Overview
- Illinois and No. 23 Tennessee, both 8-4, play their first-ever football game at Nissan Stadium on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- The Vols will be without SEC receiving leader Chris Brazzell II and defenders Colton Hood, Joshua Josephs and Arion Carter, while Illinois is missing Big Ten sack leader Gabe Jacas, left tackle J.C. Davis and safety Matthew Bailey.
- Both starting quarterbacks are expected to play, and multiple outlets project a high-scoring matchup given weakened pass rushes and secondaries.
- Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar enters within reach of Peyton Manning’s single-season program marks, needing about 242 total-offense yards and 376 passing yards to surpass those records.
- Program stakes include Tennessee seeking a fourth straight nine-win season under Josh Heupel and Illinois aiming for back-to-back nine-win campaigns for the first time.