Outback Bowl 2015 Schedule: Tennessee vs Northwestern Odds & Point Unfold,

Northwestern and Tennessee face off in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day.

The Northwestern and Tennessee football programs got a taste of that during the annual team dinner where the programs were treated to literally tons of food prepared for them by Outback.

Yet the Wildcats are 8.5-point underdogs in Friday’s Outback Bowl game against Tennessee. They defeated Iowa 45-28 in the Taxslayer Bowl last season to finish with their first winning record (7-6) since 2009 and break a seven-year losing skid in bowl games. Justin Jackson had a big game running the ball for the Wildcats, carrying 37 times for 172 yards and one TD.

Last year’s games provided one of the most memorable highlights when Wisconsin defeated Auburn 34-31 in overtime.

D IS THE KEY: One of the main reasons Northwestern was able to secure 10 wins for the second consecutive season was its dominance defensively. They became bowl eligible back on October 24 for the 12th time in program history and sixth time under head coach Pat Fitzgerald.

Here is a look at each of Tennessee’s previous experiences with the Outback Bowl. This is Tennessee’s 33rd January Bowl game and second in a row. The Vols have lost those games by a total of 17 points to teams with a combined record of 36-8 (.818), including three teams with a record of 10-1 – Florida and CFP Playoff squads Alabama and Oklahoma.

After missing out on bowls games the past two seasons, Northwestern is back with a team built for late-game heroics. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs completed 59.9 percent of his passes for 2,125 yards and 15 touchdowns against five interceptions.

They then went there back to back years in the 2000s. Hurd ranks fifth in the SEC with 96.5 yards per game, having rushed 253 times for 1,158 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Kick returner Evan Berry and punt returner Cameron Sutton more than help with field position. Northwestern has also given up just five passing touchdowns in the regular season, the lowest mark nationally. The feast included 750 pounds of steak, 700 pounds of salad and 1,200 pounds of cheesecake….