University of Tennessee Athletics
Postgame Notes: #15/15 Tennessee 41, #6/3 Georgia 44 (OT)
September 13, 2025 | Football
TENNESSEE FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Sept. 13, 2025 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Neyland Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 6/3 Georgia 44, No. 15/15 Tennessee 41 (OT)
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General Notes
The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:
Offense
Sept. 13, 2025 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Neyland Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 6/3 Georgia 44, No. 15/15 Tennessee 41 (OT)
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General Notes
- Saturday's attendance at Neyland Stadium: 101,915 (sold out)
- Neyland Stadium was sold out for the 22nd consecutive contest.
- Saturday marked the return of Checker Neyland presented by Pilot, showcasing UT's iconic checkerboard pattern throughout Neyland Stadium for the fifth consecutive year and ninth time overall.
- Tennessee's all-time on-field record fell to 888-418-53 with Saturday's loss (NCAA record: 877-418-53).
- Saturday marked the 55th meeting between the Volunteers and Bulldogs. UGA leads the all-time series, 30-23-2.
- Saturday's game was the 19th game between the two programs where both teams were ranked in the AP Poll. The Vols are 10-9 in those contests.
- Saturday's game was the earliest meeting on the calendar (Sept. 13) between the two teams in 30 years since UT won 30-27 in Knoxville on Sept. 9, 1995. The last four matchups were in November.
- Saturday's result snapped a nine-game home win streak for the Vols. Since the start of the 2022 season, Tennessee owns a 21-2 record at Neyland Stadium.
- UT's 21 home victories during that span are second-most in the SEC.
- Tennessee is now 2-2 in overtime contests during the Josh Heupel era. The Volunteers previously defeated Florida (Oct. 12, 2024), won at Pittsburgh (Sept. 10, 2022) and fell to Purdue in the Music City Bowl (Dec. 30, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn.)
- ESPN College GameDay was on hand for the Vols' SEC opener vs. Georgia. It was Tennessee's 28th appearance all-time on the show and the 12th time it has been hosted from Knoxville.
- The show returned to Knoxville (Ayres Hall) for the first time since the 2022 Alabama game.
- The University of Tennessee and The National Football Foundation (NFF) jointly honored VFL and 2025 College Football Hall of Fame electee John Henderson with an on-campus salute during halftime of Saturday's game against Georgia.
- Henderson will become the 27th Vol to be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame and the third in the last five years. Eric Berry was selected in 2023, and Al Wilson was selected in 2021. Of the 27 inductees, 23 were enshrined as players and four as coaches. The 23 players represent the second-most of any program in the SEC and the seventh-most nationally.
- Tennessee's team captains for Saturday's game: LS Bennett Brady, DL Joshua Josephs, TE Miles Kitselman, LB Jeremiah Telander.
- Georgia won the toss and deferred to the second half. Tennessee received the opening kickoff, and Georgia defended the south end zone.
- Before the overtime session, Georgia won the toss and elected to begin on defense. Both possessions took place in front of the south end zone.
- The Volunteers recorded 400-plus total yards for the 40th time under Josh Heupel, finishing the game with 496. They reached 450 for the 33rd time in those five years and 490 for the 22nd.
- Tennessee led Georgia, 21-7, at the end of the first quarter. Under Josh Heupel, the Vols have outscored opponents 605-209 in the opening stanza – including 62-7 this season.
- Tennessee's 21 points in the first quarter on Saturday surpassed the most points (17) that the Vols have scored against Georgia in any full game during the Heupel era.
- Tennessee has scored on its first offensive possession against Georgia in all five matchups under Josh Heupel. In four of the five meetings, the Volunteers scored a touchdown on their opening series.
- In all five seasons—including two they started on defense—the Volunteers took under five minutes to score, with this the third time they needed two-and-half minutes or fewer.
- The Volunteers scored two touchdowns in the first 5:31 of the contest, producing 150 yards on just 10 snaps. That figure included 134 yards in the air from senior QB Joey Aguilar, who went 6-of-6 on the first two drives.
- Tennessee produced three touchdowns in the opening 11:23, racking up 224 yards on 22 plays. Aguilar went 14-of-14 for 213 yards on those three drives.
- Senior QB Joey Aguilar threw for 371 yards in the game, becoming the first Tennessee player to reach 350 since Nov. 25, 2023, when Joe Milton III racked up 383 against Vanderbilt.
- The last time a Tennessee quarterback hit even 300 yards in a game was on Aug. 31, 2024, when Nico Iamaleava threw for 314 versus Chattanooga.
- In addition, Aguilar is the fifth Tennessee quarterback this century to throw for 350-plus yards against an AP top-25 opponent, including the second to do so versus a team ranked sixth or better.
