Aguilar passes for 3 touchdowns as No. 24 Tennessee beats Syracuse 45-26 in season opener

By Canadian Press on August 30, 2025.

ATLANTA (AP) — Joey Aguilar passed for 247 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 24 Tennessee held off Syracuse for a 45-26 win on Saturday.

Aguilar was 16-for-28 passing in his first game with the Volunteers. He threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Staley in the second quarter and found Star Thomas for a 7-yard TD in the third. He also helped close out the win when he passed to Miles Kitselman for a 2-yard TD in the fourth.

Star Thomas had 92 yards on 12 carries for Tennessee, which opened a 38-14 lead in the third. DeSean Bishop and Peyton Lewis each rushed for a TD.

Tennessee (1-0) rolled to 493 yards of offense, compared to 377 for Syracuse (0-1).

Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli was 23 for 40 for 247 yards and a touchdown in his first start with the Orange. He also threw an interception and was sacked five times.

The Volunteers played without true freshman offensive lineman David Sanders Jr., who was inactive with an undisclosed injury. Sanders was the No. 1 tackle in the 2025 class and was slated to make his debut.

Rick Farlow, The Associated Press