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2021 Tennessee Volunteers football
2021 Tennessee Volunteers football
Music City Bowl, L 45–48 OT vs. Purdue
Conference	Southeastern Conference
	East Division
Record	7–6 (4–4 SEC)
Head coach	Josh Heupel (1st season);
Offensive coordinator	Alex Golesh (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Tim Banks (1st season)
Base defense	Multiple 4–3
Home stadium	Neyland Stadium
	Seasons ← 2020 2022 →

2021 Southeastern Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
Eastern Division
No. 1 Georgia x#^	8	–	0	14	–	1
No. 18 Kentucky*	5	–	3	10	–	3
Tennessee	4	–	4	7	–	6
Missouri	3	–	5	6	–	7
South Carolina	3	–	5	7	–	6
Florida	2	–	6	6	–	7
Vanderbilt	0	–	8	2	–	10
Western Division
No. 2 Alabama x$^	7	–	1	13	–	2
No. 11 Ole Miss	6	–	2	10	–	3
No. 21 Arkansas	4	–	4	9	–	4
Mississippi State	4	–	4	7	–	6
Texas A&M	4	–	4	8	–	4
Auburn	3	–	5	6	–	7
LSU	3	–	5	6	–	7
Championship: Alabama 41, Georgia 24
# – College Football Playoff champion ^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions * – Kentucky vacated all wins due to NCAA violations. Rankings from AP Poll

The 2021 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Volunteers played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by first-year coach Josh Heupel.

Recruiting class


Ranking	Position	Name	Home State
★★★★	OT	Addison Nichols	Georgia
★★★★	QB	Tayven Jackson	Indiana
★★★★	WR	Cameron Miller	Tennessee
★★★	EDGE	Joshua Josephs	Georgia
★★★	TE	Brody Foley	Ohio
★★★	WR	Marquarius (Squirrel) White	Alabama
★★★	WR	Chas Nimrod	Arkansas
★★★	RB	Dylan Sampson	Louisiana
★★★	OG	Mo Clipper Jr.	Georgia
★★★	OT	Brian Grant	Florida
★★★	OG	Masai Reddick	Michigan
★★★	DT	Jordan Phillips	Florida
★★★	LB	Elijah Herring	Tennessee
★★★	LB	Kalib Perry	Kentucky

Coaching staff

Name	Position^[1]	Joined staff
Josh Heupel	Head coach	2021
Tim Banks	Defensive coordinator	2021
Kodi Burns	Wide receivers	2021
Mike Ekeler	outside linebackers / Special teams coordinator	2021
Glen Elarbee	offensive line	2021
Rodney Garner	Defensive line	2021
Alex Golesh	Offensive coordinator / Tight Ends	2021
Joey Halzle	Quarterbacks	2021
Brian Jean-Mary	Linebackers	2021
Jerry Mack	Running Backs	2021
Willie Martinez	Secondary	2021

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	8:00 p.m.	Bowling Green*	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	SECN	W 38–6	84,314
September 11	Noon	Pittsburgh*	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	ESPN	L 34–41	82,203
September 18	Noon	Tennessee Tech*	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	ESPN+/SECN+	W 56–0	80,053
September 25	7:00 p.m.	at No. 11 Florida	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, FL (rivalry)	ESPN	L 14–38	88,478
October 2	Noon	at Missouri	Faurot Field Columbia, MO	SECN	W 62–24	45,655
October 9	Noon	South Carolina	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	ESPN2	W 45–20	89,437
October 16	7:30 p.m.	No. 13 Ole Miss	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	SECN	L 26–31	102,455
October 23	7:00 p.m.	at No. 4 Alabama	Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (Third Saturday in October)	ESPN	L 24–52	100,077
November 6	7:00 p.m.	at No. 18 Kentucky	Kroger Field Lexington, KY (rivalry)	ESPN2	W 45–42	61,690
November 13	3:30 p.m.	No. 1 Georgia	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	CBS	L 17–41	100,074
November 20	7:30 p.m.	South Alabama*	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	ESPNU	W 60–14	75,203
November 27	3:45 p.m.	Vanderbilt	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	SECN	W 45–21	77,349
December 30	3:00 p.m.	vs. Purdue*	Nissan Stadium Nashville, TN (Music City Bowl)	ESPN	L 45–48^OT	69,489
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP and CFP Rankings after November 2 All times are in Eastern time

^[2]

