Tennessee defeated Syracuse in Atlanta by the score of 45-26. The Vols played well in all facets of the game to earn a commanding win on a neutral site.
The offense excelled in Aguilar’s debut game as the transfer quarterback. The Appalachian State transfer went 16 for 28 for 247 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. The highlight of the game for Aguilar was his 73-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman Braylon Stayley on a deep post.
Aguilar’s Debut
Aguilar showed the ability to progress through his reads and rip the ball to the receiver of his choice. He was consistently able to find his guys in the 10 to 15 yard range throughout the entire game and took chances on deep balls when it was available.
In total, he took three chances on deep balls, two of which resulted in positive gains for the Vols. The first was on a post to Chris Brazzell down the field, where he was able to generate a pass interference penalty on the defense. The second one resulted in the monster touchdown to Stayley; the third was an incomplete pass.
While the passing game was, in general, very good for the Vols, there were some negatives. Aguilar would miss high occasionally, which impacted the receiver’s ability to make plays after the catch or resulted in incomplete passes. Drops were also a problem in the receiving room on a few occasions.
The passing game showed a ton of promise as the season began for the Vols, and with room to improve, the sky is the limit for this group.
Vols’ Running Game Rolls
Coming into the 2025 season, the Vols had to replace SEC Offensive Player of the Year Dylan Sampson at running back. The Vols entered the season having a committee in the backfield of DeSean Bishop, Star Thomas and Peyton Lewis. This trio of running backs each offer a unique skillset and are all extremely talented, shown against Syracuse.
Bishop had 11 carries for a total of 82 yards and a touchdown. His day was highlighted by a 47-yard carry where he broke a tackle behind the line of scrimmage and took the run deep into Orange territory. Bishop was the first back used in the game by Heupel and was efficient when he was relied upon.
Thomas had 12 carries for 92 yards with a catch for seven-yard touchdown catch as well. Thomas is the most complete back for the Vols, and it showed. Every time Thomas got the ball, good things happened. His day was highlighted by a nice receiving touchdown in the back of the endzone over a defender.
Lewis carried the ball eight times for 38 yards and a touchdown. Lewis is the most talented back with elite speed and power. He scored his touchdown on a run where he met someone in the gap and plowed him over to score in the endzone. Lewis will continue to get carries and the ball in a variety of ways due to his explosiveness.
Josh Heupel Scheme Changes
Heuepel offered some different looks on offense that the Vols haven’t shown on tape before during his Tennessee tenure. The most notable of these changes was the addition of the pistol formation. The pistol allows the trio of running backs to have a downhill start on carries and move more aggressively north and south. Another benefit of the pistol formation is that it makes schemes simple for Aguilar to make throws in rhythm.
The Vols also showed different formations out of shotgun to generate different looks for the offense. One of these formations was a bunch on one side of the field. These bunches allowed the Vols to find specific matches against the defense. All of Heupel’s changes allowed the Vols to become more explosive on the offensive end.
New Guys Step Up On Defense
The Vols had one of the best defenses in the country last season, but lost some key figures on the defensive line. Joshua Josephs stepped up as the main man for the defense on the outside, while it gets contributions from Tyree Weathersby, Bryson Eason, Dominic Bailey, and Jordan Ross elsewhere.
The defensive line had a great day against Syracuse, stopping the run by holding the Orange to 2.3 yards per carry. Sophomore Nathan Robinson caused chaos early on in the game. His day was highlighted when he forced a fumble on the quarterback, which resulted in a scoop and score.
Transfer cornerback Colton Hood and true freshman Ty Redmond had excellent debut games in the secondary for the Vols. Hood was the beneficiary of Robinson forcing the fumble, as he scooped the ball up to score for the defense.
Hood also had three pass breakups, leading the SEC in that category. Redmond flashed great ability in man coverage throughout the game. He ended up with two pass breakups and was very sticky in coverage. Jalen McMurray was also fantastic in his increased role in coverage.
Injury Bug Strikes in Atlanta
While almost everything went perfectly for the Vols, the number of injuries they sustained will have an impact going forward.
Senior nose tackle Jaxson Moi suffered an injury early in the game and did not return. Nathan Robinson, his replacement, got injured later in the game, forcing a rotation on the defensive line. In the secondary, cornerback Ricky Gibson III got hurt. Gibson III joins veteran corner Jermod McCoy as starters who are injured in the secondary. Now, across the board, younger guys are going to have to step up.
The Vols take on the East Tennessee State Buccaneers on Sep. 6 for the home opener inside Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30pm EST on ESPN+.
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