First Look: Purdue-Tennessee in Music City

Purdue's biggest win over the season: A 24-7 win over No. 2 Iowa

Tennessee's biggest win in 2021: A 45-42 win over Kentucky

Purdue's lone game with Tennessee: Bluebonnet Bowl 1979

Here's an early look at Purdue's 13th opponent in 2021, the Tennessee Volunteers:

Time: Thursday, Dec. 30, 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. (local time).

Location: Nissan Stadium

Surface: Bermuda Grass

Capacity: 69,143 (Tickets Available) (Purdue 'priority' ticket information)

Sponsor: Transperfect

Schedule/records: Tennessee 7-5 overall, 4-4 SEC (Third, SEC East); Purdue 8-4, 6-3 Big Ten West (Tie Second, Big Ten West)

Series notes: Purdue won the only game between the schools, a 27-22 win at the Bluebonnet Bowl on Dec. 31, 1979 in a game played in front of 40,522 fans in the Houston Astrodome. It delivered Purdue to its only 10-win season in its history.

Thanks to a 7-3 record against Missouri, the Boilermakers are 12-9 against teams currently in the SEC. The Boilermakers are just 1-3 in bowl games, however. Coach Jeff Brohm is 2-2 against the SEC as the Purdue head coach, winning at Missouri 35-3 in 2017, losing to Missouri at home 40-37 in 2018, 63-14 to Auburn in the 2018 Music City Bowl and a 42-24 home win over Vanderbilt in 2019. This will be the fourth SEC school the Boilermakers have faced in the postseason. Other SEC postseason games included overtime losses to Georgia (2000 Outback Bowl, 28-25; 2004 Capital One Bowl ,34-27). Purdue also played in the city of Nashville on Oct. 3, 1942, suffering a 26-0 loss to Vanderbilt.

TV: ESPN

Early line: Tennessee -4

Knoxville is 179 miles from Nashville and the Volunteer fan base is known for traveling in droves. West Lafayette is 354 miles away from Tennessee's capital city, and the Boilermaker faithful traveled by the carload in 2018 when Purdue was boat raced by Auburn. There were nearly 10,000 empty seats when Purdue-Auburn met at Nissan Stadium in 2018, that likely won't be the case in 2021.

Tennessee has played in the Music City Bowl twice having last played in the Music City Bowl in 2016 when they beat Nebraska 38-24. In 2010, the Vols fell to North Carolina 30-27. Purdue's lone appearance at the Nashville bowl was in 2018.

In his first season as the helm at Tennessee, Heupel posted the Vols second winning season in five years. Heupel replaced Jeremy Pruitt after a successful run at Central Florida.

Heupel had excellent quarterback play in 2021 with Hendon Hooker. The senior, who transferred from Virginia Tech after the 2020 season, tossed 26 TD passes and just three picks in '21 and amassed 2,567 yards through the air. Hooker also is skilled with his legs, having four games when he exceeded 60 yards on the ground and was the team's second leading rusher.

Sophomore running back Jabari Small led the Vols in rushing, gaining 612 yards and eight TDS with 5.4 average per attempt. Receiver Velus Jones, Jr. was a second team All-SEC selection by PFF with 52 catches for 722 yards and six scores. Junior WR Cedric Tillman was a third-team pick, though he led the Vols with 931 receiving yards on 57 catches and nine TDs. Jones is also dangerous in the kick return game.

The Vols ranked 16th overall in the FBS in total offense with 459.0 per game. For reference, Purdue is 49th overall at 423.9 per game.

The Vols finished eighth in the FBS in scoring averaging 39 points per game.

Maybe.

UT ranked 85th nationally in total defense giving up 404.6 yards per contest. The Vols rank 69th in rush defense giving up 153 per contest but showed improvement in 2021. One of its better statistics is tackles for loss, as it is 57th nationally.

Tennessee was 1-4 against ranked foes with the lone win over No. 18 Kentucky. It was outscored by an average of 15.6 points in those contests. The also lost 41-34 at home to Pitt, who was unranked when the two teams squared off early in the season. The Panthers are now ranked 13th and will face Michigan State in the Peach Bowl.

The Vols finished 13th in the SEC in pass defense.

“They spread things out and do somethings that are different than what we see in the Big Ten. It will be a big challenge. Tennessee has lots of skill. We are going to have to try to slow them down as they play with tempo and that will be an extra challenge.

“It was a long day the last time we played there, it stung a bit.”

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