Vols receiver makes Seminoles pay the Price

Vols receiver makes Seminoles pay the Price

By Dennis Dodd SportsLine Senior Writer
Jan. 4, 1999

(TEMPE, Ariz.) -- -- In the heat of the moment, sometimes it's good to let your true feelings out.

That's what Tennessee receiver Peerless Price did Monday night in the aftermath of the Vols' 23-16 victory over Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl. Price clearly was the player of the game after catching four passes for 199 yards and a touchdown.

But what he did afterward will be remembered more by Florida State fans. After taking the awards stand, Price mimicked the Seminole Tomahawk Chop and followed it up by pretending to slit his throat with his index finger. Certainly not classy, but who can blame him?

Price, a senior who caught 61 passes, almost quit the squad a couple of years ago after a debilitating ankle injury. He returned only to play behind future NFL draft choice Marcus Nash. On Monday, he became another star in the pantheon of great Tennessee receivers that includes Nash, Carl Pickens, Alvin Harper and Joey Kent.

IT WAS PRICE WHO BROKE THE GAME open with a 76-yard catch in the first quarter to set up Tennessee's first touchdown. His 79-yard TD reception in the fourth quarter made it 20-9. The two pass plays were the longest of the season for Tennessee.

"The DBs were sitting on our routes," Price said of his first long reception. "We felt like we could get them on a stop-and-go play. Tee (Martin) just threw it out there. I feel kind of bad because the (defensive back) caught me."

Price victimized Florida State cornerback Mario Edwards twice. The one thing the FSU defense is known for is its speed, but Tennessee was able to match it Monday to win its first national championship since 1951.

"Did Price catch both those long ones?" FSU coach Bobby Bowden said. "(Martin's) ability to get the ball to Price was maybe the difference in the game. If he couldn't have gotten the ball to Peerless -- like we had a hard time getting the ball to Peter Warrick -- it would have been different."

Peerless
Price

Who showed up? Peerless Price and the Volunteers did. (AP)

Price said he didn't feel like he was playing against Florida State's All- American, but once again it showed in his postgame reaction.

"Who showed up?" Price asked.

WARRICK CAUGHT ONE BALL for seven yards. He actually had more yards rushing (11). Price scorched Florida State for the most receiving yards ever against the Seminoles. His 49.7 yards per catch rank second in NCAA bowl history.

"Nobody believed but us," Price said. "I bet you all (fans) didn't even believe in us. It feels so good."

Price's gestures on the podium weren't exactly Arthur Lee stuff. Lee, the Stanford point guard, put his hands to his throat indicating a choke when a Rhode Island player missed a free throw in last year's NCAA basketball tournament.

"Peerless used his strength at the end to pull away from Edwards," Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer said. "They caught him the first time on the long one. He wasn't going to get caught again. I've never seen anybody catch Peerless from behind.

"Great throw, great catch. That's the reason that he'll be a good one on Sunday someday."

Just like great Tennessee receivers of the past.

Notes

Bowden is now 16-5-1 in career bowl games. He had been 14-1-1 in his last 16.

Tennessee completed its first perfect season since 1938.

Tennessee's 22 bowl victories rank third nationally behind Alabama (28) and USC (25).

The teams last met in 1958.

Side judge Colin McDermott was replaced in the second half after rupturing a tendon in his right calf.

Florida State's 12 penalties shouldn't be surprising. The 'Noles led the ACC with 87 penalty yards per game. The 12 flags tied a Fiesta Bowl record.

Dennis Dodd is a senior writer in SportsLine's Kansas City bureau.