Tennessee football quarterback Joey Aguilar had a record-setting start and accounted for five touchowns, but it wasn’t enough in a 44-41 overtime loss to Georgia.
The No. 15 Vols (2-1, 0-1) fell to No. 3 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) in Aguilar’s first SEC game.
Aguilar was perfect in the first quarter, becoming the first SEC quarterback to go 14-of-14 passing or better in any quarter in the last 20 seasons, according to ESPN. But it didn’t end well.
Here’s a quick rundown of Aguilar’s performance against Georgia on Sept. 13.
Joey Aguilar’s stats
Aguilar was 24-of-36 passing for 371 yards, four TDs and two interceptions. He also rushed for a touchdown.
Aguilar is a former Appalachian State standout and UCLA transfer. Through three games as UT’s quarterback, he has completed 66% of his passes for 906 yards, nine TDs and two interceptions.
Aguilar’s best: Best start by SEC quarterback in 20 years
Aguilar was a perfect 14-of-14 passing for 213 yards with two TDs in the first quarter, and he added a rushing TD. That red-hot start helped UT build a 21-7 lead.
He spread the wealth, completing four passes each to wide receivers Chris Brazzell, Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley and two passes to tight end Miles Kitselman.
Aguilar connected with Brazzell for two TDs passes during that flawless start, a 72-yarder and 14-yarder.
Aguilar’s worst: First two interceptions as Vols quarterback
Aguilar threw an interception on a deep pass to Mike Matthews in the second quarter. He threw it up for grabs in double coverage, and defensive back Joenel Aguero made the pick.
And in the third quarter, Aguilar threw another interception ahead of Braylon Staley, who slipped on his route.
It took three games before Aguilar tossed his first interceptions as UT’s quarterback. That’s notable because he led FBS quarterbacks with 14 interceptions thrown last season at Appalachian State.
Grade: A-
This was Aguilar’s first SEC game, but his inexperience on this stage didn’t show. He set the tone for UT with three TDs in the first quarter. And he brought them from behind with a pair of TD passes in the second half.
This was the best performance by a UT quarterback against Georgia in several years. It was a loss, but Aguilar played very well.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Joey Aguilar stats: Tennessee football QB impresses in loss to Georgia
