Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers cruised to an Orange Bowl title on Friday night, defeating the Clemson Tigers 31-14 in front of over 63,000 fans at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

They also made some history in the process, becoming the first program since 2001 to cap off an 11-win season with a Bowl title.

“Again, our brand is out in front of everybody. I think we've beaten three out of the last four national champions during the course of this season. 11-win season, which hasn't been done since 2001,” Heupel said after the game, via GoVols247. “There's so many positive things, so much momentum inside of our program that the entire country, our players, our fan base, recruits, can see the trajectory of where Tennessee is and where it's going. Tonight is a big night.”

It was another statement game for the Volunteers, who put on a show even without multiple starters, including Hendon Hooker, Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman. The team will finish the season with a record of 11-2, while proving they can win games without their top stars.

“It continues to put our brand, the style of football, and it's a legacy moment for the guys that are here that are graduating, but it's a springboard for us moving forward.”

The Vols played excellently on the defensive side of the ball on Friday night, forcing Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik to throw a pair of interceptions while getting a handful of key stops in their own territory.

It was another big win over a top program, and Tennessee has been doing that all year, after defeating Alabama, LSU and Florida earlier this year. Heupel stressed the importance of Bowl games, ignoring the idea that postseason games outside of the College Football Playoff don't matter.

“Man, bowl games matter,” Heupel said. “You watch them every single day, you can see the energy, effort, strain, the excitement, the disappointment on the other side. They matter. It doesn't mean that everybody has everybody for the ballgame. That's just the nature of where we're at during the course of bowl season.”

It was a huge win to cap off a huge season for Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers.