When No. 24 Tennessee faces Syracuse in Atlanta this weekend, the similarities will run much deeper than the colors in the stands.
Fresh off productive campaigns, the two orange-clad foes introduce new quarterbacks as they open their respective seasons against each other Saturday.
Tennessee went 10-3 a season ago in Josh Heupel’s fourth year on the sidelines. The team has won 30 games over the past three seasons and made it to the College Football Playoff in 2024, although eventual champion Ohio State clobbered the Volunteers, 42-17, in the first round of the inaugural 12-team event.
After appearing in 25 games at Appalachian State, Joey Aguilar takes over at quarterback for Tennessee. He threw 56 touchdowns (but also 24 interceptions) during his time with the Mountaineers.
“I was super excited (to win the starting quarterback job),” said Aguilar, who actually transferred to UCLA before switching gears and heading to Knoxville. “Coming out here and being the starting quarterback of this program is nothing but excitement. And that’s all I can say. I’m just super excited.”
Tennessee ranked in the top 20 nationally last season in both total offense and scoring. So not only will Aguilar have big shoes to fill, with former Tennessee starter Nico Iamaleava essentially taking Aguilar’s place at UCLA. But the team will have a new look at running back with Peyton Lewis and company attempting to replace Dylan Sampson.
Integrating four new starters on the offensive line doesn’t exactly help matters. Still, Heupel remains confident in his team – and eager to see how the squad looks in Week 1.
“I like who they are, how they compete, how they’ve grown,” Heupel said. “…Game 1s, there’s a lot of unknowns as far as what you’re seeing from the other side of the ball, their personnel, all of those things. You’ve got to be able to communicate and adjust quickly and well during the course of a football game, but I like this team that we have.”
Meanwhile, Syracuse won 10 games a season ago – its first double-digit victory campaign since 2018. Coach Fran Brown turned around the program with a blend of masterful recruiting, strong leadership and outstanding motivational tactics.
That said, the team lost quarterback Kyle McCord – one of the top signal-callers in college football a season ago – and will also have to replace running back LeQuint Allen Jr. Despite those losses, the Orange offense should once again be effective (and complex) with Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli under center.
“All their shifts, trades, motions, the communication is going to be important (against Syracuse),” said Heupel.
Among the players that Angeli will need to keep a close eye on defensively is linebacker Arion Carter, who led the team with 68 tackles last season.
“That linebacker, (number) seven, Arion, he’s a beast,” said Brown. “He just can play football. He’s really good. Does a really good job.”
This is the fourth all-time meeting between Syracuse and Tennessee but the first since 2001. The Volunteers have won each of the previous three matchups.
“Everybody (in the stands) is going to have on orange. Orange is orange,” Heupel said. “My guys are just going to be happy to play in a packed stadium. We’re ready to go.”
–Field Level Media
