Illinois Football Takes Down Tennessee in the Music City Bowl

Thanks to the leg of kicker David Olano, Illinois Football defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 30–28 and will bring the Music City Bowl guitar trophy back to Champaign following a 9–4 finish in 2025. The Naperville (IL) native drilled a 29-yard walk-off field goal in Nashville to secure the Fighting Illini’s second consecutive high-profile bowl victory over an SEC opponent.

Undoubtedly, a win like this provides a major boost in program momentum and serves as a strong sell on the recruiting trail for Bret Bielema and his staff heading into a highly transitional offseason.

The star of the show was quarterback Luke Altmyer, who was highly efficient while leading Barry Lunney Jr.’s offense in his final game in an Illini uniform. Altmyer finished with 196 passing yards and a touchdown, while adding 54 yards on the ground—showcasing his decisiveness in the pocket and elusiveness when the ball is in his hands. Leading the charge in a victory of this caliber could certainly help boost the senior’s draft stock. Luke, in his final time at the helm of Lunney’s offense, led the Illini to 417 all-purpose yards vs the Vols.

Other Notable Performances for Illinois Football

Thanks to a solid showing in the trenches by Bart Miller’s crew, minus star LT JC Davis, an early-established rhythm in the run game propelled running back Aidan Laughery to 77 yards on 13 carries, and sophomore Ca’lil Valentine to 65 yards on 8 attempts (8.1 avg). In total, Illinois finished with an impressive 221 rushing yards against the Volunteers. West Virginia transfer Hudson Clement stepped up and led the Illini receiving corps with 48 yards on 3 catches, while Justin Bowick hauled in Illinois’ lone passing touchdown and finished with 31 yards on three receptions. Hank Beatty had a nice game as well, grabbing 6 catches for 38 yards.

Major Props: On the defensive side of the ball, despite inconsistencies throughout the season, Aaron Henry’s unit showed up in Nashville with aggression. The Illini consistently pressured Aguilar and held a Tennessee offense that averaged 40.8 points per game during the regular season to just 28 points and 278 total yards. DL James Thompson Jr, LB Malachi Hood, DL Eli Coenen, DL Joe Barna, and DB Tanner Heckel each recorded a sack, creating the havoc needed to knock a typically productive gunslinger off his game and help Illinois win the ever-crucial time-of-possession battle. A costly first-half scoop and score by James Thompson Jr. was all the difference. Hats off to a group that finished its season with a major bang, despite plenty of criticism along the way.

Notably, this marks the second time in December that Illinois has secured a guitar trophy against Tennessee. Earlier this month (12/6), Brad Underwood’s Illini basketball team defeated the Volunteers 75–62 in Nashville to claim hardware of their own during “Music City Madness.” Fortunately, Tomislav Ivisic wasn’t around…

A great way to cap off yet another memorable season of Illinois Football.

That’s a win for the #illini in the 2025 Music City Bowl!
30-28 thanks to a walk-off field goal by David Olano

Illinois finishes their 2025 season 9-4. Thanks for an awesome season guys pic.twitter.com/yTlzU7aHy9

— Armchair Illinois (@ArmchairIllini) December 31, 2025