'Battle: Orange' Goes to Rocky Top

The Syracuse Orange and Tennessee Volunteers each had 10 wins last season, with the Vols attaining an at-large bid in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff and the Orange handled the Cougars of Washington State in the Holiday Bowl out in San Diego, California.

However, those under center for each team are different than last season, with Joey Aguilar making his Tennessee debut and Steve Angeli stepping under center for the Orange for the first time ever.

Aguilar went 3-for-6 in his first drive as a Vol, with Tennessee coming away with points on a 34-yard field goal by Max Gilbert to make it 3-0 at the 12:46 mark of the first quarter.

Syracuse brought some trickery in how they lined up on their first drive of the 2025-26 season, with Angeli not being behind the center initially. He would take the hike and roll out right, completing his first pass ever in Orange to running back Will Nixon for a 21-yard gain and a first down.

Wide receiver Johntay Cook II's first catch since donning orange would get Syracuse four yards, but not enough for a first down as Syracuse would punt the ball away on Angeli's opening drive.

The Volunteers did the opposite of the Orange, marching down the field once again, this time getting into the end zone on a two-yard run where running back Peyton Lewis simply out-muscled the Orange, giving the Volunteers a 10-0 lead at the 6:02 mark of the first quarter.

Linebacker Arion Carter lined up on the left of the defensive line originally, then moved inside. At the hike, he faked dropping back and then came through a wide-open gap in the Syracuse offensive line, sacking Angeli for a loss of 10 yards, leading to the Orange punting the ball away on their second drive.

The next two big plays would come from those that wear 8 for both defenses. Orange defensive lineman David Reese, a transfer from California and Florida, would recover a fumble by Aguilar at the Orange 28-yard line, but on the very next play of the game, Volunteers defensive back Colton Hood would pick up the ball after teammate, defensive lineman Nathan Robinson, forced Angeli to fumble. The sack would be for a seven-yard loss and the fumble recovery would get Tennessee seven points as a result of Hood taking the ball to the end zone untouched from 22 yards out.

With time still on the first-quarter clock, 1:06 to be exact, the Volunteers had gotten out to a 17-0 lead.

On the next Orange drive, Head Coach Fran Brown would elect to go for it on 4th-&-10 from the Volunteers' 35-yard line...

And it would pay off, as Angeli threw to Cook amidst a sea of Tennessee players, threading through them to Cook for a 29-yard gain to the Tennessee six-yard line.

Running back Yasin Willis would rush up the middle for a four-yard gain and get the final two yards needed on the very next play, an option pitch out to the left from Angeli to Willis to get the Orange on the board, down 17-7, with 11:40 remaining on the second-quarter clock. Syracuse newcomer, kicker Tripp Woody, would also make his first-ever attempt in orange on the extra point that followed Willis' touchdown.

However, the Vols would have an answer...

On the second play of their following drive, Aguilar would stand at his own 27 and air the ball out downfield to wide receiver Braylon Staley in single-coverage, who got away from Syracuse true freshman cornerback Demetres Samuel, Jr., catching the ball and heading into the end zone on a 73-yard score that happened just 26 seconds after Syracuse's first score of the day. This touchdown by Staley elevated the Vols to a 24-7 advantage.

With an opportunity for the Orange in Vols' territory on 3rd-&-5 coming out of a timeout, linebacker Edwin Spillman would go unblocked and Angeli would get sacked for a seven-yard loss.

The offense would remain on the field on 4th-&-16, with Fran Brown faking out Tennessee, having Angeli punt the ball. Angeli handled the punt well, going 34 yards and Willis downed the ball at the Tennessee two-yard line, forcing the Vols to start deep on their own side.

Syracuse's defense would force Tennessee to punt for the first time of the game with just under six minutes before the break.

The Orange were aided on their next drive unintentionally by the Vols who had back-to-back penalties, a pass interference followed by defensive offsides to put Syracuse on the Tennessee nine-yard line.

