 Strong safety Ray Austin, who had been named most valuable player in the Volunteers' loss to Penn State during the 1993 Citrus Bowl, had 50 tackles—second-best among Tennessee defensive backs—two fumble recoveries, a sack, and two tackles for loss despite playing in only six games.The Volunteers' defense also featured a cornerback named Tony Edge, a player from Virginia's Phoebus High School who had been heavily recruited by both Virginia Tech and Tennessee.Edge suffered a dislocated shoulder in the Volunteers' last regular-season game, but pledged he would play against the Hokies despite doctors' disapproval.