Game summaries

Bowling Green

Bowling Green at Tennessee

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bowling Green	0	6	0	0	6
Tennessee	14	0	14	10	38

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: September 2 ^[3]
Game time: 8:00 p.m.
Game weather: Sunny, 77 °F (25 °C)
Game attendance: 84,314
Referee: Steve Marlowe
TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color) and Cole Cubelic (sidelines)

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh at Tennessee

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Pittsburgh	0	27	7	7	41
Tennessee	10	10	7	7	34

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: September 11 ^[4]
Game time: Noon
Game weather: Sunny, 71 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 82,203
Referee: Stuart Mullins
TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (color) and Tom Luginbill (sidelines)

Tennessee Tech

Tennessee Tech at Tennessee

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tennessee Tech	0	0	0	0	0
Tennessee	14	14	21	7	56

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: September 18 ^[5]
Game time: Noon
Game weather: Sunny, 75 °F (24 °C)
Game attendance: 80,053
Referee: Kyle Olson
TV announcers (SECN+/ESPN+): Kevin Brown (play-by-play), Hutson Mason (color) and Abby Labar (sidelines)

At No. 11 Florida

Tennessee at No. 11 Florida

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tennessee	7	7	0	0	14
No. 11 Florida	10	7	14	7	38

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL

Date: September 25 ^[6]
Game time: 7:00 p.m.
Game weather: Cloudy, 80 °F (27 °C)
Game attendance: 88,478
Referee: Matt Loeffler
TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (color), and Katie George (sidelines)

Game information

First quarter

Florida – Malik Davis 4-yard pass from Emory Jones, (Jace Christmann kick) 9:20
Tennessee – Tiyon Evans 47-yard pass from Hendon Hooker, (Chase McGrath kick), 7:05
Florida – Jace Christmann 47-yard field goal, 1:07

Second quarter

Tennessee – JaVonta Payton 75-yard pass from Hendon Hooker, (Chase McGrath kick), 11:31
Florida – Nay'Quan Wright 23-yard run, (Jace Christmann kick), 4:15

Third quarter

Florida – Kemore Gamble 13-yard pass from Trent Whittemore, (Jace Christmann kick), 12:21
Florida – Rick Wells 9-yard pass from Emory Jones, (Jace Christmann kick), 2:04

Fourth quarter

Florida – Malik Davis 9-yard run, (Jace Christmann kick), 1:39

Passing leaders

TEN – Hendon Hooker – 13/23, 221 yards, 2 touchdowns
FLA – Emory Jones – 21/27, 209 yards, 2 touchdowns

Rushing leaders

TEN – Jabari Smith – 11 carries, 60 yards
FLA – Emory Jones – 15 carries, 147 yards

Receiving leaders

TEN – JaVonta Payton – 2 receptions, 82 yards, 1 touchdown
FLA – Justin Shorter – 3 receptions, 54 yards

Tackling leaders

TEN – Trevon Flowers, 15 tackles
FLA – Trey Dean, 11 tackles

At Missouri

Tennessee at Missouri

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tennessee	28	17	10	7	62
Missouri	3	7	7	7	24

at Faurot Field, Columbia, MO

Date: October 2 ^[7]
Game time: Noon
Game weather: Rain, 72 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 45,655
Referee: David Smith
TV announcers (SECN): Dave Neal (play-by-play), Deuce McAllister (color), and Andraya Carter (sidelines)

Vs. South Carolina

South Carolina at Tennessee

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
South Carolina	0	7	7	6	20
Tennessee	28	10	0	7	45

at Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, Tennessee

Date: Saturday, October 9, 2021 ^[8]
Game time: 12:00 p.m.. EST
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature – 70°F
Game attendance: 89,437
Referee: James Carter
TV announcers (ESPN2): Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Mike Golic Jr. (color) and Taylor McGregor (sideline)
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

(9:18) TENN – Jalin Hyatt 3-yard pass from Hendon Hooker (Chase McGrath Kick). Tennessee 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 66 yards, 4:29.
(6:46) TENN – JaVonta Payton 39-yard pass from Hendon Hooker (Chase McGrath Kick). Tennessee 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 57 yards, 0:35.
(0:58) TENN – Hendon Hooker 11-yard run (Chase McGrath Kick). Tennessee 21–0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:18.
(0:12) TENN – Velus Jones Jr. 21-yard pass from Hendon Hooker (Chase McGrath Kick). Tennessee 28–0. Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards, 0:33.

