1990 Tennessee Volunteers football team

1990 Tennessee Volunteers football
SEC champion Sugar Bowl champion
Sugar Bowl, W 23–22 vs. Virginia
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 7
AP	No. 8
Record	9–2–2 (5–1–1 SEC)
Head coach	Johnny Majors (14th season)
Offensive coordinator	Phillip Fulmer (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Larry Lacewell (1st season)
Captain	Tony Thompson
Home stadium	Neyland Stadium
Seasons ← 1989 1991 →

1990 Southeastern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 13 Florida ^*	6	–	1	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
No. 8 Tennessee $	5	–	1	–	1			9	–	2	–	2
No. 21 Ole Miss	5	–	2	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
Alabama	5	–	2	–	0			7	–	5	–	0
No. 19 Auburn	4	–	2	–	1			8	–	3	–	1
Kentucky	3	–	4	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
LSU	2	–	5	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Georgia	2	–	5	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Mississippi State	1	–	6	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Vanderbilt	1	–	6	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
$ – Conference champion ^* Florida ineligible for SEC championship due to NCAA probation. Rankings from AP Poll

The 1990 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. Playing as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the team was led by head coach Johnny Majors, in his 14th year, and played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. They finished the season with a record of nine wins, two losses, and two ties (9–2–2 overall, 5–1–1 in the SEC). Although the Volunteers finished second in standings, Florida was ruled ineligible on NCAA probation, and Tennessee was awarded the SEC Championship and the conference's Sugar Bowl bid, which they used to defeat Virginia. The Volunteers offense scored 465 points while the defense allowed 220 points.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
August 26	3:00 p.m.	vs. No. 5 Colorado*	No. 8	Anaheim Stadium Anaheim, CA (Pigskin Classic)	NBC	T 31–31	33,458	[1]
September 1	4:00 p.m.	Pacific (CA)*	No. 8	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	PPV	W 55–7	94,467	[2]
September 8	12:30 p.m.	at Mississippi State	No. 8	Scott Field Starkville, MS	TBS	W 40–7	32,114	[3]
September 15	1:00 p.m.	UTEP*	No. 7	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN		W 56–0	95,203	[4]
September 29	7:30 p.m.	at No. 3 Auburn	No. 5	Jordan-Hare Stadium Auburn, AL	ESPN	T 26–26	85,214	[5]
October 13	7:30 p.m.	No. 9 Florida	No. 5	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	ESPN	W 45–3	96,874	[6]
October 20	4:00 p.m.	Alabama	No. 3	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (Third Saturday in October)	ESPN	L 6–9	96,732	[7]
November 3	1:00 p.m.	Temple*	No. 11	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	PPV	W 41–20	93,898	[8]
November 10	2:30 p.m.	No. 1 Notre Dame*	No. 9	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	CBS	L 29–34	97,123	[9]
November 17	3:30 p.m.	vs. No. 15 Ole Miss	No. 14	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN (rivalry)	CBS	W 22–13	66,467	[10]
November 24	1:30 p.m.	Kentucky	No. 14	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	TBS	W 42–28	92,243	[11]
December 1	2:30 p.m.	at Vanderbilt	No. 12	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN (rivalry)	PPV	W 49–20	41,492	[12]
January 1	8:30 p.m.	vs. Virginia*	No. 10	Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl)	ABC	W 23–22	75,132	[13]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

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Game summaries

vs. Colorado

No. 5 Colorado vs. No. 8 Tennessee

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Buffaloes	0	10	7	14	31
Volunteers	7	3	0	21	31

• Date: August 26
• Location: Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, CA
• Game start: 12:05 p.m.
• Elapsed time: 3:43
• Game attendance: 33,458
• Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), clear, Wind SW 8–10 mph (13–16 km/h)
• Referee: James Sprenger
• TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bill Walsh

      

Scoring summary

Q1	7:52	TENN	Chuck Webb 4-yard run (Burke kick)	TENN 7–0
Q2	9:55	COL	George Hemmingway 1-yard run (Harper kick)	Tied 7–7
	8:09	COL	Jim Harper 35-yard field goal	COL 10–7
	2:54	TENN	Greg Burke 47-yard field goal	Tied 10–10
Q3	10:49	COL	Mike Pritchard 55-yard run (Harper kick)	Tied 17–10
Q4	9:34	COL	Dave McCloughan 55-yard punt return (Harper kick)	COL 24–10
	8:53	TENN	Alvin Harper 24-yard pass from Andy Kelly (Burke kick)	COL 24–17
	7:11	COL	Mike Pritchard 78-yard run (Harper kick)	COL 31–17
	5:36	TENN	Carl Pickens 14-yard pass from Andy Kelly (Burke kick)	COL 31–24
	2:25	TENN	Chuck Webb 4-yard run (Burke kick)	Tied 31-31

See also: 1990 Colorado Buffaloes football team and Pigskin Classic

Personnel

1990 Tennessee Volunteers football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB Andy Kelly WR Carl Pickens	Defense Pos. # Name Class	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K Greg Burke P Joey Chapman	Head coach Johnny Majors Coordinators/assistant coaches Phillip Fulmer – Offensive coordinator/offensive line David Cutcliffe – Quarterbacks Tommy West – Running backs Charlie Coe – Wide receivers Jack Sells – Tight ends Larry Lacewell – Defensive coordinator Rex Norris – Defensive line John Chavis – Linebackers Tim Keane – Defensive backs Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt

Team players drafted into the NFL

Player	Position	Round	Pick	NFL club
Charles McRae	Tackle	1	7	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Antone Davis	Tackle	1	8	Philadelphia Eagles
Alvin Harper	Wide Receiver	1	12	Dallas Cowboys
Chuck Webb	Running Back	3	81	Green Bay Packers
Harlan Davis	Wide Receiver	5	128	Seattle Seahawks
Anthony Morgan	Wide Receiver	5	134	Chicago Bears
Greg Amsler	Running Back	8	198	Phoenix Cardinals
Roland Poles	Running Back	10	254	San Diego Chargers
Vince Moore	Wide Receiver	11	279	New England Patriots

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References

1. Thomas, Jim (August 27, 1990). "Vols tie up Buffs". News Chronicle. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Vols show UOP no mercy". The Modesto Bee. September 2, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Vols destroy Bulldogs 40–7". Bristol Herald Courier. September 9, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Tennessee manhandles UTEP, 56–0". The El Paso Times. September 16, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Auburn's late rally Tennessee's missed kick produce tie". The Kansas City Star. September 30, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Volunteers explode past Gators, 45–3". The Greenville News. October 14, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Crimson Tide does it again". Johnson City Press. October 21, 1990. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Tennessee routs Temple; Baker leaves with injury". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 4, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Notre Dame, Watters in flow". Chicago Tribune. November 11, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Patient Vols wear down Rebs". The Commercial Appeal. November 18, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Vols top Kentucky". Johnson City Press. November 25, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Vols rally for victory, SEC crown". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. December 2, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Cavaliers fade down stretch". The Roanoke Times & World-News. January 2, 1991. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "1990 Tennessee Volunteers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
15. "McRae Honored by Clinton High". University of Tennessee Athletics. October 28, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
16. Pickard, Colton (April 21, 2024). "Every Tennessee football top-ten NFL Draft pick". All for Tennessee. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
17. "1991 NFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 19, 2012.