Purdue to face surging Tennessee in Music City Bowl
By The Associated Press
Purdue and Tennessee will meet for just the second time in the Music City Bowl. Purdue won the inaugural meeting 27-22 in the 1979 Bluebonnet Bowl. The Boilermakers finished fourth in the Big Ten West but topped then-top-five Iowa and Michigan State. Quarterback Aiden O’Connell passed for 3,178 yards and 23 touchdowns. Tennessee won three of its final four games under first-year coach Josh Heupel to finish fourth in the SEC East. QB Hendon Hooker took over the starting job early in the season and ranked seventh among SEC passers with 2,567 yards and 26 touchdowns and just three interceptions.