What Joey Aguilar said after Tennessee's overtime loss to Georgia

Joey Aguilar threw for 371 yards and had five total touchdowns for No. 15 Tennessee on Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium, but the Vols fell to No. 6 Georgia 44-41 in overtime.

Here’s everything Aguilar said about his performance and the loss during his postgame press conference:

Going 14-for-14 in the first quarter, then struggling more in the second and third quarters 

“Yeah, I definitely started off with a groove. Those come and go, but I just got to do better in progression and just take what the defense gives me. Felt like I was forcing a little bit of things like that in the middle. But (Georgia is) a great program, they they schemed up some defensive fronts and things like that. So I just got to be better.”

Braylon Staley slipping on a route and the pass being intercepted, Tennessee’s offense bouncing back from that moment 

“Yeah, things like that happen. I mean, you’re going to slip every once in a while. But just keep him up, not let him get down on himself because we had a lot of ball to play left. Just live to the next play and he did and was able to go succeed after that.”

What this Tennessee team can learn about itself after that kind of game

“Man, what didn’t we learn? We stuck together. It was a tough loss to a great team. But we just have to finish a little more and dig a little deeper. We’re going to sit on it tonight and get back to work tomorrow, watch film and correct little things that we have to correct. A lot of good, but definitely a lot of things we can clean up.”

Tennessee’s offensive success against Georgia, the numbers put up

“It’s always a good thing. We’re striving for perfection, even though we’re not going to get there, but we can get pretty close. And just the drive that everybody has on this team to just be great and play for each other and play for that T that we wear is something you can’t put into somebody’s mind and have a mindset like that.”

How motivating that kind of game is early in the season, with so much still in front of Tennessee

“It’s a lot. It’s still early in the season. But they are a great program. Took it all the  way to the wire, and it shows us that we have to dig a little more. Me personally, left a lot on the table. Didn’t put my team in the position to succeed most times but just shows us we have to get back to the drawing boards and get back to work tomorrow.”

Tennessee’s false start before the field goal with seven seconds left

“He just false started. Some things happen like that. Don’t really have an answer for that one. 

The frustration of not being able to turn the Georgia fumble into a touchdown in the fourth quarter

“Defense made a big play. Offense, we just got to execute better than what we did. Points are points. You always take points even if it’s three. So we were grateful for that, but that’s on me. I got to execute better, find my receivers, give them a better ball. But coming out with points is always a positive.” 

His reaction if someone would have told him five months ago that he’d be playing in a Tennessee-Georgia game

“Definitely wouldn’t have had even thought of it. But I’m here now and the main goal is this team, not just me. So I know it’s a great story and stuff like that, but my main focus is to do my job and help this team win games.”

If he felt like he did that job for Tennessee on Saturday 

“I feel like, like I said earlier, left a lot on the table. Didn’t put my team in the best positions to win. There was obviously some good plays here and there, but definitely a lot I could clean up.” 

How hard it is to reset in overtime after Tennessee’s missed field goal at the end of regulation, how to keep confident 

“Just another drive that we get to go out there and play, you know what I mean? When you always get that opportunity to go back out there, strap it up, everybody got that juice in them and is ready to go out there.”

How much better Tennessee’s offense can get from here

“So much better. I mean, I don’t think there’s a limit. Not even offense, but defense and special teams. Everybody comes into work and strives every day, and this just shows us that we got to push a little more. Everywhere, whether it’s the field, workouts, the film room. But it’s exciting to know that we’re not at our best yet.”