35-7 vs. No. 2 Miami – Jan. 1, 1986, Sugar Bowl
To many, Tennessee was just the team that Miami was going to beat to make their claim for the 1985 national championship.
The Hurricanes entered the 1986 Sugar Bowl game No. 2 in the country with one loss and a pair of top-10 wins against Florida State and Oklahoma.
Maybe Miami was feeding off what the pollsters thought, that Tennessee wasn’t a worthy opponent, that they were just the punching bag in the way to give the Hurricanes enough style points to be named No. 1 in the coming days.
That mindset was on display at the midfield coin toss as Miami players opted to look the other way instead of partaking in the ceremonial pre-game handshake.
If that’s what Jimmy Johnson’s Miami team thought, Johnny Majors and Tennessee made them pay.
Miami actually jumped out first with a Vinny Testaverde touchdown pass to Michael Irvin to give the Hurricanes a 7-0 lead on their first series.
The Hurricanes wouldn’t score again.
Jeff Powell scored from six yards out early in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7, and Tennessee quarterback Daryl Dickey put together another scoring drive, this one capped off by a Powell fumble in the endzone that was fallen on by Tim McGee to put the Vols up 14-7.
From there, Tennessee wouldn’t look back.
Powell put the exclamation mark on the Vols’ statement win with a 60-yard run to stretch the lead to 28-7. Tennessee scored one more time to dash Miami’s national title hopes with a 35-7 win.
The 1985 Vols are lovingly known as the “Sugar Vols” because of that victory, and it was the perfect ending to the first of three SEC championship seasons for Majors at Tennessee.
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..r.jones…nash.tenn..met coach majors at the Tenn coaches camp and always supported him as coach and the Ut.teams in the 1980s and 1990s..I always thought he was a players coach and the legend coach at tenn. Football..that Tennessee needed as a great player and coach…quick..i saw the 85 sugar bowl.inorleans..it was an emotional game and win…I saw the 1990 cotton bowl in dallas.and it was a great game and team win…that was Johnny Majors.best day as a Tennessee vol.ever..I. ‘ll not forget that great game..the day we vols.took over Texas with a win..go vols..randy Jones nash.tn.