ATLANTA — Quarterback Joey Aguilar passed his Tennessee football debut with mostly flying colors.
Aguilar, the UCLA transfer and former Appalachian State star, led the 18th-ranked Vols (1-0) to a 45-26 win over Syracuse (0-1) in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
He was on point in the first half and played through unspecified injuries in the second half. Overall, it was an encouraging first game for the new Vols quarterback.
Here’s a quick rundown of Aguilar’s performance against Syracuse on Aug. 30.
Joey Aguilar’s stats
Aguilar was 16-of-28 passing for 247 yards and three TDs. He also rushed for 34 yards.
Aguilar’s best: Perfectly placed deep pass
In the second quarter, Aguilar calmly tossed a deep ball to Braylon Staley, who got a step ahead of the Syracuse defender. Staley made the catch and raced to a 73-yard touchdown.
It was a great pass by Aguilar, and even better considering the context. He replaced quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who transferred to UCLA in spring over an NIL dispute. Iamaleava struggled to connect on deep passes, often overthrowing open receivers.
UT had only one offensive gain longer than 73 yards during the 2024 season, and it was an 86-yard pass in the regular-season finale against Vanderbilt.
Aguilar’s worst: First-quarter fumble
Late in the first quarter, the Vols drove to the Syracuse 25-yard line but lost a fumble to Syracuse on a handoff from Aguilar to running back Star Thomas.
Aguilar was credited with the fumble. But it appeared the turnover was a result of miscommunication on the exchange. Thomas didn’t appear to expect the ball, but his arm jarred it loose.
However, UT made up for the miscue on the next play. Colton Hood returned a Syracuse fumble 22 yards for a touchdown.
Grade: B+
Aguilar looked poised, loose and in control of Tennessee’s offense. That’s not easy for any quarterback in their debut with a new school. But Aguilar had an added degree of difficulty, having never played for a Power 4 school before.
Aguilar, 24, looked like he belonged, which was quite a relief for UT.
Aguilar may play better games for the Vols. But he won’t have a more reassuring performance than this one.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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