3 Illinois football players who deserve the game ball after the win over Tennessee

The Illinois football team walked into Nissan Stadium in Nashville looking for some hardware and walked out with a 30-28 win over the Tennessee Volunteers.

The Illini were able to secure their second bowl win of the Bret Bielema era, with their first coming just last year in the Citrus Bowl against South Carolina. This is the first time the Illini have won back-to-back bowl games in over a decade, with former coaches Ron Zook and Vic Koenning achieving the feat in 2010 and 2011.

This was an exciting win for the navy and orange. There were plenty of players on this roster who contributed and made this win possible, but out of the entire bunch, which three individuals do you think deserved game balls for their performance?

Here are three Illinois football players who deserve the game ball after the win over Tennessee

1. Luke Altmyer

If you thought I was leaving number nine out of this list, then you haven't been paying attention. Luke Altmyer, senior quarterback out of Starkville, Mississippi, had himself a game on Tuesday in the Music City. He put the team on his back in his final game with the Illini and helped to facilitate the big win.

Altmyer did it all for Illinois, through the air and on the ground. The legendary quarterback completed 20 of his 33 passes for 196 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions against Tennessee. He also finished as the third-leading rusher for the Illini, running for 54 yards and one touchdown on 10 carries in the game.

Altmyer was a superstar and showed the world why he is indeed one of the best ever to don the Illinois uniform. He didn't have to play in this game, but he still came out with his brothers and put on a show. It was a great swan song for his legacy and has left a lasting impression on all Illinois fans.

2. David Olano

If you want to win a game like this, then you need to perform in all three phases of the game. It's not just on the offense and the defense to get the job done. The special teams need to be able to step up and do their jobs when their numbers are called.

That is exactly what happened on Tuesday with Bret Bielema's junior kicker, David Olano. Olano, who is ranked No. 26 in the country with an 85% field goal percentage, was locked in for the Illini. The Naperville, Illinois, product scored 12 total points for Illinois, making all of his field goals and PATs, including the game-winner to seal the deal for his squad.

3. The Illinois rushing attack

The final game ball is going to be hard to give out, mainly because it's not being awarded to just one human. It's being awarded to an entire collection of humans. It's being awarded to Illinois' entire running game, who just put on a clinic on the ground against a big-bad SEC team like Tennessee.

The Volunteers, who have been giving up an average of 146.7 rushing yards per game, were no match for the powerful backfield of the Illini. Illinois ran the ball right down their throats all night long, rushing for a total of 221 yards on 39 carries for 5.7 yards per rush.

This stellar performance, led by junior Aidan Laughery with 77 rushing yards, officially goes down as Illinois' second-best rushing performance of the season. It trails their game against Maryland on November 15, when Illinois rushed the ball 48 times for 225 yards and a score.

Illinois' success on the ground was very key when it came to keeping this offense in rhythm throughout the game. The success in both facets of the offense gave Bret Bielema a chance to keep the ball moving with the play calling, and kept Tennessee's defense guessing for a large majority of the contest.