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4 Tennessee players who exceeded expectations in the thrashing of Syracuse

Talk about performances to remember for these playmakers.
ByBraulio Perez|
Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar (6) puts on the Old Leather Hat after the Aflac Kickoff Game between the Volunteers and Syracuse held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on August 30, 2025.
Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar (6) puts on the Old Leather Hat after the Aflac Kickoff Game between the Volunteers and Syracuse held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on August 30, 2025. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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In terms of opening the season up with a bang, that's exactly what the Tennessee Vols were able to get done against Syracuse on Saturday afternoon. Goodness, who thought the offense would look so fantastic in a 45-26 win?

It sure was a performance to remember, though Josh Heupel will be the first one to admit that there are still plenty of things for the Vols to clean up leading up to the home opener. Despite that, we're going to give these four guys some love before we fully shift our focus to East Tennessee State. Yup, we're highlighting four standouts from the Week 1 win, with the list of course including the guy who ran the offense in stellar fashion.

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4. Quarterback Joey Aguilar

It's no surprise that we're starting off our list with Aguilar. His debut was pure magic for the Vols. Did he start off a bit shaky to open things up? Sure. However, Aguilar quickly calmed down and he ended up getting into a strong groove with his pass-catchers. On the day, Aguilar finished with 247 passing yards and three touchdowns.

It's exactly what Heupel wanted to see out of the veteran quarterback. Aguilar's day no question was highlighted by the 73-yard connection with Braylon Staley. Joey tossed a dime and Staley not only made the great grab, but then he sprinted his way into the end zone. If you need a reminder of how great it looked, go ahead and watch the clip below:

We hate to bring up Nico Iamaleava again, but he wasn't able to make that kind of a throw for the Vols last season. It only took Aguilar one game to prove he can be an upgrade with the deep ball. Aguilar's confidence is high and he'll look to put up even more big numbers for the Vols this weekend vs. East Tennessee State. Then, it will be time to focus on trying to take down Georgia.

Coming up next: A transfer CB

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