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Heupel in Season Openers
Josh Heupel will look to remain perfect in season openers as a head coach as he enters Saturday's game against Syracuse with a 7-0 record in such games while outscoring opponents 382-70. Heupel boasts a 4-0 record in season openers with the Vols, outscoring opponents 215-32 and winning all four contests by at least 30 points.
Non-Conference Dominance Under Heupel
The Big Orange will also look to continue their dominance against non-SEC foes in Saturday's opener. UT has won 14 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 17-3 overall vs. non-SEC foes under Heupel and has outscored non-conference opponents 967-288 in the Heupel era. The Vols have won 14 of their last 15 games overall vs. non-conference competition with the only loss occurring last December at eventual national champion Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.
The Orange and White have also won four in a row against non-conference teams at neutral sites with victories against No. 10 Clemson in the 2022 Orange Bowl, Virginia in the 2023 season opener in Nashville, No. 20 Iowa in the 2024 Citrus Bowl in Orlando and NC State in the 2024 Duke's Mayo Classic in Charlotte.
Joey Football Set to Make Tennessee Debut
Tennessee will start a new quarterback for the fourth straight season as graduate transfer Joey Aguilar takes the reins after earning the job in preseason camp. The Vols and Kentucky are the only SEC teams to start a new quarterback for four straight years from 2022-25.
Aguilar's unique timeline includes stops at City College of San Francisco (2019), Diablo Valley Community College in central California (2021-22), Appalachian State (2023-24) and UCLA (spring of 2025). The veteran signal caller heads into the 2025 season as the FBS active career leader in total offense per game (288.5, min. 2,500 yards). He also ranks second in career passing yards per game (270.4) among active FBS players. Aguilar will be making his 25th FBS start in his 26th career FBS game when he takes the field against Syracuse on Saturday.
Defense Setting the Standard
After having one of the nation's top defensive units last season, the Vols will once again look to lean on their talented defense that boasts eight returning starters from a year ago. With multiple time Broyles Award finalist Tim Banks coordinating the defense, UT has held opponents to under 20 points in 11 out of its last 14 games dating back to the 35-0 2024 Citrus Bowl shutout of Iowa. During this stretch, the Vols have pitched three shutouts, including two last season (71-0 vs. Kent State on Sept. 14 and 56-0 vs. UTEP on Nov. 23).
