Volunteer Country

Game Balls: Tennessee-Purdue

Three Vols earn an offense, defense and special teams game ball following their performances against Purdue. See below.

Jack Foster

As we have done each week this season, we hand out the Volunteer Country on Sports Illustrated's edition of game balls based on player performance. The

Offense: WR Cedric Tillman

Cedric Tillman once again balled out for the Vols. He was consistently wide open early in the matchup and hauled in two scores and 100 plus yards receiving during the first period. He finished the bowl game with an unbelievable stat line of 150 yards on seven catches and three scores. 

Tillman's effort puts him over 1,000 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns on the season after accounting for a mere 124 yards and two scores in his first three years on Rocky Top. 

Tillman was missed a few times by quarterback Hendon Hooker as well, so No. 4's day could have been even more massive in Music City. 

Still, though, Tillman's day was groundbreaking, and his third touchdown was huge for the Vols on fourth down in the fourth quarter to then tie it up at 38.

Defense: Jeremy Banks

Banks has been productive for the Vols at starting linebacker this season, and he finished his redshirt junior season on a high note in Nashville. Banks had a team leading 20 tackles and came up big on some third-down stops, specifically a sack in the second quarter. Banks finished with two total tackles for loss and the sack. 

Banks was the only Vol to have four solo tackles, and he finished with 10. The Cordova, Tennessee, native also tacked on two pass breakups to his stat line. 

Banks' 20 tackles against Purdue is a Music City Bowl record. 

Special Teams: Velus Jones Jr.

Tennessee fifth-year senior wideout Velus Jones Jr. had another productive day returning kicks, as he returned five Boilermaker kickoffs for 140 yards, averaging 28 yards per. Jones' 140 kickoff return yardage is a Music City Bowl record. 

Jones has been stellar in this department all season, and he finishes his Tennessee career with another solid outing. 

Jones was also solid on offense, catching a team-leading 10 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown.

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Jack Foster
JACK FOSTER

Jack is a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville majoring in Journalism/Electronic Media. Jack grew up in Paris, Tennessee, but now spends the majority of his time in Knoxville doubling as a student and sports journalist for Volunteer Country. Jack has been a sports junkie since he was a young kid and always watched NFL football with his dad on Sundays. Jack still follows the NFL religiously, as he is an avid fantasy football player. Jack started with Volunteer Country in May of 2021 and has since helped provide full coverage of football, baseball and men's and women's basketball. Jack also works as a recurring member of WUTK's Rock Solid Sports show on Wednesdays and Fridays, and he also serves as head sports producer of The Volunteer Channel's Vol News, a student-run show at the University. When Jack is not watching or covering sports, find him on the golf course or back home spending time with his parents, younger sister and friends. Follow Jack on Twitter and Instagram by clicking "Twitter" and "Instagram" to see all of his work with Volunteer Country as well as student media.

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