Joey Aguilar made his Tennessee football debut this past Saturday in a dominant 45-26 win over Syracuse. The Senior quarterback finished the season opener with 247 passing yards, 34 rushing yards, and 3 touchdowns.
On the other side of the country, former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava made his UCLA debut. Nico threw for 136 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in an embarrassing 43-10 loss to Utah.
Longtime Tennessee rival and infamous hater of the Vols, Steve Spurrier, weighed in on Aguilar's debut and praised his performance over Nico's season last year.
"[Nico Iamaleava] had some so-so games, really, at Tennessee. But this [Joey] Aguilar kid seems to be a good teammate and so forth," Spurrier said on the Another Dooley Noted Podcast.
“I’m watching [UCLA] and I’m like, this is unbelievable how bad Iamaleava is...He just couldn’t do anything right," Spurrier added.
While Spurrier didn't give Aguilar overwhelming praise, it still takes a lot for the longtime Florida and South Carolina head coach to give the Vols credit during football season.
Aguilar has the opportunity to lead the Vols back to the College Football Playoff this season after a dramatic offseason, which resulted in Iamaleava leaving the Vols for sunny California and a shady roster at UCLA.
Tennessee will look to continue building offensive momentum as the Vols welcome ETSU to Neyland Stadium this Saturday in the home opener.
Former Michigan and Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara is leading the Buccaneers offense, offering a dynamic look for ETSU after its 1-0 start to the season. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 PM ET on ESPN+ and SEC Network+.