The Tennessee Volunteers went west to Nashville to play in the 2025 Music City Bowl. Tuesday was the 4th time since 2010 the Vols have played in the Music City Bowl going into the game with a 1-2 record. Tennessee is now 1-3 in the Music City Bowl after falling to Illinois 30-28.
The Vols went ahead 28-27 off of a 94 yard kick off return with less than 5 minutes left in the game. That left the Fighting Illini plenty of time to drive the field and score on a last second field goal to defeat Tennessee in the state capital. This extends Tennessee’s post-season loss streak to two. The Vols haven’t won a Bowl Game since the Citrus Bowl on New Years Day in 2024.
The Tennessee Volunteers ended the 2025 season with an 8-5 record. They end the season with wins against: Syracuse, East Tennessee State, UAB, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Kentucky, New Mexico State, and Florida. Tennessee’s losses this season were to: Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, and Illinois.
The Tennessee Volunteers will be back on the gridiron for their season opener on September 5th, 2026 against Furman in Knoxville.