COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Tennessee’s 30-0 Victory Takes the Cake : Volunteers Rout Vanderbilt on Way to the Sugar Bowl

The “Sugar Bowl” chant began early here Saturday as 10th-ranked Tennessee romped to a 30-0 victory over Vanderbilt to clinch its first Southeastern Conference title since 1969.

“I believe this is the most special and unusual championship team I’ve ever been around,” said Tennessee Coach Johnny Majors, relishing a victory cigar.

“I’ve never seen a team so stingy with their mistakes and so aggressive with their opportunities,” Majors said of his 8-1-2 squad.

Tennessee and Florida each finished with 5-1 records in the SEC, but Tennessee was named sole champion because Florida is on NCAA probation for recruiting violations. The Gators handed the Volunteers their only SEC loss, 17-10, last month.

After the game, Sugar Bowl officials officially extended the Volunteers an invitation to meet fourth-ranked Miami at New Orleans on New Year’s Day.

Thousands of a Neyland Stadium-record 97,372 fans poured onto the field as the game ended, pulling down both goal posts as Tennessee’s band played “Rocky Top,” the Volunteers’ fight song.

“My feeling when the clock ran off was that all that work paid off,” said receiver Eric Swanson, who caught touchdown passes of 43 and 24 yards from quarterback Daryl Dickey in the Volunteers’ 27-point first half.

Dickey, who threw for 299 yards, also connected with Tim McGee for a five-yard touchdown.

McGee grabbed seven passes for 79 yards and moved past Larry Seivers to become Tennessee’s all-time leading receiver with 123 catches.

Dickey, a senior who replaced the injured Tony Robinson in the middle of the season, completed 22 of 32 passes and set a Tennessee record with 105 consecutive attempts without an interception.

Keith Davis led Tennessee in rushing with 12 carries for 73 yards.

Placekicker Carlos Reveiz contributed field goals of 23, 29, and 24 yards and three extra points, also setting a school record by finishing with 102 points this season, surpassing the mark of 101 set by his brother, Fuad, in 1982.

Vanderbilt quarterback John Gromos completed 12 of 26 passes for 127 yards, and Carl Woods had 127 yards in 16 carries for the Commodores.

Vanderbilt finished its season with a 3-7-1 mark, 1-4-1 in the SEC.