The 2025 Music City Bowl features the 8-4 Tennessee Volunteers and the 8-4 Illinois Fighting Illini. Here is the 2025 Music City Bowl Preview.
Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee won eight games this season to qualify for their fifth-straight bowl game. They did not defeat a bowl-eligible team this season. All four of their losses were to teams that made bowl games: Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt.
The Volunteers score 40.8 points per game, ranking sixth in the country. They pass for 307.2 yards (ranked fifth) and rush for 174.8 yards (ranked 50th) per game.
Joey Aguilar transferred in from UCLA to play quarterback for Tennessee this season. He has passed for 3,444 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 66.8 percent completion. Five players had at least 250 receiving yards on the season. Chris Brazzell leads the team in receiving, but he is opting out of this game. Braylon Staley is the best remaining receiver after catching 64 passes for 806 yards and six touchdowns. Mike Matthews has also been a threat with 50 catches for 770 yards and four touchdowns.
Three running backs have carried the load for the Volunteers. DaSean Bishop has led the way with 983 yards and 14 touchdowns. Star Thomas and Peyton Lewis have chipped in behind him with 529 and 290 rushing yards, respectively.
Defensively, they allow 28.75 points per game, ranking 91st in the country. They give up 146.7 rushing yards (ranked 64th) and 248.8 passing yards (ranked 115th) per game. Leading tackler Arion Carter has entered the NFL Draft, so the best tackler is now Edwin Spillman with 74. Dominic Bailey paces the team with 5.5 sacks. Ty Redmond has made plays on the ball with nine passes defended and three interceptions.
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini won eight games to make their second-straight bowl game. They defeated four bowl-eligible teams this season: Duke, Western Michigan, USC and Northwestern. Their only loss to a team that didn’t make a bowl game was to Wisconsin.
Illinois scores 29.3 points per game, ranking 54th in the country. They pass for 239.1 yards (ranked 56th) and rush for 131.2 yards (ranked 100th) per game.
Luke Altmyer returned at quarterback for Illinois this season, which elevated expectations for this team. He has passed for 2,811 yards, 21 touchdowns and five interceptions on 68.1 percent completion. Five pass-catchers have at least 200 yards on the season for the Illini. Hank Beatty has been the best receiver this season with 64 catches for 826 yards and three touchdowns.
Three running backs have been productive for the Illini. Ca’Lil Valentine is the team’s top rusher with 549 yards and four touchdowns. Kaden Feagin and Aidan Laughery have aided the rushing attack with 499 and 305 rushing yards apiece.
The Fighting Illini defense concedes 23.25 points per game, ranking 55th in the nation. They allow 124 rushing yards (ranked 35th) and 226.5 passing yards (tied 79th) per game. Leading tackler Matthew Bailey is injured and will not play, so Miles Scott is the top tackler with 59 now. Gabe Jacas has opted out of this bowl game after having 11 sacks and no other Illinois player has more than two on the year. Scott has also made plays on the ball, as he has four passes defended and three interceptions.
Prediction
Both teams have players opting out. Tennessee’s offense should still have enough explosiveness to win the game, with Illinois not being able to match it.
Tennessee Volunteers 42 Illinois Fighting Illini 31
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