When Tennessee football hosts Arkansas on Saturday, it’s not sure exactly what the Razorbacks will throw at it defensively. With so much change on the defensive side of the ball after the firing of Sam Pittman, the Vols plan to run ‘sound‘ plays while they identify what Arkansas’ defense wants to do. This could create a lot of stress on UT quarterback Joey Aguilar.
There seems to be confidence that Aguilar will handle the situation well, though. There is likely going to have to be a significant adjustment throughout the game, and Aguilar will have to make decisions on the fly. However, offensive coordinator Joey Halzle noted that’s not entirely different than what the offense faces on a game-by-game basis.
The team gets new looks from defenses every week, and Aguilar has shown a strong ability to adjust in these previous moments.
“He’s really comfortable with it,” Halzle said. “It’s like most people play us, not what they’ve shown anyway. So we get new looks every single week, and he’s been great about adjusting on the sideline, whether that’s protection changes, scheme changes, whatever we’re doing. His blood pressure doesn’t rise. So he’s a guy that’s not gonna panic about it. He’s not gonna stress about it. He’s gonna work all week. He worked all last week to make sure he gets himself as prepared as possible. But when the inevitable happens and he has to make that change, it’s not going to spike his blood pressure. So I don’t see it being a huge issue for him.”
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This has resulted in a strong start to the season for Aguilar that has garnered him a bit of Heisman buzz. According to FanDuel, Aguilar has +2200 odds to win the most prestigious individual award in the sport. This is the 10th-best mark in the country.
If Aguilar does win the award, he’d be the first Vol to ever take home the trophy. Peyton Manning was a finalist in his last year in Knoxville, but was snubbed in the decision, losing to Michigan defensive back Charles Woodson. Current wide receiver Chris Brazzell has also emerged as a dark-horse option this year, but has no odds listed.
On the season, Aguilar is responsible for 1,459 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions through five games. He’s run for a total of 58 yards for two touchdowns, as well.
Now, he’s gotten the chance to catch his breath. Tennessee had an open date this past weekend to prepare for Arkansas. The Razorbacks head to Neyland Stadium after firing their head coach, Sam Pittman.. The Head Hog will be an interim in Bobby Petrino come next Saturday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. ET and will air on SEC Network.
