NEED TO KNOW
Vols Looking for Milestone Win in Home Opener
A win on Saturday would be the 500th on-field victory in the history of Shields-Watkins Field (1921-pres.). Tennessee has won its last five home openers and will look to continue its recent dominance on Rocky Top under head coach Josh Heupel.
The Vols are 20-1 over the last three seasons inside of Neyland Stadium and 25-4 overall in home games under Heupel, outscoring opponents 1,263-523.
Another Dominant Opener
Tennessee improved to 5-0 in season openers under Heupel with a 45-26 throttling of Syracuse in the Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta. The Vols have now outscored opponents 260-58 in openers under Heupel.
Appalachian State graduate transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar, making his first Vol start, accounted for 281 yards of total offense and was 16-of-28 for 247 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Aguilar fired the longest pass play in the SEC in Week 1 when he connected for a 73-yard bomb to Braylon Staley with 11:14 left in the second quarter.
The Vols rushed for 246 yards and averaged 6.2 yards per carry, while finishing with 493 yards of total offense. UT was a perfect 5-of-5 in the redzone, as well. Duke transfer running back Star Thomas had a game-high 92 rushing yards and caught a 7-yard touchdown pass. Fellow running back DeSean Bishop, making his first-career start, finished with 82 rushing yards and a score. Six different Vols scored on the day, including transfer defensive back Colton Hood, who recorded a 22-yard scoop-and-score on a strip sack by defensive lineman Nathan Robinson late in the first quarter.
Tennessee's new-look offensive line did not allow a sack on the day, while the defense registered five sacks, representing the Vols' most since the 2024 Citrus Bowl. UT finished the day with 10 pass breakups - its most in a game since recording 10 at Georgia on Oct. 9, 2004. Linebacker Arion Carter recorded a team-high nine tackles, including a sack and a tackle for loss.
Dominance in Non-Conference Play
The Big Orange will look to continue their dominance against non-SEC foes on Saturday. UT has won 15 non-conference regular season games in a row dating back to a 56-0 victory over Tennessee Tech on Sept. 18, 2021. The Vols' last non-conference regular season loss was to Pitt on Sept. 11, 2021, in what was Heupel's second game at UT.
Tennessee is 18-3 overall vs. non-SEC foes under Heupel and has outscored non-conference opponents 1,012-314 in the Heupel era. The Vols have won 15 of their last 16 games overall versus non-conference competition with the only loss occurring last December at eventual national champion Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.
Lots of New Faces
A total of 21 players made their Tennessee debuts in the Aflac Kickoff Game win over Syracuse in Atlanta. Fifteen of those 21 made their collegiate debuts overall, all true freshmen. The Vols also had 11 players - eight on offense and three on defense - make their first Tennessee starts last Saturday against the Orange. Six of the 11 made their first collegiate starts overall - five on offense and one on defense.
The UT first-time starters vs. Syracuse included: QB Joey Aguilar (24 starts at App State), RB DeSean Bishop, S Edrees Farooq, CB Colton Hood (1 start at Colorado), WR Mike Matthews, RG Wendell Moe Jr. (27 starts at Arizona), DT Jaxson Moi (8 starts at Stanford), C Sam Pendleton (7 starts at Notre Dame), RT Jesse Perry, WR Braylon Staley and LG Shamurad Umarov.
