Joey Aguilar is Chasing a Prestigious Tennessee Football Record in Music City Bowl

Joey Aguilar is on the outside looking in at a record that he could gain in possibly his final Tennessee game ever.

Nov 29, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar (6) warms up before a game against Vanderbilt Commodores at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

Tennessee is set for what is now their final game of the season, as they plan to go to war with the hopes of winning for the 13th time this season. The Volunteers are entering this game with an 8-4 showing after dropping four SEC games this season.

The Vols will be searching for that 9th win of the season, and to have yet another non-conference undefeated season, as the Vols have done in the past with Josh Heupel. Their four losses are to Alabama, Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Oklahoma on the season, but the Vols also had some solid wins, defeating teams like Syracuse, Florida, Mississippi State, and Kentucky.

Tennessee is tasked with playing against the Illinois Fighting Illini inside Nissan Stadium. While this is labeled as both a neutral site game and an away game, the Vols are anticipated to be the heavy home crowd favorites playing driving distance away, while the Illinois program is much further. Tennessee will be without many of its stars in this game, but that won't stop the Vols from attempting to win this game, as this game will be business as usual for Heupel and company.

Joey Aguilar is Chasing a Tennessee Record

Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar (6) helps direct the band in celebration after the win over Florida in an NCAA college football game on November 22, 2025, in Gainesville, Florida. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of the players who is expected to have a great game in possibly the final game of his career is Joey Aguilar. Aguilar is the Tennessee QB, who transferred in before the season after a late portal decision sent Nico Iamaleava packing to the same team Aguilar opted to transfer from. Aguilar is one of the better passing yards QBs in the nation, and he has the chance to eclipse a record that has been held since before the year 2000 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Aguilar is chasing the single-season passing yards record held by Peyton Manning in the orange and white. Manning finished his best college season, throwing for 3,819 yards, while Aguilar is one game away from the conclusion, and he sits at 3,444 yards passing. The Vols' QB is less than 400 away, which still makes this possible, but it would take a valuable effort from the gunslinger to achieve this award.

It is also worth noting that Aguilar will be chasing this achievement without his top wide receiver, as he will be chasing this record with only two returning starters (Braylon Staley out of the slot and Mike Matthews on the outside). This leads many to believe that a big game from Radarious Jackson and/or Travis Smith Jr will be needed.

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