Music City Bowl 2021 – Tennessee vs Purdue: How to Watch/Stream, Key Statistics, Betting Odds

Coaches Jeff Brohm, Josh Heupel Music City Bowl

The 2021 TransPerfect Music City Bowl, which will be live from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, TN, is just around the corner. The game featuring the Tennessee Volunteers (7-5) and Purdue Boilermakers (8-4) will begin at 3:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 30.

Nashville is going through severe thunderstorms on Wednesday, which should continue throughout the evening according to The Weather Channel. However, the storms are expected to end around midnight. There is currently no projected rain on Thursday, meaning although it will be damp, the game looks to be played just under mostly sunny skies.

Both teams are entering this Music City Bowl matchup with strong finishes to the season. Tennessee and Purdue are riding two-game win streaks, and both teams are winners in their last three out of four.

Tennessee found its lone ranked win on the season in a cold November match-up with No. 18 Kentucky. Meanwhile, Purdue has a couple of very credible wins under their belt in the form of two Top 5 victories. The Boilermakers toppled No. 2 Iowa in Week 7 and No. 3 Michigan State in Week 10.

Both participants in the Music City Bowl are led by high-powered offenses. Purdue’s veteran quarterback Aiden O’Connell led the team to the second-most passing yards in the Big 12. However, on the other side of things, the Boilermakers will be without the two leading receivers, David Bell and Milton Wright, in the game. On the Tennessee front, the Vols explosive offense will continue to feature the likes of Hendon Hooker, Jabari Small, Velus Jones Jr., and Cedric Tillman. Tennessee had the third-most yards per game among all SEC teams previously in the regular season.

How to Watch – Tennessee vs Purdue – Music City Bowl:

• Start Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
• Location: Nissan Stadium – Nashville, TN
• TV: ESPN
• Online Streaming: Watch ESPN/The ESPN App
• Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App

Odds and Statistics

• ESPN‘s Football Power Index also gives Tennessee a 51.3 percent chance to win, according to their database’s algorithm.

Additional Read from RTI: Top Tennessee Star Ruled Out for Music City Bowl

Previous Matchups

The Tennessee Vols and Purdue Boilermakers have only met one time previously. Their first and only matchup took place in the Bluebonnet Bowl in 1979. The game, which was held in Houston, ended with a Purdue victory by a score of 27-22.

Stat Leaders

Tennessee:

• Passing: Hendon Hooker – 180/261, 2567 yards, 26 TD, 3 INT
• Rushing: Jabari Small – 114 carries, 616 yards, 8 TD
• Receiving: Cedric Tillman – 57 receptions, 931 yards, 9 TD

Purdue:

• Passing: Aiden O’Connell – 80/120, 1412 yards, 14 TD, 4 INT
• Rushing: King Doerue – 125 carries, 488 yards, 2 TD
• Receiving: David Bell (OUT) – 93 receptions, 1286 yards, 6 TD

2021 Records

Tennessee (7-5, 4-4 SEC)

• Week 1 – W – vs Bowling Green 38-6
• Week 2 – L – vs Pittsburgh 41-34
• Week 3 – W – vs Tennessee Tech 56-0
• Week 4 – L – @ No. 11 Florida 38-14
• Week 5 – W – @ Missouri 62-24
• Week 6 – W – vs South Carolina 45-20
• Week 7 – L – vs No. 13 Ole Miss 31-26
• Week 8 – L – @ No. 4 Alabama 52-24
• Week 9 – BYE
• Week 10 – W – @ No. 18 Kentucky 45-42
• Week 11 – L – vs No. 1 Georgia 41-17
• Week 12 – W – vs South Alabama 60-14
• Week 13 – W – vs Vanderbilt 45-21

 Purdue (8-4, 6-3 Big 12)

• Week 1 – W – vs Oregon State 30-21
• Week 2 – W – @ UConn 49-0
• Week 3 – L – @ No. 12 Notre Dame 27-13
• Week 4 – W – vs Illinois 13-9
• Week 5 – L – vs Minnesota 20-13
• Week 6 – BYE
• Week 7 – W – No. 2 Iowa 24-7
• Week 8 – L – vs Wisconsin
• Week 9 – W – @ Nebraska 34-7
• Week 10 – W – vs No. 3 Michigan State 43-6
• Week 11 – L – No. 4 Ohio State 59-31
• Week 12 – W – vs Northwestern 32-14
• Week 13 – W – vs Indiana 44-7