ATLANTA — Tennessee passed its first test of college football’s 2025 season.
New Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar passed it with flying colors.
Aguilar, who played at Appalachian State the past two seasons and was at UCLA this spring before getting summoned to Knoxville following the abrupt departure of Nico Iamaleava, threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns Saturday afternoon as the No. 24 Vols overwhelmed Syracuse 45-26 at the Aflac Kickoff Classic inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder from Antioch, California, completed 16 of 28 attempts and also rushed six times for 34 yards in guiding an offense containing nine new starters to 493 total yards.
“He is who he was on the practice field,” Josh Heupel said after winning his fifth consecutive opener as Tennessee’s coach. “He’s very even-keeled and composed, and I thought he handled the operation extremely well. He’s just very steady, and it’s a testament to who he is as a person.
“It’s a really good start for him. To be here for 3 1/2 months and to be able to learn and grasp and play the way he did today is a testament to his work.”