Second quarter

(5:40) TENN – Tiyon Evans 45-yard run (Chase McGrath Kick). Tennessee 35–0. Drive: 5 plays, 76 yards, 1:43.
(2:04) SC – Kevin Harris 6-yard run (Parker White Kick). Tennessee 35–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:36.
(0:00) TENN – Chase McGrath 25-yard field goal. Tennessee 38–7. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 2:04.

Third quarter

(7:15) SC – Payton Mangrum 44-yard pass from Kai Kroeger (Parker White Kick). Tennessee 38–14. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:18.

Fourth quarter

(12:18) SC – Kevin Harris 1-yard run (2PT Pass Failed). Tennessee 38–20. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 7:04.
(4:45) TENN – Len'Neth Whitehead 2-yard run (Chase McGrath Kick). Tennessee 45–20. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 3:06.

Statistics	SC	TENN
First downs	22	24
Plays–yards	75–370	72–472
Rushes–yards	153	247
Passing yards	217	225
Passing: comp–att–int	21–34–1	17–23–0
Time of possession	33:55	26:05

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
SC	Passing	Luke Doty	19/31, 167 yards
	Rushing	Kevin Harris	16 carries, 61 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Payton Mangrum	1 reception, 44 yards, TD
TENN	Passing	Hendon Hooker	17/23, 225 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Tiyon Evans	16 carries, 119 yards, TD
	Receiving	Velus Jones Jr.	6 receptions, 103 yards, TD

No. 13 Ole Miss

No. 13 Ole Miss at Tennessee

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 13 Ole Miss	10	14	7	0	31
Tennessee	9	3	7	7	26

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: October 16 ^[9]
Game time: 7:30 pm
Game weather: Sunny, 59 °F (15 °C)
Game attendance: 102,455
Referee: Marc Curles
TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color) and Cole Cubelic (sidelines)

Game information

First Quarter

(9:50) MISS – Snoop Conner 1 yard rush, Caden Costa kick Ole Miss 7–0; 4 plays, 11 yards, 0:58
(4:35) TENN – Matt Corral intentional grounding in end zone Ole Miss 7–2
(3:51) TENN – Cedric Tillman 16 yard pass from Hendon Hooker, Chase McGrath kick Tennessee 9–7; 3 plays, 49 yards, 0:37
(0:44) MISS – Caden Costa 30 yard field goal Ole Miss 10–9; 11 plays, 57 yards, 3:01

Second Quarter

(11:27) MISS – Dannis Jackson 33 yard pass from Matt Corral, Caden Costa kick Ole Miss 17–9; 8 plays, 54 yards, 2:30
(5:30) MISS – Snoop Conner 1 yard rush, Caden Costa kick Ole Miss 24–9; 12 plays, 91 yards, 3:37
(0:00) TENN – Chase McGrath 39 yard field goal Ole Miss 24–12; 6 plays, 62 yards, 0:53

Third Quarter

(12:38) TENN – Jabari Small 1 yard rush, Chase McGrath kick Ole Miss 24–19; 8 plays, 77 yards, 2:18
(2:04) MISS – Dontario Drummond 16 yard pass from Matt Corral, Caden Costa kick Ole Miss 31–19; 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:02

Fourth Quarter

(13:41) TENN – Hendon Hooker 5 yard rush, Chase McGrath kick Ole Miss 31–26; 9 plays, 88 yards, 3:14

Statistics	MISS	TENN
First downs	29	29
Total yards	510	467
Passing yards	231	245
Rushing yards	279	222
Penalties	10–75	6–48
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	34:09	25:51

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Ole Miss	Passing	Matt Corral	21/38, 231 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Matt Corral	30 carries, 195 yards
	Receiving	Dontario Drummond	2 receptions, 66 yards, 1 TD
Tennessee	Passing	Hendon Hooker	17/26, 233 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Hendon Hooker	23 carries, 108 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Velus Jones Jr.	6 receptions, 93 yards

The game was delayed for nearly 20 minutes in the 4th quarter as some Tennessee fans started to throw objects onto the field, including a golf ball that hit Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin in the leg. The eruption occurred after officials ruled that Tennessee tight end Jacob Warren was short on 4th-and-24 with just under a minute left to play.^[10] On the Monday following the game, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey announced that Tennessee would be fined $250,000 due to the fans' actions.^[11]