- The four prior occurrences—only two of which featured a higher yardage total than Aguilar's 371—are as follows:
- Hendon Hooker vs. #3 Alabama on Oct. 15, 2022 — 21-of-30 for 385 yards
- Joshua Dobbs at #9 Texas A&M (2OT) on Oct. 8, 2016 — 28-of-47 for 398 yards
- Tyler Bray at #17 South Carolina on Oct. 27, 2012 — 27-of-43 for 368 yards
- Erik Ainge vs. #18 Wisconsin on Jan. 1, 2008, in Outback Bowl (Tampa, Fla.) — 25-of-43 for 365 yards
- The four prior occurrences—only two of which featured a higher yardage total than Aguilar's 371—are as follows:
- Senior QB Joey Aguilar posted the third-most consecutive completions in a game by a Tennessee quarterback with his 14-of-14 start.
- Aguilar's mark trails only the 23—at the time an FBS record—by Tee Martin on Oct. 31, 1998, at South Carolina and the 15 by Erik Ainge on Sept. 9, 2006, versus Air Force.
- Per ESPN Insights, Aguilar is the first SEC quarterback to go 14-of-14 (or better) in any quarter over the last 20 seasons (2006-25).
- Senior QB Joey Aguilar opened the scoring at the 12:30 mark of the first quarter with his first rushing touchdown as a Volunteer. It marked the sixth of his career and fourth against an FBS opponent.
- Aguilar connected with redshirt junior WR Chris Brazzell II on a 72-yard touchdown pass with 9:39 remaining in the opening stanza. The play was the longest reception of Brazzell's career and the second 70-yard touchdown pass delivered by Aguilar in the past three weeks (73 to Braylon Staley vs. Syracuse, 8/30).
- Tennessee has generated multiple 70-yards pass plays in the first three weeks of the 2025 season after having none during the 2024 season.
- After topping out at 103 yards in any game over the first three years of his college career, redshirt junior WR Chris Brazzell II eclipsed that number for the second consecutive week, breaking the high of 125 he set seven days ago against ETSU.
- Brazzell finished with a career-high 177 yards on six catches. He had four receptions for 106 yards in the first quarter alone.
- Brazzell is the first Tennessee player with 150-plus receiving yards in a game since Jalin Hyatt had 207 on Oct. 15, 2022, versus Alabama.
- Redshirt junior WR Chris Brazzell II also recorded multiple touchdown grabs for the second straight week after doing so once previously as a collegian. Brazzell logged a career-high three touchdown catches against the Bulldogs after logging two last week versus ETSU.
- The only other time Brazzell reeled in multiple touchdown catches was Nov. 24, 2023, against UTSA, while at Tulane.
- The last Tennessee player with three touchdown catches in a game was Jalin Hyatt, who had five on Oct. 15, 2022, against Alabama.
- Furthermore, redshirt junior WR Chris Brazzell II became the third Volunteer—fourth occurrence—this century to post six-plus catches in a game and average at least 29.0 yards per reception – finishing Saturday's game at a clip of 29.5.
- The three prior occurrences, all of which also came in SEC play, are as follows:
- Jalin Hyatt vs. Alabama on Oct. 15, 2022 — six catches for 207 yards (34.5)
- Denarius Moore vs. Kentucky on Nov. 27, 2010 — seven catches for 205 yards (29.3)
- Denarius Moore at South Carolina on Oct. 30, 2010 — six catches for 228 yards (38.0)
- The three prior occurrences, all of which also came in SEC play, are as follows:
- Over the last four seasons (2022-25), redshirt junior WR Chris Brazzell II is now one of just three SEC players—two are Vols—to record 175 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in a single game.
- The others are Ole Miss' Jordan Watkins at Arkansas on Nov. 2, 2024, and Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt versus Alabama on Oct. 15, 2022.
- Additionally, Brazzell is fifth SEC competitor to achieve that stat line against an AP top-10 foe this century. Both players to do it at home are Volunteers. The complete list is as follows:
- Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt vs. #3 Alabama on Oct. 15, 2022 — six catches for 207 yards and three touchdowns
- Alabama's DeVonta Smith vs. #3 Ohio State on Jan. 11, 2021, in the CFP National Championship Game (Miami Gardens, Fla.) — 12 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns
- LSU's Justin Jefferson vs. #4 Oklahoma on Dec. 28, 2019, in the Peach Bowl (Atlanta) — 14 catches for 227 yards and four touchdowns
- South Carolina's Deebo Samuel at #2 Clemson on Nov. 24, 2018 — 10 catches for 210 yards and three touchdowns
- Redshirt freshman WR Braylon Staley totaled nine catches for 97 yards, with both marks setting career bests. He also logged his second collegiate touchdown grab.