After these two penalties on the Vols, Orange offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon would have Angeli go out wide and the ball was snapped directly to tight end Dan Villari, who has played quarterback in college. Villari rushed up the middle for two yards on this play.

Willis would rush three straight times on 2nd-&-3, 3rd-&-2, and 4th-&-1 to get the first down to the Vols' four-yard line.

After another one-yard run by Willis, Angeli would look to Cook who would reel in his first touchdown in orange and blue, getting Syracuse within 10, 24-14, on a three-yard reception with 1:55 left in the second quarter.

Tennessee would have a response, and it would come on the ground, with running back DeSean Bishop getting in from the half-yard line after his previous play that was called a touchdown was overruled after the officiating crew saw his hand down outside the end zone. This score made it 31-14 Vols with 21 seconds remaining in the opening half.

The first half would end on Angeli getting sacked by Tennessee defensive lineman Joshua Josephs, who also forced Angeli to fumble. Syracuse starting right tackle Da'Metrius Weatherspoon would recover the ball and time would expire on the first half, with Tennessee ahead by 17.

Though the Orange would receive the ball out of the break, they would not hold on long, with Angeli throwing his first interception of the season on the second play of Syracuse's first drive of the second half, into the hands of linebacker Jeremiah Telander at the Syracuse 17-yard line.

The Vols would capitalize off of this turnover when Aguilar found running back Star Thomas for a seven-yard pass reception, raising the Vols to a 38-14 advantage less than three minutes into the second half (12:22 mark).

Syracuse would score on their second drive of the latter half, with Willis carrying the ball in from one yard out, but Angeli's two-point conversion attempt to Villari would fall incomplete, resulting in a 38-20 Tennessee lead with 7:33 on the third-quarter clock.

The next three drives would all by punts, with Tennessee punting away two and Syracuse one.

Syracuse's drive inside three minutes left in the third quarter would include Angeli catching wide receiver Tyshawn Russell, a transfer from the South Carolina Gamecocks, cutting across the middle for a 28-yard gain on 3rd-&-6, going from the Orange 29 to the Tennessee 43-yard line; this was Russell's second catch as a member of the Orange.

Taking this drive into the fourth quarter, Angeli would keep the drive alive by eluding the Vols' defense enough to get the ball out to tight end David Clement who went eight yards on a 4th-&-1 attempt from the Vols' 34-yard line.

Willis would score again from one yard out on a carry. Angeli would attempt to get a two-point conversion with a run after not seeing anything, but he would be stopped, moving the score to 38-26 Tennessee with 11:54 remaining in the contest.

On the Vols' following drive, Orange defensive back Davien Kerr prevented a catch in single-coverage on a 3rd-&-7 heave, leading to a punt by the Vols right before the 10-minute mark.

With an opportunity to shrink their deficit to a single score, Syracuse, instead, would punt the ball away on a three-and-out.

Tennessee would take the ball into the end zone on their ensuing possession, with tight end Miles Kitselman reeling in a two-yard pass from Aguilar to move the Vols ahead to a 45-26 advantage with 3:57 to go.

On 4th-&-4 from the Vols' four-yard line, Angeli's pass attempt would be altered by linebacker Jaedon Harmon, with the ball heading back behind Angeli, giving the Vols possession and the opportunity to run out the clock, which is exactly what they did, with Aguilar taking a knee to secure a victory in his first game as a Tennessee Volunteer.

Aguilar ended the day 16-for-28 for 247 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.

In his Orange debut, Angeli went 23-for-40 for 274 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Staley led all Vols with 95 yards receiving, coming on four catches.

Syracuse's leader in receiving yards was Cook with 58 on six catches in his first game for the Orange.

Thomas led all rushers with 92 yards, coming on 12 carries, ending ahead of Willis by one yard (91 yards on 23 carries).

The Volunteers had seven tackles for a loss, including five sacks, while the Orange had three tackles for a loss, but did not record a single sack in the game.