At No. 4 Alabama

Pregame line	Over/under
ALA -27.5	66.5

Tennessee at No. 4 Alabama

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tennessee	14	0	3	7	24
No. 4 Alabama	7	14	3	28	52

at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL

Date: October 23 ^[12]
Game time: 7:00 pm
Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 100,077
Referee: Alex Moore
TV announcers (ESPN): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (color), and Katie George (sidelines)

Statistics	Tennessee	Alabama
First downs	10	32
Total yards	346	574
Rushing yards	64	203
Passing yards	282	371
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	19:34	40:26

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Tennessee	Passing	Hendon Hooker	19/28, 282 yards, 3 TD's, 1 INT
	Rushing	Tiyon Evans	7 carries, 30 yards
	Receiving	Cedric Tillman	7 receptions, 152 yards, 1 TD
Alabama	Passing	Bryce Young	31/43, 371 yards, 2 TD's
	Rushing	Brian Robinson Jr.	26 carries, 107 yards, 3 TD's
	Receiving	Jameson Williams	6 receptions, 123 yards

At No. 18 Kentucky

Tennessee at No. 16 Kentucky

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tennessee	14	10	14	7	45
No. 18 Kentucky	7	14	14	7	42

at Kroger Field, Lexington, KY

Date: November 6 ^[13]
Game time: 7:00 pm
Game weather: Sunny, 46 °F (8 °C)
Game attendance: 61,690
Referee: Steve Marlowe
TV announcers (ESPN2): Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (color), and Dawn Davenport (sidelines)

Statistics	Tennessee	Kentucky
First downs	17	35
Total yards	461	612
Rushing yards	145	225
Passing yards	316	387
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	13:52	46:08

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Tennessee	Passing	Hendon Hooker	15/20, 316 yards, 4 TD’s
	Rushing	Jabari Small	4 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Velus Jones Jr.	5 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD
Kentucky	Passing	Will Levis	31/49, 372 yards, 3 TD’s, 1 INT
	Rushing	Chris Rodriguez Jr.	22 carries, 109 yards
	Receiving	Wan'Dale Robinson	13 receptions, 166 yards, 1 TD

No. 1 Georgia

No. 1 Georgia at Tennessee

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Georgia	7	17	3	14	41
Tennessee	10	0	0	7	17

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: November 13 ^[14]
Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: Sunny, 49 °F (9 °C)
Game attendance: 100,074
Referee: James Carter
TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (color) and Jamie Erdahl (sidelines)
Pregame line: Georgia −19.5 • Odds to win: Georgia 88.1% • Game summary: ESPN

Game information

First quarter

(11:43) TENN – Velus Jones Jr. 9 Yd pass from Hendon Hooker (Chase McGrath Kick) (Tennessee 7–0)
(9:11) UGA – James Cook 39 Yd Run (Jack Podlesny Kick) (Tied 7–7)
(1:39) TENN – Chase McGrath 24 Yd Field Goal (Tennessee 10–7)

Second quarter

(9:42) UGA – Jack Podlesny 40 Yd Field Goal (Tied 10–10)
(7:24) UGA – Stetson Bennett 9 Yd Run (Jack Podlesny Kick) (Georgia 17–10)
(0:37) UGA – James Cook 23 Yd pass from Stetson Bennett (Jack Podlesny Kick) (Georgia 24–10)

Third quarter

(4:41) UGA – Jack Podlesny 26 Yd Field Goal (Georgia 27–10)

Fourth quarter

(13:14) UGA – James Cook 5 Yd Run (Jack Podlesny Kick) (Georgia 34–10)
(7:03) UGA – Kenny McIntosh 5 Yd Run (Jack Podlesny Kick) (Georgia 41–10)
(3:38) TENN – Cedric Tillman 12 Yd pass from Joe Milton (Chase McGrath Kick) (Georgia 41–17)

Statistics	UGA	TENN
First downs	26	22
Plays–yards	70–487	84–387
Rushes–yards	41–274	36–55
Passing yards	213	332
Passing: comp–att–int	17–29–0	30–48–1
Time of possession	32:40	27:20

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UGA	Passing	Stetson Bennett	17/29, 213 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	James Cook	10 carries, 104 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Adonai Mitchell	5 receptions, 65 yards
TENN	Passing	Hendon Hooker	24/37, 244 yards, 1TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jabari Small	12 carries, 49 yards
	Receiving	Cedric Tillman	10 receptions, 200 yards, 1 TD

South Alabama

Pregame line	Over/under
TENN –28.0	61

South Alabama at Tennessee

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
South Alabama	0	7	0	7	14
Tennessee	14	21	14	11	60

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: November 20 ^[15]
Game time: 7:30 pm
Game weather: Cloudy, 46 °F (8 °C)
Game attendance: 75,203
Referee: Jason Autrey
TV announcers (ESPNU): Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and Rocky Boiman (color)

Game information

First quarter

(11:13) TENN – Jabari Small 1-yard rush (Chase McGrath Kick). Tennessee 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 2:00.
(6:46) TENN – Jaylen Wright 17-yard rush (Chase McGrath Kick). Tennessee 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 1:57.

