Joey Aguilar's Leadership and Performance Shine for Tennessee Volunteers
Joey Aguilar, a transfer quarterback from Appalachian State, has quickly become a key leader for the Tennessee Volunteers. His strong relationships and on-field performance have fueled the team's early success this season.
Aguilar's Impressive Start
The Joey Aguilar era is off to a strong start as Tennessee moved to 2-0 with a dominant 72-17 victory over East Tennessee State. While the Volunteers didn't need Aguilar to carry the load in the blowout, he continued to build on his solid performance from the previous week against Syracuse.
In the game against East Tennessee State, Aguilar completed 23 of 31 passes for 288 yards and threw for two touchdowns.
Crisp First Half and Efficient Play
Aguilar played only the first half, after which backup Jake Merklinger took over in the third quarter with Tennessee leading 48-7 at halftime. Despite Tennessee's confidence in Aguilar's rushing ability, he didn't register a carry in the game, focusing instead on his passing game.
Zero Turnovers and Comparison to Nico Iamaleava
This season, Aguilar has thrown for 535 passing yards with five touchdowns and, crucially, 0 turnovers. He stepped into the starting role after Nico Iamaleava, who had initially committed to UCLA, moved on. Aguilar himself had initially planned to join UCLA after leaving Appalachian State, but ultimately found his place in Knoxville after Iamaleava joined the Bruins.
While it's challenging to directly compare Aguilar's stats with those of Nico Iamaleava due to the stronger supporting cast around Aguilar, his early performance suggests the Tennessee offense is in capable hands. His first two games make it seem like the Tennessee offense will be just fine without the former five-star recruit, Iamaleava.
Tennessee's Strong Position
Tennessee is now 2-0, having scored a combined 117 points in their first two games, with both wins being decisive enough that Aguilar didn't need to play the entire game. The Volunteers have put up 117 total points over their first two games.
Coach Heupel's Satisfaction
With the season still young, the Volunteers are undoubtedly pleased with the early results from their new quarterback. Head Coach Josh Heupel and the team can't be upset about the early returns from their new quarterback.