Luke Altmyer trucks ref, powers Illinois to Music City Bowl win over Tennessee and first back-to-back 9-plus-win seasons in program history
- - Luke Altmyer trucks ref, powers Illinois to Music City Bowl win over Tennessee and first back-to-back 9-plus-win seasons in program history
Andy Backstrom December 31, 2025 at 9:49 AM
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Luke Altmyer trucks ref, powers Illinois to Music City Bowl win over Tennessee and first back-to-back 9-plus-win seasons in program history
Luke Altmyer was an unstoppable force Tuesday night in the Music City Bowl.
Nothing was getting in the way of a milestone victory in his 35th and final start as Illinois' quarterback: not Tennessee's 94-yard, go-ahead kickoff return touchdown in the fourth quarter, and especially not an official who found himself in the path of the redshirt senior earlier in the night.
Altmyer incidentally trucked that ref on a 14-yard run during a third-quarter touchdown drive, and he responded with another touchdown drive after the pixie dust settled from the Volunteers' special-teams magic.
Illinois QB Luke Altmyer just did to a ref what Derrick Henry does to NFL defenders every Sunday. Fitting the Music City Bowl is in Henry’s old stomping grounds pic.twitter.com/yPE2L3kEsE
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) December 31, 2025
Altmyer, once an Ole Miss transfer who ended up authoring a three-season legacy at Illinois, already led all active FBS quarterbacks with six career game-winning drives in the final minute or overtime. The Starkville, Mississippi, native had one more in him, as David Olano made a 29-yard field goal as time expired.
With the 30-28 victory, the Fighting Illini (9-4, 5-4 Big Ten) recorded back-to-back nine-plus-win seasons for the first time in program history. They won 10 games in 2024, and Altmyer picked up where he left off to stitch together an impressive 2025 campaign.
Tennessee (8-5, 4-4 SEC) suffered another gut-wrenching defeat in a season that also included one-score losses to Georgia and Oklahoma, a pair of College Football Playoff teams.
Altmyer threw for 196 yards and a score and ran for 54 yards and a score. He clocks out with 23 wins at Illinois, tied with Jack Trudeau for the second-most victories recorded by a Fighting Illini quarterback. Kurt Kittner is atop that list with 24.
Illinois took a 10-7 lead into the half and went up two scores early in the third quarter, thanks to a strip-sack and fumble recovery.
Fighting Illini outside linebacker Joe Barna flew off the edge, wrapped up Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar and jarred the ball loose.
It bounced toward the end zone, and Illinois' Leon Lowery Jr. hopped on it for the touchdown after defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. got a crack at collecting the loose change.
Tennessee entered averaging 40.8 points per game. The Volunteers' offense had a lot more to offer, starting with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ended with the first of running back DeSean Bishop's two rushing touchdowns. That rebuttal made it 17-14.
Then came Altmyer's bowling ball run that knocked over a ref as if he was a pin. Soon after, he paired a 15-yard dart to tight end Tanner Arkin with a 2-yard zone-read touchdown run.
Tennessee's next counterpunch was even more methodical. The Vols patiently hummed to the tune of a 14-play, 79-yard touchdown drive that featured a third-and-15 connection between Aguilar and wide receiver Mike Matthews.
Things got rocky for the Illini when Tennessee went on top with 4:58 to go. Following a 28-yard Illinois field goal, true Volunteers freshman wideout Joakim Dodson muffed the ensuing kickoff before quickly redeeming himself with a recovery, a couple moves and a sprint down the left sideline for a touchdown that put his team ahead 28-27.
Vols back in front!📺 ESPN📲 https://t.co/Of3njOtsCz pic.twitter.com/KUCYR79ylT
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 31, 2025
Altmyer was unfazed, though.
He used his legs for key pickups. And he quarterbacked an offense that executed in short-yardage at the most critical of times.
Lined up as a fullback, tight end Jordan Anderson plowed forward for 13 yards on a gotta-have-it fourth-and-1. Later in the drive, 255-pound running back Kaden Feagin picked up three yards on third-and-1 deep in Tennessee territory.
That conversion allowed Illinois to chew clock and wait for the game-winning field goal.
Illinois didn't make a run to the CFP like some thought Bret Bielema's crew might after turning heads last season. But it did beat an ACC champion in Duke and a ranked USC team as well as Tennessee while making program history.
Source: “AOL Sports”
