Postgame Notes: #24/18 Tennessee 45, Syracuse 26

Photo by: Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics

August 30, 2025 | Football

TENNESSEE FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Aug. 30, 2025 | Atlanta, Ga. | Mercedes-Benz Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 24/18 Tennessee 45, Syracuse 26

General Notes

Saturday's attendance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium: 45,918
Tennessee's all-time on-field record improved to 887-417-53 with Saturday's win (NCAA record: 876-417-53).
Josh Heupel improved to 5-0 in season openers with the Vols, outscoring opponents 260-58 in those contests.
- Heupel is 8-0 in season openers as a head coach for his entire career, outscoring opponents 427-96.
- Tennessee owns a 97-26-6 on-field record all-time in season openers and a 96-26-6 NCAA record in openers (the 2020 opener was vacated by NCAA).
Saturday marked the fourth meeting between the Vols and the Orange, and Tennessee improved its record in the series to 4-0 all-time.
- Saturday's contest was the first meeting between Tennessee and Syracuse since the Sept. 1, 2001, season opener. The Vols won that game, 33-9.
- Saturday was the third time that the two teams opened a season against each other. The Vols won a 34-33 thriller on Sept. 5, 1998, in the Carrier Dome, which represented the first victory of UT's 13-0 undefeated national championship season.
- The first meeting between the two teams occurred in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 31, 1966. Coach Doug Dickey's team jumped out to an 18-0 first-half lead and held on to win 18-12.
Tennessee earned its third victory in the Atlanta Kickoff Game after previous triumphs over NC State (35-21) on Aug. 31, 2012, and Georgia Tech (42-41 [2OT]) on Sept. 4, 2017.
Under Heupel, the Vols improved to 18-3 against non-conference opponents since 2021, including 16-1 in the regular season. UT has scored at least 30 points in all 17 regular season games against non-league foes.
- Tennessee has won 15 consecutive non-SEC regular season games, a streak that dates to a 56-0 victory over Tennessee Tech on Sept. 18, 2021.
The Vols are undefeated in their last five neutral site contests with victories vs. No. 10 Clemson in the 2022 Orange Bowl, Virginia in the 2023 season opener in Nashville, No. 20 Iowa in the 2024 Citrus Bowl in Orlando, NC State in the 2024 Duke's Mayo Classic last season and Saturday's triumph over Syracuse in the Aflac Kickoff Game.
Tennessee has won five consecutive games against ACC foes, a streak that dates to Week 2 of the 2022 season.
- In 2022, UT defeated No. 17 Pitt, 34-27, in overtime and ACC champ No. 7 Clemson, 31-14, in the Orange Bowl.
- In 2023, Tennessee opened the season with a 49-13 win over Virginia in Nashville.
- Last season, the Vols dominated No. 24 NC State, 51-10, in the Duke's Mayo Classic in Charlotte on Sept. 7.
Play-by-play announcer Mike Keith made his debut as the Voice of the Vols alongside a new Vol Network broadcast team for the 2025 season. VFLs Ramon Foster and Jayson Swain served as analysts, and Brent Hubbs provided insights as the sideline reporter.

Vol Captains/Coin Toss

Tennessee's team captains for Saturday's game: LS Bennett Brady, LB Arion Carter, TE Miles Kitselman, DB Andre Turrentine
Syracuse won the toss and deferred to the second half. Tennessee received the opening kickoff and Syracuse defended the west end zone.

Tennessee Debuts

Tennessee had 21 players make their debuts for the Volunteers during Saturday's game, including 15 true freshmen. The complete list is below (*denotes collegiate debut).
- QB Joey Aguilar
- LB Brenden Anes*
- RB Justin Baker*
- TE DaSaahn Brame*
- DL Mariyon Dye*
- LB Jaedon Harmon*
- DB Colton Hood
- WR Radarious Jackson*
- DB Timothy Merritt*
- OL Wendell Moe Jr.
- RB Daune Morris*
- OL Sam Pendleton
- LB Jadon Perlotte*
- DB Tre Poteat*
- DB Ty Redmond*
- DL Josh Schell
- WR Travis Smith Jr.*
- RB Star Thomas
- DL Ethan Utley*
- TE Jack Van Dorselaer*
- DB Sidney Walton*

First-Time Starters

QB Joey Aguilar (24 starts at App State), RB DeSean Bishop, DB Edrees Farooq, DB Colton Hood (1 start at Colorado), WR Mike Matthews, OL Wendell Moe Jr. (27 starts at Arizona), DL Jaxson Moi (8 starts at Stanford), OL Sam Pendleton (7 starts at Notre Dame), OL Jesse Perry, WR Braylon Staley and OL Shamurad Umarov made their first starts as Volunteers against Syracuse.
- Tennessee started a new quarterback for the fourth straight season as graduate transfer Joey Aguilar takes the reins after earning the job in preseason camp. The Vols and Kentucky are the only SEC teams to start a new QB for four straight years from 2022-25.

