Overview
- Kickoff is Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN from Nissan Stadium in the programs’ first-ever meeting.
- Sportsbooks list Tennessee as the favorite, with opening lines around Vols -7.5 and totals near 60 points.
- Tennessee is without SEC receiving leader Chris Brazzell II and defensive starters Joshua Josephs, Arion Carter and Colton Hood, with freshmen Radarious Jackson and Travis Smith among expected fill-ins.
- Illinois will miss Big Ten sack leader Gabe Jacas, left tackle J.C. Davis and defensive back Matthew Bailey, heightening pressure on QB Luke Altmyer and top target Hank Beatty.
- Vols QB Joey Aguilar enters near Peyton Manning’s single-season marks, and analysts predict a high-scoring matchup as Tennessee chases a fourth straight 9-win season and Illinois seeks a two-year program-best 19th win.