NASHVILLE, TN – The 2025 Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl will feature Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Volunteers taking on Bret Bielema’s Illinois Fighting Illini from Nashville, TN, on Tuesday night. The game will be played inside the Tennessee Titans’ Nissan Stadium.
After both teams finished the season with 8-4 records, each was selected from its respective conference to play in the Music City Bowl. For Tennessee, it’ll be a home-state game with the Volunteers possessing a huge section of the fanbase in the midstate.
While opt-outs and portal departures are common in today’s day and age, both Tennessee and Illinois will have their starting quarterbacks back at the helm for the game. Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar will be the returning signal caller for the Vols and Luke Altmyer will lead the Illini’s offense. Predictions have suggested that this could be a high-scoring game, and these quarterbacks are two big reasons why.
Tennessee (8-4, 4-4 SEC) Season Results:
- Game 1: No. 24 Tennessee (45) vs Syracuse (26) – W [Atlanta]
- Game 2: East Tennessee State (17) at No. 22 Tennessee (72) – W
- Game 3: No. 6 Georgia (44) at No. 15 Tennessee (41) OT – L
- Game 4: UAB (24) at No. 15 Tennessee (56) – W
- Game 5: No. 15 Tennessee (41) at Mississippi State (34) OT – W
- Game 6: Arkansas (31) at No. 12 Tennessee (34) – W
- Game 7: No. 11 Tennessee (20) at No. 6 Alabama (34) – L
- Game 8: No. 17 Tennessee (56) at Kentucky (34) – W
- Game 9: No. 18 Oklahoma (33) at No. 14 Tennessee (27) – L
- Game 10: New Mexico State (9) at No. 23 Tennessee (42) – W
- Game 11: No. 21 Tennessee (31) at Florida (11) – W
- Game 12: No. 14 Vanderbilt (45) at No. 19 Tennessee (24) – L
CURRENT SCORE: FINAL – Tennessee 28, Illinois 30 – **UPDATES PAUSED DUE TO PRESS CONFERENCE SETUP. FOLLOW @ROCKYTOPINSIDER ON X FOR LIVE UPDATES***
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More from RTI: Tennessee Football at Florida – Game Day Availability Report
Pregame
Tennessee wins the toss, will kick to start the game.
Tennessee captains: TE Miles Kitselman, DL Dominic Bailey, DB William Wright, DB Jalen McMurray, QB Joey Aguilar
FIRST QUARTER
Illinois Drive 1: Turnover on Downs – UT 0, UI 0
- Tennessee’s defense comes up with a stop on 4th and 7 from the UT 33-yard line. Tre Poteat in coverage.
- 8 plays, 42 yards – TOP: 3:45
Tennessee Drive 1: TOUCHDOWN TENNESSEE – UT 7, UI 0
- Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar scrambles for the 7-yard touchdown run. DeSean Bishop and Braylon Staley helped Tennessee march down the field. Clean, efficient drive from the Vols.
- 11 plays, 67 yards – TOP: 4:59
Illinois Drive 2: Touchdown Illinois – UT 7, UI 7
- Illinois picks up an 18-yard touchdown through the air. Fighting Illini’s passing game is dismantling the Vols’ secondary right now.
- 9 plays, 75 yards – TOP: 5:40
-END OF THE FIRST QUARTER: Tennessee 7, Illinois 7
Tennessee Drive 2: Three-and-Out – UT 7, UI 7
- Tennessee simply couldn’t get anything going
- 3 plays, 6 yards – TOP: 0:48
Illinois Drive 3: Turnover on Downs – UT 7, UI 7
- Illinois once again drives down the field, but Tennessee comes up with another fourth down stop in its own territory. Huge swing for the Vols.
- 9 plays, 42 yards – TOP: 5:44
Tennessee Drive 3: Missed Field Goal – UT 7, UI 7
- Tennessee gets down the field, but Max Gilbert’s 39-yard try goes wide right.
- 12 plays, 50 yards – TOP: 5:31
Illinois Drive 4: Field Goal GOOD – UI 10, UT 7
- Illinois marches down the field, Tennessee forces a fourth down in the red zone. Illini kick a 30-yarder to take the lead.
- 12 plays, 67 yards – TOP: 3:07
Tennessee Drive 4: End of Half
- 2 plays, 4 yards – TOP: 0:21
-HALFTIME IN NASHVILLE: Illinois 10, Tennessee 7-
Tennessee Drive 5: Punt – UI 10, UT 7
- Tennessee gets a great run from Bishop on first down, but can’t get anything going afterwards.
- 4 plays, 17 yards – TOP: 1:46
Illinois Drive 5: Punt – UI 10, UT 7
- Tennessee’s defense holds strong on Illinois’ first drive out of halftime.
- 5 plays, 20 yards – TOP: 1:16
Tennessee Drive 6: TOUCHDOWN ILLINOIS – SCOOP N’ SCORE – UI 17, UT 7
- Joey Aguilar gets sacked and slung to the ground, where he loses the football. Ball bounces into the endzone and Illinois recovers for six.
- 1 play, -20 yards – TOP: 0:10
Tennessee Drive 7: TOUCHDOWN TENNESSEE – UI 17, UT 14
- Tennessee RB DeSean Bishop punches in the touchdown on 4th and goal from the three-yard line.
- 9 plays, 75 yards – TOP: 4:17
Illinois Drive 6: TOUCHDOWN ILLINOIS – UI 24, UT 14
- Quarterback Luke Altmyer takes the ball in for six from two yards out. Illini extend the lead back to 10.
- 8 plays, 68 yards – TOP: 4:44
-END OF THE THIRD QUARTER: Illinois 24, Tennessee 14-
Tennessee Drive 8: TOUCHDOWN TENNESSEE – UI 24, UT 21
- DeSean Bishop caps off a much-needed long scoring drive with a 12 yard rushing touchdown
- 14 plays, 79 yards – TOP: 5:52
Illinois Drive 7: Field Goal Good – UI 27, UT 21
- Illinois drives down the field, but Tennessee’s defense doesn’t break. Illini settle for a field goal.
- 12 plays, 65 yards – TOP: 6:26
Tennessee Drive 9: TOUCHDOWN TENNESSEE – KICKOFF RETURN – UT 28, UI 27
- Tennessee freshman Joakim Dodson takes the kickoff 94 yards to the house. Unbelievable turn of events.
- Kickoff Return
Illinois Drive 8: *In Progress*
