Postgame Notes: Tennessee 28, Illinois 30 (Music City Bowl)

Postgame Notes: Tennessee 28, Illinois 30 (Music City Bowl)

December 30, 2025 | Football

TENNESSEE FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Dec. 30, 2025 | Nashville, Tenn. | Nissan Stadium
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl
FINAL SCORE: Tennessee 28, Illinois 30

General Notes

Tuesday's attendance at Nissan Stadium: 50,658
Tennessee's all-time on-field record fell to 894-422-53 with Tuesday's loss (NCAA record: 883-422-53).
The Vols made their 57th all-time bowl game appearance, which is tied with LSU for seventh nationally. Tennessee made its fourth appearance in the Music City Bowl.
Tuesday's contest marked the first meeting between Tennessee and Illinois. It marked the third straight year that UT faced a Big Ten opponent in the postseason.
The Vols have played nine games all-time in Nissan Stadium and own a 6-3 record in the venue.
Tuesday marked the final game in which the Vols wore Nike uniforms under UT's current apparel contract. Tennessee announced a new partnership with adidas that will go into effect on July 1, 2026.
- The Vols wore Nike uniforms for 138 consecutive contests, dating to the 2015 season opener – a 59-30 victory over Bowling Green that also took place at Nissan Stadium.

Vol Captains/Coin Toss

Tennessee's team captains for Tuesday's game: DL Dominic Bailey, TE Miles Kitselman, DB Jalen McMurray, DB William Wright
Tennessee won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. Illinois received the opening kickoff, and Tennessee defended the north end zone.

First-Time Starters

Junior DL Daevin Hobbs and redshirt senior DB William Wright made their first career starts in Tuesday's contest. For the season, UT had 19 first-time starters – 10 on offense and nine on defense.

Team Offensive Notes

Tennessee finished the season averaging 39.8 points per game, ranking fourth in school history. Three of the top five marks have occurred under Josh Heupel, including a program record 46.1 points per game in 2022.
Sophomore WR Mike Matthews eclipsed 800 receiving yards on the season in Tuesday's contest, giving the Vols three 800-yard receivers in the same year for the first time in school history. Matthews finished the year with 813, while Chris Brazzell II and Braylon Staley had 1,017 and 837, respectively.
Tennessee produced a 1,000-yard rusher (DeSean Bishop – 1,076) and a 1,000-yard receiver (Chris Brazzell II – 1,017) in the same season for the fifth time in program history and first time since 2007.

Individual Offensive Notes

Senior QB Joey Aguilar finished the contest completing 14-of-18 passes for 121 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
- Aguilar finished his lone season in Knoxville with 3,666 yards of total offense, ranking third in school history. He passed Hendon Hooker (3,561 in 2021, 3,565 in 2022) and Tyler Bray (3,578 in 2012) on the all-time list and only trailed Joshua Dobbs (3,777 in 2016) and Peyton Manning (3,789 in 1997)
  - Note: NCAA did not start counting bowl game stats until 2002.
  - Tennessee quarterbacks have produced more than 3,000 yards of total offense in four of five seasons under Josh Heupel.
- Aguilar racked up 3,565 passing yards during the 2025 season, ranking third in school history.
  - Aguilar's mark passed Erik Ainge (3,522 in 2007) and only trailed Tyler Bray (3,612 in 2012) and Peyton Manning (3,819 in 1997).
- Aguilar finished the year with 24 passing touchdowns, which ranked 10th in program history.
Redshirt freshman WR Braylon Staley finished Tuesday's contest with four receptions for 31 yards. With his performance in the Music City Bowl, he totaled 68 receptions for 837 yards on the season.
- His 68 receptions broke the Tennessee freshman record and are the most by any player in a single season during the Josh Heupel era. That mark also ranks tied for sixth in UT single-season history.
Redshirt sophomore RB DeSean Bishop eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the season with an 18-yard rush on Tennessee's opening drive of the game and finished the Music City Bowl with 19 carries for 93 yards and two touchdowns. The Knoxville native finished the season with 182 carries for 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns.
- Tennessee has produced a 1,000-yard rusher in each of the past three seasons. Jaylen Wright (1,013) and Dylan Sampson (1,491) previously hit the mark in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
- Tennessee produced a 1,000-yard rusher (DeSean Bishop – 1,076) and a 1,000-yard receiver (Chris Brazzell II – 1,017) in the same season for the fifth time in program history and first time since 2007.
- Bishop's 16 touchdowns this season ranked tied for fourth in school history and gave the Vols back-to-back seasons with a player eclipsing 16 rushing touchdowns. Dylan Sampson had a school record 22 in 2024.
  - Prior to last season, only three players in UT history had 16 or more rushing touchdowns in a season – Gene McEver (18 in 1929), Reggie Cobb (17 in 1987) and Tony Thompson (16 in 1990).
- Bishop's 1,076 rushing yards rank 17th in school history.

Team Defensive Notes

Tennessee posted eight pass breakups in the Music City Bowl, its second-most in a game this season and most since having 10 against Syracuse in the 2025 season opener in Atlanta.

Individual Defensive Notes

Junior LB Jeremiah Telander paced the Vols with nine total tackles in the contest, followed by redshirt freshman LB Edwin Spillman who tallied seven. Redshirt senior DB William Wright, redshirt senior DL Bryson Eason and freshman LB Jadon Perlotte each notched six total stops – all three breaking or tying their previous career-highs.
Eight different players combined for five tackles for loss in the contest.
Freshman DB Ty Redmond notched two pass breakups in the Music City Bowl, running his season total to 12 PBUs to go along with three interceptions. His 15 passes defended are the most by a player in a single season in the Josh Heupel era.

Special Teams Notes

Freshman WR Joakim Dodson gave Tennessee the lead in the fourth quarter with a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
- It was Tennessee's first kickoff return touchdown in a bowl game since Pete Panuska had a 100-yard return in the 1984 Sun Bowl vs. Maryland.
  - Dodson joined Panuska and Willie Gault (1981 Garden State Bowl vs. Wisconsin) as the only Vols in program history to return a kickoff for a touchdown in a bowl game.
- It was the first kickoff return touchdown for Tennessee overall since Nov. 20, 2021, when Velus Jones Jr. had a 96-yard touchdown return against South Alabama.
Redshirt sophomore PK Max Gilbert went 4-of-4 on extra points, moving to 118-of-118 in his career.

Career Highs

The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:

Offense

RB DeSean Bishop
- 2 rushing touchdowns (ties career high)

Defense/Special Teams

WR Joakim Dodson
- 2 kickoff returns
- 114 kickoff return yards
- 1 kickoff return TD
DL Bryson Eason
- 6 tackles (ties career high)
- 1 pass breakup (ties career high)
LB Jaedon Harmon
- 4 tackles (ties career high)
RB Daune Morris
- 1 kickoff return (ties career high)
LB Jadon Perlotte
- 6 tackles
- 0.5 sacks
- 1.0 tackles for loss (ties career high)
DB Tre Poteat
- 1 pass breakup
DB Ty Redmond
- 2 pass breakups (ties career high)
DB William Wright
- 6 tackles
- 1 pass breakup