Top Performers for Tennessee

• Joey Aguilar (QB): Aguilar went 17/23 for 204 passing yards and threw one touchdown. He also made a big play with a 27-yard run to score in the first quarter, showing he’s still a dual-threat.
• DeSean Bishop (RB): Bishop carried the ball 16 times for 80 yards and punched in a 1-yard to
• uchdown. That gave Tennessee another reliable threat on the ground.
• William Wright (DB): On defense, Wright made a huge impact, he returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, giving UT extra momentum.

Team Performance — How Tennessee Played

Tennessee dominated New Mexico State from the jump. They scored touchdowns on three of their first four drives, jumping out to a 14–0 lead early.  Their 99-yard drive in the second quarter, capped by Aguilar’s 15-yard strike to Braylon Staley, was a huge momentum play. 

On the ground, the Vols were really balanced: Star Thomas broke off a 21-yard touchdown run, Peyton Lewis added a 1-yard score, and DeSean Bishop also got into the end zone.  They even had four different players rush for a touchdown, which points to great depth. 

Defensively, UT was stout. They held NMSU to just 27 rushing yards, per the UT Athletics report. A big moment came when NMSU’s quarterback Adam Damante threw a pass that was tipped at the line, picked off, and returned 35 yards by Wright for a defensive touchdown.  That really put the game out of reach for MNSU.

What’s Next

After this win, Tennessee is going on the road for their next game against Florida.