It's a play that people all over Knoxville are still talking about and it's got to be something being showcased across campus. We're of course talking about the 73-yard touchdown connection between quarterback Joey Aguilar and receiver Braylon Staley.
Everything about the sequence was perfect for Tennessee football, with Aguilar delivering a dime to his wideout. Staley stayed focused to not only reel the ball in, but he also raced his way into the end zone for six. It set the tone for the rest of the contest between the Vols and Orange.
While you've probably seen the play several times, go ahead and watch it with the view from the stands. It somehow makes the incredible touchdown even better, as you can also hear just how fired up Tennessee fans were once it happened as well:
This angle of Joey Aguilar’s throw is unbelievable 😍 pic.twitter.com/jrTTp9Hlag
— Vol Report (@AllVolReport) August 30, 2025
Joey Aguilar and Braylon Staley's 73-yard TD was a thing of beauty for Tennessee
That's just unreal right there. It was one of the many highlights for the Vols on the day. In his first game with Tennessee, it took Aguilar a little bit of time to get into a groove. Once he found his rhythm, however, he had no issues slicing up the Syracuse defense.
On the afternoon, the App State transfer tossed for 247 yards and three touchdowns. Some people were a bit concerned about him going 16-of-28 and posting 12 incompletions, but keep in mind that there were several drops posted by the Tennessee pass-catchers.
Aguilar and his receivers/tight ends are still building chemistry and the drops should be fixed before we know it. Thankfully, Staley didn't have a case of butter fingers on this long TD. The video above is pure perfection and it's one that will also be played by UT supporters several times.
With that win over the Orange, the vibes are quite strong inside of the Tennessee locker room and this group will be ready to put up even more big numbers against East Tennessee State in Week 2. Should the Vols improve to 2-0, it will set up a HUGE battle with Georgia at Neyland Stadium next weekend.