Team Offensive Notes

Tennessee finished Saturday's contest with 246 rushing yards as a team, to go along with 247 yards through the air - totaling 493 yards of total offense on Saturday.
- Josh Heupel's Tennessee teams have put up 400 yards of total offense 38 times.
- The Vols have produced 200 rushing yards 31 times under Heupel and own a 29-2 record when doing so, including 23 wins in a row when reaching that threshold.
Tennessee held a 17-0 lead over Syracuse at the end of the first quarter. During the Josh Heupel era, the Vols have outscored their opponents 560-202 in the opening stanza, and UT has scored a first-quarter touchdown in 41 of 53 games under Heupel.

Individual Offensive Notes

Sophomore RB Peyton Lewis scored Tennessee's first touchdown of the 2025 season, breaking the goal line on a 2-yard plunge with 6:02 remaining in the first quarter.
Redshirt senior QB Joey Aguilar connected with redshirt freshman WR Braylon Staley on a 73-yard passing touchdown, putting the Vols ahead 24-7 with 11:14 remaining in the first half.
- The catch was a career-long for Staley, who entered Saturday's contest with three career receptions for 21 yards.
- The completion was also the third longest of Aguilar's career after connecting on passes of 83 yards (vs. ETSU in 2024) and 77 yards (at Georgia State in 2023) during his time with App State.
- Under head coach Josh Heupel (2021-present), the Tennessee offense has generated 16 plays of 70 or more yards – 10 passing and six rushing.
Right before halftime, redshirt sophomore RB DeSean Bishop hit paydirt with a 1-yard dive into the end zone to give Tennessee a 31-14 advantage at the break. The Knoxville native had four rushes for 59 yards on the scoring drive, including a 47-yard burst that was the second-longest run of his career.
- In his first career start, Bishop finished Saturday's game with a team-high 134 all=purpose yards (82 rushing, 52 receiving).
Senior RB Star Thomas scored his first touchdown as a Vol on Tennessee's first drive of the second half, pulling in a 7-yard touchdown reception in the back of the end zone. It was the seventh receiving touchdown of his FBS career.

Team Defensive Notes

Tennessee finished Saturday's contest with five sacks and seven tackles for loss. Its five sacks were the most in a single game since also having five against Iowa in the 2024 Citrus Bowl.

Individual Defensive Notes

Redshirt sophomore DB Colton Hood capitalized on a Syracuse fumble with 0:56 remaining in the first quarter, scooping his first career fumble recovery and returning it 22 yards for a touchdown. The turnover was caused by a strip sack from redshirt sophomore DL Nathan Robinson, who notched his first career sack and forced fumble on the play.
- The Vols have scored 10 defensive touchdowns during Tim Banks' tenure as defensive coordinator. It was Tennessee's first fumble return for a touchdown since Tyler Baron had a 24-yard scoop-and-score against UConn on Nov. 4, 2023.
Tennessee created its second takeaway of the game right out of the halftime locker room when redshirt senior DB Jalen McMurray tipped a pass in the backfield that was corralled by junior LB Jeremiah Telander for an interception. It was the first pick of Telander's career and 16th career PBU for McMurray (11 at Temple, 5 at Tennessee).

Special Teams Notes

Redshirt sophomore PK Max Gilbert connected on his only field goal attempt of the day, hitting from 34 yards out in the first quarter. He was a perfect 6-for-6 on PATs.
Redshirt junior P Jackson Ross downed three punts inside the 20-yard line with a long of 56.

Career Highs

The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:

Offense

RB DeSean Bishop
- 2 receptions
- 44 receiving yards
- 23-yard long reception
WR Braylon Staley
- 4 receptions
- 95 receiving yards
- 1 receiving touchdown
- 73-yard long reception

Defense/Special Teams

LB Arion Carter
- 1 sack
DB Edrees Farooq
- 2 pass breakups
DB Colton Hood
- 3 pass breakups
- 1 fumble recovery
- 1 touchdown (fumble return)
DL Joshua Josephs
- 7 tackles (tied career high)
- 1.0 sack (tied career high)
DB Jalen McMurray
- 7 tackles (tied career high)
- 1.0 sack
- 1.0 TFL (ties career high)
DL Nathan Robinson
- 3 tackles
- 1.0 sack
- 1.0 TFL
- 1 forced fumble
LB Edwin Spillman
- 6 tackles
- 1.0 sack
- 1.0 TFL
LB Jeremiah Telander
- 1 interception
DL Tyree Weathersby
- 6 tackles