MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. − Tennessee's best season in more than 20 years ended fittingly with a 31-14 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl on Friday.
Quarterback Joe Milton tossed touchdown passes to three different receivers to earn MVP honors.
Linebacker Aaron Beasley had 12 tackles, a career-high four tackle-for-loss, and two sacks to lead a defense that bent but didn't break. Defensive end Byron Young made two timely sacks in his final Tennessee game before heading to the NFL. Wesley Walker and Tamarion McDonald made interceptions in the fourth quarter to seal it.
It was the Vols’ best bowl win since the 1998 national title game when No. 1 Tennessee beat No. 2 Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl.
This victory didn’t reach that height. But it wasn’t far off, as No. 6 Tennessee (11-2) beat No. 7 Clemson (11-3) in a top-10 matchup in a New Year’s Six Bowl.
The Vols reached 11 victories for the first time since 2001 after earning 10 regular-season wins for the first time since 2003. And it's only coach Josh Heupel's second season.
Here are four observations from Tennessee’s win amid a crowd of 63,912 at Hard Rock Stadium.
Joe Milton made quite an impression
Milton was steady and productive in his audition for the starting quarterback job in 2023, his final season of eligibility.