Senior Staff Writer/Editor/Host
The historic Neyland Stadium, on the banks of the Tennessee River. On any given college football Saturday when the Vols are playing at home, it's a college football cathedral packed with nearly 100,000 screaming fans ready to cheer on the Big Orange. The same grounds that legendary coaches like Phillip Fulmer, Johnny Majors, and even General Neyland himself once roamed. It has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. On almost any "Top 10 Hardest Places to Play" list, Neyland will be there.
However, before Josh Heupel came to town, teams actually won there fairly often. From 2010 to 2020, Tennessee lost three or more home games nine times, eight if you don't count the COVID year. Since being hired at Tennessee, Josh Heupel had only lost three home games once, his inaugural season at the helm... until 2025, that is.
In 2025, the Vols were admittedly spurned in the offseason when Nico Iamaleava left Rocky Top to transfer to UCLA. For better or worse, Iamaleava helped Tennessee become one of the faces of NIL early in the era. Despite his flaws, he did lead the Vols to an undefeated home slate in 2024. He certainly benefited from Tennessee's defense, but giving Nico no credit at all would be disingenuous. Heupel and the Volunteers then turned to UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar in what was effectively one of the first "trades" in college football history.
Aguilar made his Neyland debut in Week 2 against East Tennessee State, getting the offense humming quickly as the Vols scored 48 points in the first half. Aguilar totaled 79 passing yards and a touchdown in the first quarter, then added 108 passing yards and another touchdown in the second. He finished the game with 288 passing yards and two touchdowns as the Vols put up 72 points on the Buccaneers.
Week 3 against Georgia marked the first of three home losses.
The offense started hot, with 21 first-quarter points behind 213 passing yards from Aguilar. The momentum stalled in the second quarter, where the Vols went scoreless, and Aguilar managed just 16 yards with an interception. After rebounding in the third quarter with 72 yards, a touchdown, and another interception, Aguilar added 54 yards and a score in the fourth to force overtime. Despite the explosive start, Heupel leaned on the run game late to set up a missed field goal attempt. On the ensuing overtime possession, Aguilar went 0-for-2 passing, and after a successful 44-yard field goal, Georgia answered with a touchdown to steal the win.
Across the next two home losses, Aguilar tallied 393 yards and three touchdowns against Oklahoma, but back-to-back second-quarter interceptions proved costly. A field goal, or even one touchdown in those spots, might have kept playoff hopes alive.
The less said about the Vanderbilt game, the better. Aguilar went 29-of-44 for 299 yards and a score, but the Vols were routed 45-24 after a scoreless third quarter.
Tennessee has seven home games this upcoming season, two of those being "buy" games against Furman and Kennesaw State, and the other five against Texas, Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky, and LSU. That's five opportunities to make a statement. Last season was an anomaly.
The Vols are on an upward trend, and 2025 was just a hiccup. In 2026, Tennessee must make Neyland a fortress again.
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