The 1994 Gator Bowl was an American college football bowl game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Virginia Tech Hokies 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 Tennessee face off against regional rival 17th-ranked Virginia Tech 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. 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.2007 Tennessee football media guide Tennessee Athletics Department, July 19, 2007. Page 166. Accessed February 23, 2008. 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.Virginia Tech Football Past Schedules: 1994-1995 Virginia Tech Athletics Department, Hokiesports.com. Accessed February 23, 2008.
The game kicked off at 8:00 PM. 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.1994 Gator Bowl Virginia Tech Athletics Department, Hokiesports.com. Accessed February 23, 2008.
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.Tennessee Bowl History Tennessee Athletics Department, UTsports.com. Accessed February 23, 2008.
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.Sun-Sentinel staff and wire reports. "Sports in brief", South Florida Sun-Sentinel. March 4, 1993. Page C2. 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.Sun-Sentinel staff. "Jacksonville back in race", South Florida Sun-Sentinel. August 25, 1995. Page C6. The price tag was revised upward—to $121 million—and the city successfully attracted a team.Browning, Michael. "Fantastic finish wins NFL team for Jacksonville", The Miami Herald. December 1, 1993. Page A1. Shortly after Jacksonville was awarded its new franchise—the Jacksonville Jaguars—the final plans were unveiled. The stadium would have additional luxury boxes, expanded seating, and upgraded facilities for teams and fans.Word, Ron. "Gator Bowl to undergo facelift", The Associated Press. The Bradenton Herald. December 1, 1993. Page D1.
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.St. Petersburg Times staff report. "Gator Bowl site in question", St. Petersburg Times. January 5, 1994. Page C5. 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.Dame, Mike. "Gator Bowl moves to Gainesville for one year", South Florida Sun-Sentinel. January 28, 1994. Page C4. 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.Alfonso, Dave. "Proposals in new alliance would pay more to bowls", The Tampa Tribune. June 23, 1994. Page Sports 8.
Team selection Prior to the start of the 1994–95 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.Sandomir, Richard. "Cotton and NBC Left Out in Bowl Shuffle", The New York Times. August 5, 1994. Accessed November 24, 2008. 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.Thomas, Robert Mcg., Jr. "Sugar Bowl Victory: Florida State", The New York Times. November 29, 1994. Accessed November 24, 2008.
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 .Tennessee Sports Information Department. 2008 Tennessee football media guide, "All-Time Scores: 1993" . (PDF p. 174) Page 172. Accessed November 24, 2008. 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.Hyams, Jimmy. "Oddsmakers like Tennessee more than pollsters", Knoxville News-Sentinel. December 22, 1994. Page C1. To make matters worse, Tennessee's two starting quarterbacks suffered season-ending injuries during that four-game span. In the Volunteers' season-opener against UCLA, Jerry Colquitt suffered a knee injury. Backup quarterback Todd Helton was hurt in the fourth game of the season, a loss to Mississippi State.King, Randy. "They meet at last", The Roanoke Times. December 25, 1994. Page C1. 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.Sharp, Tom. "Vols face fired-up Hokies in Gator", The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal. December 16, 1994. Page D3.
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 seven 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 Vanderbilt.Tennessee Sports Information Department. 2008 Tennessee football media guide, "All-Time Scores: 1994" . (PDF p. 174) Page 172. Accessed November 24, 2008. 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.Staff report. "Fulmer has contract extended through 1999", Knoxville News-Sentinel. December 27, 1994. Page C2.
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,Virginia Tech Athletics Communications Department. "Virginia Tech Past Football Schedules: 1993-1994" , Hokiesports.com. Accessed November 24, 2008. 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 Syracuse Orange. 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.Virginia Tech Athletics Communications Department. 2008 Virginia Tech football media guide, "The Last Time..." . (PDF p. 18) Page 172. Accessed November 24, 2008. 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 Virginia. The Hokies concluded the regular season with an 8–4 record overall and a 5–2 record in the Big East.Virginia Tech Athletics Communications Department. "Virginia Tech Past Football Schedules: 1994-1995", Hokiesports.com. Accessed November 25, 2008. Ironically, despite their season-ending loss to Virginia, the Hokies were awarded an invitation to the Gator Bowl over the Cavaliers, who lost to North Carolina State 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.Bogaczyk, Jack. "UVA's loss made Tech a winner", The Roanoke Times. December 2, 1994. Page B6.
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.Venable, Sam. "Some Gator fans will sit among mixed allegiances", Knoxville News-Sentinel. December 9, 1994. Page A2. 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.The Associated Press. "In Washington County, a political football", The Richmond Times-Dispatch. December 18, 1994. Page D10. 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.Strange, Mike. "Hokies hand Vols 73–64 setback", Knoxville News-Sentinel. December 29, 1994. Page C1. In exchange for participating in the game, each team received $1.5 million from the Gator Bowl Association.Bogaczyk, Jack and King, Randy. "Hokies hit pay dirt financially", Roanoke Times. December 29, 1994. Page B2.