The 1997 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee as a member of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Phillip Fulmer, the Volunteers compiled an overall record of 11âÂÂ2 with a mark of 7âÂÂ1, winning the SEC's Eastern Division title. Tennessee advanced to the SEC Championship Game, where the Volunteers defeated Auburn to capture the conference championship. Tennessee was then invited to the Orange Bowl, which served as the Bowl Alliance's national title game. There the Volunteers lost to Nebraska. The team played home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Quarterback Peyton Manning had already completed his degree in three years and had been projected to be the top overall pick in the 1997 NFL draft, but he returned to Tennessee for his senior year. The Volunteers opened the season with victories against Texas Tech and UCLA, but for the third time in his career, Manning fell to Florida, 33âÂÂ20. The Vols won the rest of their regular season games, finishing 10âÂÂ1, and advanced to the SEC Championship Game against Auburn. Down 20âÂÂ7, Manning led the Vols to a 30âÂÂ29 victory. Throwing for four touchdowns, he was named the game's MVP but injured himself in the process. The No. 3 Vols were matched up with No. 2 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Had Tennessee won and top-ranked Michigan lost against Washington State in the Rose Bowl, the Vols would have been expected to win the national championship. However, the Vols' defense could not stop Nebraska's rushing attack, giving up more than 400 yards on the ground in a 42âÂÂ17 loss. As a senior, Manning won numerous awards He was a consensus first-team All-American and won the Maxwell Award, the Davey O'Brien Award, the Johnny Unitas Award, and the Best College Football Player ESPY Award, among others. However, he did not win the Heisman Trophy, finishing runner-up to Charles Woodson, a cornerback for Michigan and one of only two defensive players ever to win the award (the other being Travis Hunter in 2024).
Peyton Manning threw for a school-record 523 yards and tied the school-record with 5 passing touchdowns in this high-scoring win over Kentucky. The single-game TD record fell in 2007 and the single-game yardage record stood until 2012. In all, Manning and Kentucky QB Tim Couch combined for 999 passing yards (Couch threw for a then-school-record 476 yards).
The Vols struck first just over two minutes into the game, but found themselves trailing 20âÂÂ7 only 48 seconds into the second quarter. Despite six turnovers, Tennessee clawed all the way back. Peyton Manning threw for 373 yards and 4 TD, including a game winning 73-yard touchdown to Marcus Nash.
Tennessee had eight players selected in the 1998 NFL Draft.