WATCH: Josh Heupel reacts to Tennessee's Orange Bowl victory over Clemson
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel liked his team’s defensive effort in the first half of Friday’s Orange Bowl against Clemson, and that dominance continued into the second half of the Volunteers’ 31-14 victory. Afterward, though, the coach made sure to give credit to his offense.
After serving as the backup for most of this season, Joe Milton jumped back under center in place of the injured Hendon Hooker — who was on the sideline for the game — and had an impressive showing. He completed 19 of 28 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Vols’ offensive attack. Squirrel White was the top receiver, hauling in nine receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown.
Milton’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed as he won Orange Bowl MVP.
“A great testament in today’s world of college football with the transfer portal,” Heupel told ESPN’s Katie George. “A guy recognizing there’s improvement he needs to make. He’s around coaches and the players that love him and he can continue to progress. Did a lot of really good things tonight. I’m so happy for him.
“It was awesome to have Hendon here. His legacy here is nothing short of being a champion. We’re not here without him. Absolutely love Hendon and this football team.”
Tennessee’s defense rose to the occasion in the Orange Bowl
The Clemson offense was stymied for much of the night as the Tigers didn’t score a touchdown until the 10:01 mark of the fourth quarter when quarterback Cade Klubnik took a four-yard rush to the end zone. Clemson’s only other points came on two field goals from B.T. Potter, who missed his first three attempts of the game.
Klubnik finished his night with 320 yards on 30 of 54 passing as the Tennessee defense delivered a huge performance, including two Klubnik interceptions. Aaron Beasley led the way 11 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks to help anchor that unit while Solon Page came in right behind him with 10 tackles of his own.
Heupel also gave Beasley credit for his performance and said he’s just getting started.
“His best football’s still ahead of him, man,” Heupel said. “That guy just continues to keep growing inside of what we’re doing defensively. Daily habits, attention to the details. He was dominant tonight. Absolutely great performance by our defense all night long.”
Josh Heupel on the program’s future: ‘The best is yet to come’
It was quite a way to cap an impressive second year of Heupel’s tenure. Tennessee ends 2022 with an 11-2 record — its most wins since 2001 — and now will look ahead to some young talent coming in next year. The Volunteers brought in the No. 12 recruiting class in the nation this year, according to the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings, headlined by five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava. He’s likely to compete with Milton for the starting job in 2023.
It’s a far cry from what it was when Heupel took over the program following the firing of Jeremy Pruitt. He noted everything his players have been through during their time in Knoxville and said this is only the beginning.
“All the adversity this group has faced during their careers, what they’ve done in the last 23 months, couldn’t be prouder of a group of individuals,” Heupel said. “These players, our staff, Vol Nation, everybody’s been along for the journey, man. It’s been a fun climb. The best is yet to come, but really proud of what we did.”