ORLANDO BECOMES PEYTON'S PLACE : MANNING PASSES FOR 4 TOUCHDOWNS, RUNS FOR ANOTHER.

Byline: Jerry Greene Orlando Sentinel 

Everyone agreed the 51st Florida Citrus Bowl would be more than ``The Peyton Manning Show,'' and, of course, that was true.

But not by much.

The phenomenal quarterback threw for 408 yards and accounted for five touchdowns to lead Tennessee over Northwestern 48-28 Wednesday before 63,467 sunning spectators and a national TV audience.

How good was Manning, who completed 27 of 39 passes, including four touchdown throws and also scored once on a run for Tennessee (10-2)?

``If he made any bad throws, I didn't see them,'' Northwestern strong safety Eric Collier said. ``He won today.''

Manning and Tennessee's team speed were the differences that accounted for the Vols jumping out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.

``The story of the game was that we couldn't match their speed,'' Northwestern coach Gary Barnett said, unwilling to concede his team was beaten by one man. ``They were obviously ready to play and we weren't.''

The Wildcats (9-3) apparently left a wake-up call for the second quarter. With the aid of a sudden outbreak of penalties by the Vols (who finished with 13 penalties called for 112 yards), Northwestern tied at 21 - for two plays.

Manning threw over the middle to Joey Kent, who got by sophomore cornerback Gerald Conoway, then raced to a 67-yard touchdown and 28-21 lead.

``It was our best offensive game by far,'' Manning said. ``We had a good feeling that we were going to put up some big numbers.''

If the Wildcats weren't beaten by halftime, they may have been at the start of the second half. They were trailing just 31-21 when Tennessee linebacker Tyrone Hines stole a pass by Northwestern quarterback Steve Schnur and skipped 30 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 38-21.

Barnett: ``That interception took the wind out of our sails. There was plenty of time but just looking at the body language of our kids . . . I was disappointed with that.''

Tennessee, No. 9 nationally and bound to move up, has consecutive Citrus Bowl victories, having beaten Ohio State 20-14 last year. But this game was entirely different as the Vols came out attacking with pass after pass.

Manning had two prime targets in Kent (five catches, 122 yards, two touchdowns) and Peerless Price (six catches, 110 yards, 1 touchdown).

Price scored first on the first play of the opening drive on a perfect 43-yard pass. A twice-deflected intercepted Wildcats pass set up a 10-yard scoring run by Manning, who soon after gave Kent his first taste on an 11-yard scoring pass for the 21-0 lead with two minutes left in the first period.

``I think Peyton threw for about 4,000 yards today,'' Vols coach Phillip Fulmer said happily. ``To have back-to-back 10-win seasons is a great accomplishment.''

Northwestern, ranked 11th nationally, has lost back-to-back bowls in convincing fashion. The Wildcats were beaten in last year's Rose Bowl by USC 41-32, so they have given up 89 points in the school's first bowl games since 1949.

The Wildcats, known this year for six comeback victories, tried to rally in the second period. Darnell Autry, playing despite a 100-degree fever caused by the flu, scored on runs of 2 and 28 yards, with a 20-yard scoring pass from Schnur to Brian Musso sandwiched between.

But then came Kent's catch-and-run touchdown, plus one of two field goals by Jeff Hall to put Tennessee back on top by 10.

Florida Citrus Bowl

Tennessee 48, Northwestern 28

Hero: Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning, in perhaps his last college game, threw for 408 yards and four touchdowns.

Goat: The Northwestern defense, which has allowed 89 points and 923 yards in two bowl games, including the Rose Bowl loss to USC last year.

Of note: Northwestern tailback Darnell Autry gained 66 yards despite a 101-degree fever. ``He probably shouldn't have played,'' Wildcats coach Gary Barnett said.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box

Photo: (1) Northwestern's Brian Musso looks on in vain as the ball bounces away after he fumbled in the third quarter at the Citrus Bowl.

Jim Prisching / Chicago Tribune 

(2) Tennessee's Al Wilson (27) leaps on the back of teammate Tyrone Hines after Hines intercepted a pass and returned it for a TD.

Associated Press 

Box: FLORIDA CITRUS BOWL (see text)