter . On the first play , DeShazo completed an 18 - yard pass to Still , who gave the Hokies a first down at their 43 - yard line . On the next play , Tech wide receiver Antonio Freeman committed a pass interference penalty , pushing the Hokies back 15 yards . Dwayne Thomas made good the penalty by gaining 16 yards on an option run , which was followed by a 17 - yard pass from DeShazo to Freeman , who kept the Hokies ' drive going with a first down at the Tennessee 39 - yard line . After an incomplete pass , Thomas broke free for a 27 - yard run along the left side of the field , giving Tech a first down at the Tennessee 13 - yard line . Tennessee ' s defense held for three plays , forcing a fourth down . Instead of kicking a field goal , the Hokies attempted to convert the fourth down by running the ball . DeShazo scrambled , broke free of the defense , and crossed the goal line for the first Tech touchdown of the second half . Williams missed the extra point kick , however , and Tech cut Tennessee ' s lead to 35 – 16 with 7 : 03 remaining in the quarter . The kickoff was returned to the Tennessee 17 - yard line , and Tennessee ' s offense began work . The Volunteers were aided by a five - yard offsides penalty against Virginia Tech on the first play of the drive , but the Hokies stopped the Tennessee offense for losses or no gain until Manning threw a 14 - yard pass on third down , pushing Tennessee to the 34 - yard line . After two incomplete passes , Manning scrambled 27 yards for another first down , this time at the Tech 39 - yard line . Once there , however , the Virginia Tech defense stiffened and did not allow another first down during the drive . Tennessee kicker John Becksvoort came into the game , seemingly to attempt a 48 - yard field goal . The kick turned out to be a trick play — an attempted pass by the kick holder — but Hokie defender Mike Williams tackled the holder for a loss . After the failed trick play , the Hokies ' offense started at their 44 - yard line . The first Tech play of the drive was a 15 - yard pass from DeShazo to Still for a first down . A three - yard run by Thomas was followed by a seven - yard reverse by Still for another first down at the Tennessee 29 - yard line . On first down , Thomas pushed the Hokies eight yards forward with a run up the middle . This was followed by two incomplete passes , bringing up fourth down . Again , Tech head coach Frank Beamer elected to try to convert the fourth down rather than kick a field goal . Unlike Tech ' s previous fourth down , however , the try was unsuccessful after DeShazo mishandled the snap and was tackled for a loss . Virginia Tech turned the ball over on downs , and Tennessee ' s offense returned to the game with 1 : 31 remaining in the quarter . The Volunteers started at their 27 - yard line to begin the drive , but went three and out and punted back to the Hokies without gaining a first down . The kick was returned to the Tech 39 - yard line , where the Hokies ' offense started with 31 seconds remaining in the quarter . On the first play of the drive , wide receiver Bryan Still broke away from the Tennessee defense and was wide open for a pass . Maurice DeShazo threw the ball to Still , but Still dropped the pass after it bounced off his chest , thus denying the Hokies a touchdown . Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer later cited the dropped pass as a critical turning point in the game , saying , " I think if he could have made that catch , we could have gotten back in the game . " Tech player Torrian Gray agreed , saying , " When he dropped the ball , that took a lot out of us . " After Still ' s dropped pass , DeShazo threw two incomplete passes and Virginia Tech punted back to Tennessee . The kick was caught by near the Tennessee 10 - yard line , and returned all the way to the Virginia Tech 37 - yard line . At the end of the third quarter , Tennessee still led , 35 – 16 . Fourth quarter . The fourth quarter began with Tennessee in possession of the ball and facing a first - and - 10 at the Virginia Tech 37 - yard line after a long punt return . Stewart ran twice for six yards , then Manning completed a pass to Kent at the 20 - yard line for a first down . Manning then completed a pass to Nash for another first down at the Tech five - yard line . Two plays later , Stewart scored his third touchdown of the game with a five - yard run to the right side of the field . The extra point was good , and with 13 : 17 remaining in the game , Tennessee took a 42 – 16 lead . Bryan Still fielded the Tennessee kickoff and returned it to the 19 - yard line of Virginia Tech . After a short pass , DeShazo threw his second interception of the game . Tennessee defender John Summers returned the catch to the Tech 19 - yard line , and backup quarterback Branndon Stewart returned to the game for Tennessee ' s offense . James Stewart took the first play of the Volunteers ' drive , an eight - yard gain , then backup Jay Graham entered the game and ran to the five - yard line for a first down . After the next play — , a two - yard run by Graham — Tennessee committed a 15 - yard personal foul penalty , pushing the Volunteers back to the 17 - yard line . Branndon Stewart completed a pass to tight end David Horn , pushing Tennessee back to the three - yard line , but not gaining enough for a first down . Tennessee kicker John Becksvoort returned to the game , and his 19 - yard field goal attempt was good , giving the Volunteers a 45 – 16 lead with 9 : 41 to go in the game . Following the kickoff and return , backup Virginia Tech quarterback Jim Druckenmiller entered the game to guide the Hokies ' offense . The first play of the drive , however , was a run by backup running back Ken Oxendine , who gained five yards . Two more runs by Oxendine failed to gain a first down , however , and Virginia Tech punted . Tennessee ' s Sean Summers returned the kick to the Volunteers ' 40 - yard line , and the Volunteers continued trying to run out the clock . Tennessee failed to gain a first down , and the resulting punt rolled into the end zone for a touchback . From the Tech 20 - yard line , Druckenmiller completed a 13 - yard pass to Still for a first down at the Tech 33 - yard line . On the next play , Druckenmiller completed a long pass to tight end Bryan Jennings , who carried the ball 41 yards . Following the play , the Volunteers completed a penalty , advancing the ball to the Tennessee 22 - yard line . Two short runs advanced the Hokies to the 19 - yard line , then Druckenmiller completed a 10 - yard pass to Freeman for a first down . On the next play , Druckenmiller connected with Still for a nine - yard touchdown pass . The extra point was good , and Tennessee ' s lead was cut to 45 – 23 , but with only 4 : 13 remaining in the game , the game seemed out of reach for the Hokies . Virginia Tech ' s kickoff was recovered in the end zone for a touchback , and the Volunteers started at their 20 - yard line . Tennessee resumed running out the clock via short runs up the middle of the field that kept the game clock ticking down . After not gaining a first down , Tennessee punted to the Hokies with less than two minutes remaining in the game . Tech wide receiver Antonio Freeman returned the kick to the Tech 42 - yard line , and on the first play of the Hokie drive , Druckenmiller completed a 17 - yard pass to the Tennessee 41 - yard line . That completion was followed by a nine - yard pass to Jermaine Holmes . After an incomplete pass that almost was intercepted , Druckenmiller threw an incomplete pass before Oxendine failed to gain enough yards for a first down and Tech turned the ball over on downs . With less than a minute remaining , Tennessee ' s offense ran out the remaining seconds on the clock and secured a 45 – 23 victory . Statistical summary . In recognition of their performances during the game , Tennessee ' s James Stewart and Virginia Tech ' s Maurice DeShazo were named the game ' s most valuable player s . Stewart finished the game having carried the ball 22 times for 85 yards and three rushing touchdowns . Stewart also caught one pass for seven yards and threw a touchdown pass for 19 yards . On the other side , DeShazo completed 17 of his 30 passes for 140 yards and two interceptions . He also ran the ball 11 times for 39 yards and a rushing touchdown . Though Stewart was named the most valuable player for the Volunteers , multiple Tennessee players had statistically significant games . Volunteer quarterback Peyton Manning finished the game having completed 12 of his 19 pass attempts for 189 yards , one touchdown , and one interception . Backup Tennessee quarterback Brandon Stewart completed all three of his pass attempts , accumulating 49 yards in the process . Tennessee receiver Joey Kent was the primary beneficiary of the Volunteer passing attack , leading all receivers during the game with six receptions for 116 yards . Tennessee ' s passing touchdowns went to Kendrick Jones , who also had 37 receiving yards and 76 rushing yards ; and Marcus Nash , who caught three passes for 54 yards . Virginia Tech ' s offense , though far less successful than Tennessee ' s , also had some high performers . Running Back Dwayne Thomas finished the game with 19 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown , becoming the game ' s leading rusher in terms of yardage , if not points scored . The Hokies ' leading receiver , Bryan Still , caught five passes for 79 yards and a touchdown . The touchdown pass came from Tech backup quarterback Jim Druckenmiller , who finished the game having completed six of his eight pass attempts for 97 yards and the touchdown . The 68 points scored in the game were a Gator Bowl record at the time , and Tennessee ' s 35 first - half points also were a Gator Bowl record . Kendrick Jones ' 76 - yard run on the first play of the second quarter was the longest in Gator Bowl history at the time . Stewart ' s three touchdowns and the Volunteers ' six touchdowns were Tennessee bowl game records at the time , and the Volunteers also set Tennessee bowl - game records for most points and offensive yardage . Postgame effects . With the win , Tennessee finished the 1994 college football season with an overall record of 8 – 4 . In the final Associated Press poll of the year , the Volunteers were ranked No . 22 . Virginia Tech ' s also took it to a final record of 8 – 4 , and the Hokies fell from their No . 17 spot in the AP poll to being unranked . In the USA Today Coaches ' Poll , Tech dropped to No . 24 . This game was also the final meeting of the Hokies and the Volunteers until the 2009 Chick - fil - A Bowl . Despite their regional proximity to each other , there were numerous failed attempts at scheduling a game between the universities . This was the last appearance of an SEC team in the Gator Bowl until 2011 . Conversely , it was the last Gator Bowl which did " not " feature a team from the ACC for the same period . After this game , the Gator Bowl entered into exclusive tie - in contracts with the ACC and the Big East until 2010 ( with the addition of the Big 12 and Notre Dame from 2006 - 2010 ) .