- Senior DL Joshua Josephs recorded a forced fumble on Georgia QB Gunner Stockton that redshirt senior DL Bryson Eason recovered with 8:21 left in the game.
- It marked the second fumble recovery of the season for Tennessee, as well as the second of Eason's career.
- Tennessee had 16 different players register multiple tackles in the game, with seven individuals notching seven-plus.
- Of the 14 Volunteers who recorded four-plus tackles, 11 set or tied career highs in takedowns: redshirt senior DL Dominic Bailey (five), junior LB Arion Carter (14), redshirt senior DL Bryson Eason (six), sophomore DB Edrees Farooq (eight), junior DL Caleb Herring (four), redshirt sophomore DB Colton Hood (seven), redshirt senior DB Jalen McMurray (seven to tie high), sophomore DL Jordan Ross (four), redshirt freshman LB Edwin Spillman (six to tie high), redshirt senior DB Andre Turrentine (10) and senior DL Tyre West (seven).
- In the first half alone, junior DL Caleb Herring eclipsed his prior career sack total. He first logged a half-sack in the first quarter. Herring then added a four-yard solo sack on second-and-goal from the three-yard line with under two minutes left in the second quarter.
- Herring, who had no prior sacks in SEC play, recorded his lone prior sack on Sept. 9, 2023, versus UTSA.
- Herring also finished with a career-best 2.5 TFLs in the contest, nearly matching his previous career total of three. He amassed four total tackles, doubling his prior career best.
- Freshman DB Ty Redmond earned the first interception of his career on the final play of the opening half, picking off a pass at the one-yard-line and returning it 38 yards.
- En route to a career-high 14 tackles, junior LB Arion Carter notched nine tackles in the first half. He reached 12 through three quarters, already surpassing his previous best for a full game.
- Carter's prior top mark in a complete contest was 10 tackles, which he recorded on Nov. 2, 2024, versus Kentucky.
- Redshirt senior DB Andre Turrentine gave Tennessee two double-digit tacklers, as he notched a career-best 10 takedowns.
- His prior top figure was six, which he recorded on Oct. 12, 2024, against Florida in another overtime affair.
- On Tennessee's first punt of the game, redshirt junior LS Bennett Brady made a diving play to keep the ball out of the end zone and it was downed at the four-yard-line with 13:31 on the second-quarter clock.
- Redshirt junior P Jackson Ross pinned Georgia inside the 10-yard-line on both his punts in the second quarter. He averaged 49.0 yards per boot in the frame, including tallying a 57-yarder that tied for the third-longest of his career and marked his highest figure at Neyland Stadium.
- Ross' only two longer punts as a collegian both came on Oct. 21, 2023, at Alabama, as he recorded a 71-yarder and a 58-yarder. His previous 57-yard punt was on Sept. 21, 2024, at Oklahoma.
- Ross had just one more punt the rest of the evening, finishing with a 48.3 average across his three boots.
- Redshirt sophomore PK Max Gilbert drilled a 48-yard field goal with 6:40 to play to give Tennessee an eight-point lead, 38-30. He also hit a 42-yard field goal in overtime to put the Volunteers in front, 41-38.
The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:
Offense
- QB Joey Aguilar
- 4 passing touchdowns (tied career high)
- WR Chris Brazzell II
- 3 receiving touchdowns
- 177 receiving yards
- WR Braylon Staley
- 9 receptions
- 97 receiving yards
- 1 receiving touchdown (tied career high)
- DL Dominic Bailey
- 5 tackles
- LB Arion CarterÂ
- 14Â tackles
- DL Bryson Eason
- 6 tackles
- 1 fumble recovery (tied career high)
- DB Edrees Farooq
- 8 tackles
- DL Caleb Herring
- 1.5 sacks
- 2.5 TFLs
- 4 tackles
- DB Colton Hood
- 7 tackles
- DB Jalen McMurray
- 7 tackles (tied career high)
- DB Ty Redmond
- 1 interception
- DL Jordan Ross
- 4 tackles
- LB Edwin Spillman
- 6 tackles (tied career high)
- ​​​​​​​DB Andre Turrentine
- 10 tackles
- 10 tackles
- DL Tyre West
- 7 tackle
- 7 tackle
Players Mentioned
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FB | Joshua Josephs Media Availability (9.16.25)
Tuesday, September 16
FB | Star Thomas Media Availability (9.16.25)
Tuesday, September 16
FB | Edrees Farooq Media Availability (9.16.25)
Tuesday, September 16
FB | William Inge Press Conference (9.16.25)
Tuesday, September 16
