[2][3] The Falcons were in their first Sugar Bowl under thirteenth-year head coach Ben Martin; he had a 68–57–7 record and brought Air Force into national prominence, ranked in the AP Poll for the second time in school history.
Tennessee was under the leadership of 29-year old rookie coach Bill Battle, a member of the national champion 1961 Alabama Crimson Tide.
The Vols rolled over Alabama 24–0 at Knoxville in October (the Vols' last win vs. the Crimson Tide until 1982) and gained revenge for a 38–0 loss in 1969 to Ole Miss in November, but an early loss to Auburn in Birmingham wound up costing Tennessee a tie for the Southeastern Conference championship, which instead went outright to LSU when the Tigers defeated the Rebels 61-17 in their regular season finale.
The Volunteers, not fooled by Air Force's eight-man line, drove 59 yards in 2 minutes and 45 seconds and culminated with a Don McLeary touchdown.
Air Force did later score in the quarter, happening on a fumble recovery by Darryl Hass in the endzone on a bad snap while the Vols were in their own territory.