Tennessee football easily took care of business Saturday afternoon, annihilating ETSU 72-17 in its 2025 home opener. The Vols pounded ETSU from the jump, taking a 24-0 first quarter lead and not looking back against the instate foe.
Here’s four quick takeaways as Tennessee improved to 2-0 ahead of its SEC opener against Georgia.
Tennessee’s Defense Dominates From The Jump
It would be a bit over dramatic to say Tennessee’s defense struggled last week against Syracuse but it was definitely the biggest weakness in the healthy win. Playing a far outmatched ETSU team, Tennessee’s defense came out locked in and dominant from the jump.
ETSU failed to record a first down on its first five drives, losing a total of eight yards in its five first quarter drives. The Bucs finally moved the sticks for the first time with 11:19 to play in the second quarter. ETSU wouldn’t record another first down on the drive, turning it over on downs when Edwin Spillman blew up a fourth down shovel option.
Tennessee began playing an abundance of reserves in the second quarter and ETSU recorded a few more first downs but little else. The Bucs did score a first half touchdown but it was just a five-yard touchdown drive after a bad Sam Pendleton snap led to a turnover and an ETSU score.
The Bucs finished the first half with just 72 yards and three first downs. Tennessee’s defense was facing an outmatched opponent but took care of business the way they should have.
Boo Carter Shows His Burst Returning Punts
Boo Carter played on defense in Tennessee’s season-opening win over Syracuse, but did not return punts. One of the most talented punt returns was back returning punts in the Vols’ week two matchup against ETSU.
Carter returned four punts in the first half for 90 total yards. He was a block away from housing a punt in the first quarter but had to settle for 34 yards instead. In the second quarter, Carter made a number of ETSU players miss on a 40-yard return to the five-yard line. Both returns set up short Tennessee touchdown drives.
The sophomore is one of the best players on Tennessee’s team with the ball in his hands. Tennessee needs him returning punts the rest of the season and he showed his ability in the lopsided win.
So close for Boo Carter pic.twitter.com/YsoOUWjvmD
— gmannVOLS (@gmannVOLS) September 6, 2025
More From RTI: David Sanders Misses Tennessee Football’s Week Two Matchup Against ETSU
Star Thomas Lives In The End Zone
Tennessee continued rotating its top three running backs throughout the first half and all had solid moments. DeSean Bishop totaled 68 yards on just three carries and Peyton Lewis found the end zone for the second straight game.
But Star Thomas was Tennessee’s best running back for perhaps the second straight week. Thomas totaled 69 rushing yards on 12 carries with a long run of 17 yards. Thomas also found the end zone three times on the ground. The Duke transfer scored his first touchdown from two yards out in the first quarter, two yards out in the second quarter and another from seven yards out in the final minute of the second quarter.
Thomas had eight total touchdowns last season at Duke. He has four touchdowns through the first two games of the 2025 season.
Quarterback Report
Joey Aguilar played the first half of the opener and performed well besides being unable to corral Pendleton’s bad snap in the second quarter.
The transfer quarterback completed 23-of-31 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Those strong numbers came despite a handful of drops from Tennessee receivers. But on the other side, Aguilar’s bomb touchdown to Mike Matthews was a very risky play that may not have worked against better competition.
Jake Merklinger played three drives and the Vols scored 17 points with him leading the way. The redshirt freshman nearly threw an interception and under threw Chris Brazzell on what would have bene a touchdown. But he also made some nice throws and scrambled for a pair of first downs.
Merklinger finished the game completing nine-of-14 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. He added 17 rushing yards on a pair of scrambles.
George MacIntyre played just one drive but he looked good in the process, driving 75 yards on 11 plays for a touchdown. MacIntyre completed six-of-seven passes for 52 yards including a strike to Tommy Winton III for a third-and-long conversion.
