ATLANTA — An offseason filled with drama for the University of Tennessee football program — All-America cornerback Jermod McCoy’s ACL injury, the ceaseless conversation around what led to quarterback Nico Iamaleava abandoning his team on the day of the Orange & White spring game, and of course the Boo Carter disciplinary saga — officially came to an end Saturday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
For all the off-field theatrics, as the curtain rose on a new season, the 24th-ranked Volunteers looked completely unfazed in the Aflac Kickoff Classic against Syracuse, where they won 45-26 and methodically erased every hint of the uncertainty that had cast a shadow since last season ended with an embarrassing road loss to eventual national champion Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Even without McCoy — who’s expected to miss at least next week’s home opener against East Tennessee State before returning — new arrivals Colton Hood (four tackles, three pass breakups and a scoop-and-score fumble return) and Ty Redmond (four tackles, two pass breakups) more than held their own in a secondary that was tested by the Orange throwing 40 passes.
And after sitting out most of the first quarter, Carter was back on the field, making a solo tackle, defending two passes and harassing quarterback Steve Angeli on a play that should have gone for a sack.
As for the biggest question facing the Vols before kickoff, let’s just say Joey Aguilar had an answer by halftime. Actually, the graduate transfer quarterback may have delivered an emphatic statement on his first deep pass, connecting with Braylon Staley on a perfectly placed 73-yard bomb for a touchdown that had social media buzzing immediately.