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PAGE 5B December 2025
Vols to Clash with Illinois in Music City Bowl
No. 23 Tennessee will aim for a fourth consecutive nine-win campaign in a familiar Volunteer State venue. The Volunteers were selected to play in the Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl against Illinois on Dec. 30 at 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT from Nashville's Nissan Stadium. The game will be televised by ESPN. Tickets for the game are on sale at musiccitybowl.com. "We appreciate the opportunity to send our seniors out with one final game in our home state in the Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl," said Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel. "The opportunity to prepare and compete against an outstanding Big Ten opponent the caliber of Illinois is one we look forward to. Vol Nation has been unwavering in its loyalty and support of our players. It's something we never take for granted. We are excited to go play in front of them one more time in 2025 in Nashville." Tennessee (8-4, 4-4 SEC) and Illinois (8-4, 5-4 Big Ten) will be meeting for the first time on the gridiron. It will be the Vols' fourth Music City Bowl appearance. UT topped Nebraska, 38-24, in the 2016 edition of the game. The Vols dropped a 30-27 double overtime game to North Carolina in the 2010 Music City Bowl and fell, 48-45, in overtime to Purdue in Heupel's first season of 2021. The 2025 Vols boast the nation's fourth-best total offense, averaging 482.0 yards per game, spearheaded by the SEC's leading passer Joey Aguilar. The first-year Vol put up 287.0 yards per contest and eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark with 3,444 total yards and 24 touchdowns. The nation's best receiving trio of Chris Brazzell II, Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews logged over 750 receiving yards apiece. Defensively, the Vols forced 20 turnovers, which tied for third in the SEC. They finished fourth in the conference in both sacks and tackles for loss with 36 and 82, respectively. Junior linebacker Arion Carter led the way with 76 tackles. Tennessee was one of the nation's youngest teams, and it ended the season with the SEC's top freshman tackler (linebacker Edwin Spillman), top freshman receiver (Staley) and the SEC leader in passes defended (cornerback Ty Redmond). Redmond's 13 passes defended also led all Power Four freshmen nationally. Heupel had guided the Vols to a 45-19 record in five seasons at the helm. He is just the third coach to lead Tennessee to a bowl game in each of his first five seasons, joining
The Tennessee band provided music at the 2020 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida. This year sounds of Rocky Top will be ringing in Nashville, as the Vols are headed to Music City Bowl to battle Illinois. Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger Phillip Fulmer (1993-97) and Bill Battle (1970-74). Heupel's .703 winning percentage is the second-highest by a Vol coach in the last four decades. The 2025 Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl is Tennessee's 57th postseason appearance and 56th NCAA bowl game. The 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl win and appearance was vacated. The Vols earned a berth to the College Football Playoff last year and lost to eventual national champion Ohio State.
Seven CUSA Teams Headed to Bowl Games
Conference USA will be sending seven schools to play in bowl games this holiday season. The number is the most for the league since 2021. CUSA Champion Kennesaw State leads the group, joined in the postseason by FIU, Jacksonville State, Louisiana Tech, WKU and FBS newcomers Delaware and Missouri State. Kennesaw State (10-3, 7-1 CUSA), led by CUSA Coach of the Year Jerry Mack, posted the largest win improvement (+8) by a CUSA team since Florida Atlantic in 2017 and claimed a CUSA Championship in just its second year in FBS. The Owls are set for a showdown with MAC Champion Western Michigan (9-4, 7-1 MAC) in the Myrtle Beach Bowl at 10 a.m. CT on Friday, Dec. 19, on ESPN from Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C. The Jackonsville State Gamecocks (8-5, 7-1 CUSA), which hosted the CUSA Football Championship for the second consecutive year and the first year under head coach Charles Kelly, are headed to a bowl game for the third time in as many years in the FBS. Jax State will face in-state foe Troy (8-5, 6-2 Sun Belt) in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl at 8 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Dec. 16 on ESPN from the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8-4, 6-2 CUSA) are headed to a bowl game for the seventh time in as many seasons – one of just 11 FBS programs with an active bowl participation streak of seven or longer – under the direction of head coach Tyson Helton. WKU will face Southern Miss (7-5, 5-3 Sun Belt) in the New Orleans Bowl at 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPN from the Caesars Superdome. The Missouri State Bears (7-5, 5-3 CUSA) enjoyed a stellar debut season in the FBS and in Conference USA, earning four road wins during the 2025 campaign. This includes a 21-17 victory at Liberty on Nov. 8. Missouri State will take on Arkansas State (6-6, 5-3 Sun Belt) in the Xbox Bowl at 8 p.m. CT on Thursday, Dec. 18 on ESPN2 from the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. The Panthers (7-5, 5-3 CUSA) experienced a resurgence under first-year head coach Willie Simmons, who has guided FIU to its first bowl game since 2019 and the program's first winning season since 2018. The Panthers match up with UTSA (6-6, 4-4 American) in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl at 7 p.m. CT on Friday, Dec. 26 on ESPN from Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. LA Tech (7-5, 5-3 CUSA) heads back to the Independence Bowl after falling to Army in the 2024 game. With a 42-30 win over Missouri State, the Bulldogs secured their first winning season since 2019. LA Tech is set for a showdown with Coastal Carolina (6-6, 5-3 Sun Belt) at 1 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Dec. 30, on ESPN from Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La. Delaware (6-6, 4-4 CUSA) also had a successful coming out party in the FBS ranks, including a 44-41 overtime win over 9-3 UConn early in the year for the Fightin’ Blue Hens’ first-ever win over an FBS opponent. Delaware is set for a showdown with Louisiana (6-6, 5-3 Sun Belt) in the 68 Ventures Bowl at 7:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, December 17, on ESPN from Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile.
Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Jacksonville State's Cam Cook runs the football during the CUSA Championship game against Kennesaw State. The visiting Owls' defense held Cook to only 78 yards rushing and one touchdown. It was only the third time this season, that Cook was held to less than 100 yards. For the season, Cook now has 1659 yards and 16 touchdowns. Kennesaw State's offense also found a spark, scoring a late touchdown to pick up a 19-15 victory. Jax State had rallied for two scores in the fourth quarter to go up 15-12, but could not hang on in final minutes.
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Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
New Hope and Arab competed in a youth basketball game on Dec. 13 in Guntersville.
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