A detail that’s almost impossible to believe is the main reason Tennessee lost to Illinois
The Tennessee Vols fell to the Illinois Fighting Illini on Tuesday in Nashville in the Music City Bowl.
The Tennessee Vols lost to Illinois Fighting Illini on Tuesday in the Music City Bowl for a myriad of reasons.
For starters, Illinois was more physical up front in the 30-28 win.
Secondly, Tennessee wasn’t able to create explosive plays.
The biggest reason, though, that Tennessee lost to Illinois was because the Vols barely touched the football over the final 12 minutes of the game.
Tennessee’s offense didn’t see the field over the final 11 minutes of the game
Tennessee only ran 55 plays against Illinois on Tuesday, which is the fewest number of plays the Vols ran in a game this season.
Over the final 11:40 of the game, the Vols’ offense touched the ball zero times — which was due in part to UT true freshman Joakim Dodson’s kick return for a touchdown.
Illinois essentially dictated the way the game was played. And they were able to limit the number of plays Tennessee ran as a result (plus the fatigue factor for the defense).
The Vols certainly could’ve played better offensively — though it’s hard to complain about a quarterback throwing only four incompletions, or two running backs in Star Thomas and DeSean Bishop that averaged nearly six yards per carry — but it was the defense’s inability to get off the field that ultimately cost Tennessee the game.
The good news for the Vols is that a new defensive coordinator in Jim Knowles is set to take over in 2026. Knowles, however, clearly has his work cut out for himself this offseason.
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