Skip to main content
Tennessee

ETSU coach: Tennessee was 'craving' a player like quarterback Joey Aguilar

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey09/07/25GrantRamey
Joey Aguilar, Tennessee Football | Tennessee Athletics
Joey Aguilar, Tennessee Football | Tennessee Athletics

Joey Aguilar completed 23 of 31 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns Saturday afternoon, leading Tennessee to 48 points and needing less than one half of football to do so. With the Vols up 48-0 at halftime, the transfer quarterback’s day was done.

Josh Heupel had seen enough and started emptying his bench to start the third quarter, on the way to a record-breaking 72-17 win in the home opener at Neyland Stadium.

ETSU coach Will Healy had seen enough, too, to know that Tennessee found exactly what it needed in Aguilar.

“I thought their quarterback made great decisions, was really accurate,” Healy said during his postgame press conference. “He’s a really impressive leader. 

“And I think that’s kind of what this place was craving, was a guy that they could relate to and they respected and that was going to work really hard for them. And it seems to be what they got with him.”

Up Next: Tennessee vs. Georgia, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Aguilar transferred from UCLA to Tennessee in May, after former Tennessee starter Nico Iamaleava transferred to UCLA to become the new starter for the Bruins.

Aguilar, a native of Antioch, Calif., had transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA in December after spending the last two seasons throwing for 6,760 yards and 59 touchdowns with the Mountaineers. 

“Obviously he’s talented,” Healy said.

Aguilar completed 16 of 28 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns in his Tennessee debut last week, in the 45-26 win over Syracuse in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. 

In the first half Saturday he threw a 21-yard touchdown to Chris Brazzell II in the first quarter and a 53-yard touchdown to Mike Matthews in the second quarter before his day was done.

“He was difficult to defend, no doubt about it,” Healy said. “… He had his way. He had a great day.” 

‘I think they’re a College Football Playoff talent and College Football Playoff team’

Tennessee as a team used three quarterbacks to throw for 458 yards and four touchdowns. The Vols ran 48 times for 259 yards and five rushing touchdowns, too, while setting new modern era program records for points (72) and first downs (41).

“We got our rear end kicked by a really, really good football team,” Healy said, “and a well-coached football team.”

And the ETSU coach knows just how far Aguilar can take this Tennessee team after seeing the Vols up close. Even if it’s only Week 2.

“I think on both sides of the ball and special-teams-wise,” Healy said, “I think they’re a College Football Playoff talent and College Football Playoff team.”

You may also like