Second quarter

(10:37) TENN – Cedric Tillman 27-yard pass from Hendon Hooker (Chase McGrath Kick). Tennessee 21–0. Drive: 8 plays, 87 yards, 2:38.
(6:41) TENN – Princeton Fant 24-yard pass from Hendon Hooker (Chase McGrath Kick). Tennessee 28–0. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 0:55.
(1:36) USA – Lincoln Sefcik 3-yard pass from Desmond Trotter (Diego Guajardo Kick). Tennessee 28–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:05.
(1:18) TENN – Velus Jones Jr. 96-yard kickoff return (Chase McGrath Kick). Tennessee 35–7. Drive: 3 plays, 2 yards, 1:04.

Third quarter

(12:06) TENN – Jabari Small 3-yard rush (Chase McGrath Kick). Tennessee 42–7. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 1:54.
(7:29) TENN – Hendon Hooker 6-yard rush (Chase McGrath Kick). Tennessee 49–7. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 2:57.

Fourth quarter

(12:50) TENN – Len'Neth Whitehead 5-yard rush (Chase McGrath Kick). Tennessee 56–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:06.
(11:02) USA – Jalen Tolbert 68-yard pass from Desmond Trotter (Diego Guajardo Kick). Tennessee 56–14. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:48.
(6:37) TENN – Team Safety. Tennessee 58–14. Drive: 3 plays, -9 yards, 1:40.
(2:43) TENN – Team Safety. Tennessee 60–14. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 2:18.

Statistics	South Alabama	Tennessee
First downs	13	28
Total yards	285	561
Rushing yards	69	250
Passing yards	216	311
Turnovers	0	0
Time of possession	37:00	23:00

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Alabama	Passing	Desmond Trotter	19/32, 216 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Kareem Walker	7 carries, 29 yards
	Receiving	Jalen Tolbert	7 receptions, 143 yards, 1 TD
Tennessee	Passing	Hendon Hooker	17/20, 273 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Jaylen Wright	13 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Velus Jones Jr.	6 receptions, 103 yards

Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt at Tennessee

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vanderbilt	0	7	6	8	21
Tennessee	7	17	14	7	45

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: November 27 ^[16]
Game time: 3:45 pm
Game weather: Sunny, 46 °F (8 °C)
Game attendance: 77,349
Referee: David Smith
TV announcers (SECN): Dave Neal (play-by-play), Deuce McAllister (color), and Andraya Carter (sidelines)

Statistics	VAN	TENN
First downs	18	25
Total yards	321	441
Rushing yards	115	285
Passing yards	206	156
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	38:16	21:44

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Vanderbilt	Passing	Mike Wright	16/31, 198 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Rocko Griffin	30 carries, 104 yards, TD
	Receiving	Will Sheppard	5 receptions, 98 yards, TD
Tennessee	Passing	Hendon Hooker	10/18, 156 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Jaylen Wright	15 carries, 112 yards, TD
	Receiving	Cedric Tillman	6 receptions, 106 yards, 2 TD

Purdue

2021 TransPerfect Music City Bowl

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Tennessee	21	0	10	14	0	45
Purdue	7	16	7	15	3	48

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

Date: December 30 ^[17]
Game time: 3:00 p.m.
Game weather: Cloudy, 57 °F (14 °C)
Game attendance: 69,489
Referee: Jerry Magallanes
TV announcers (ESPN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color), and Cole Cubelic (sidelines)

Players drafted into the NFL

.

Tennessee had five players selected in the 2022 NFL draft.^[18]

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL club
2	49	Alontae Taylor	CB	New Orleans Saints
3	71	Velus Jones Jr	WR	Chicago Bears
5	175	Matthew Butler	DT	Las Vegas Raiders
6	199	Cade Mays	OG	Carolina Panthers
6	204	Theo Jackson	S	Tennessee Titans