On the heels of a 10-win season in Fran Brown’s first season as head coach in 2024, the Syracuse Orange football team opens its 2025 campaign against the Tennessee Volunteers. The Orange and Vols will square off on a neutral field in the Aflac Kickoff. This figures to be the most anticipated and most high-profile season opener for Syracuse in decades. Long before such a big game kicks off, let’s learn more about the Tennessee Volunteers.
The Orange will kick off the 2025 season vs. Tennessee in Atlanta! Get all the info you need, including ticket options and tailgate registration at Aflac Kickoff Game Central ⤵️ https://t.co/CbgIyhs53v
— Syracuse Athletics (@Cuse) June 18, 2025
Tennessee’s head coach: Josh Heupel
Fans of a certain age may remember Heupel from his playing days at Oklahoma. He was the Heisman runner-up in 2000, leading the Sooners to an undefeated season and the BCS national championship that year. Heupel’s pro career was brief, allowing him to get into coaching at an early age. He got his first chance as a head coach at Central Florida in 2018. After a 28-8 record in three seasons with the Knights, Heupel was hired at Tennessee and is fresh off his fourth season with the Volunteers.
Last meeting with Syracuse: Tennessee 33, Syracuse 9 (2001)
It’s been nearly a quarter-century since the Volunteers and Orange played on the gridiron. Paul Pasqualoni’s Syracuse team got knocked around in Knoxville 33-9, dropping the Orange to 0-2 on the season. Tennessee was ranked No. 8 nationally at the time, beating Syracuse a week after the Orange dropped its season opener to No. 10 Georgia Tech. However, that Syracuse team bounced back to finish 10-3, despite the 0-2 start.
Series history
The Volunteers have won all three head-to-head meetings with Syracuse. The 2001 game in Knoxville came three years after Tennessee eked out a 34-33 win on a last-second field goal inside the Dome to open the 1998 season. The only other Syracuse-Tennessee game was in the 1966 Gator Bowl, an 18-12 loss for Ben Schwartzwalder’s Orangemen.
Tennessee’s 2024 season
The Volunteers can’t have many complaints about the 2024 season. They finished the regular season 10-2, losing only on the road to Arkansas and Georgia. Among Tennessee’s wins was a victory over Alabama. Ultimately, the Volunteers earned the No. 9 seed in the College Football Playoff, only to be outplayed by eventual champion Ohio State, 42-17, in the first round.
Tennessee’s key returning players
Offensively, the Volunteers don’t have a lot returning. Running backs Peyton Lewis and DeSean Bishop were both backups last season. They also lost their three top receivers from last year, meaning fourth-leading receiver Chris Brazzell and tight end Miles Kitselman are their top returning pass-catchers from 2024.
Things look a little better for Tennessee on defense. Joshua Josephs and Bryson Eason bring back experience, although not a ton of production, to the defensive line. Arion Carter, last year’s leading tackler, and Jeremiah Telander could form one of the SEC’s top linebacker duos.
Tennessee’s notable additions
The most important offseason addition was quarterback Joey Aguilar, a UCLA transfer. He’ll step in for Nico Iamaleava, who left the program after a dispute over NIL money. Of course, Aguilar actually played at Appalachian State the past two seasons and showed signs of regression last year after a breakout campaign in 2023.
A thread of Joey Aguilar dimes 🍊👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/ZGbTcXMXPc
— TorresOnTennessee (@TorresontheVols) April 25, 2025
Former Duke running back Star Thomas was another key portal addition for Tennessee, as he’ll give the backfield some depth and experience. The Volunteers also have high hopes for true freshmen wide receivers Travis Smith Jr. and Radarious Jackson. True freshman David Sanders Jr. is also expected to step into a starting spot right away on an otherwise young offensive line. Arizona transfer Wendell Moe Jr. will also give the Tennessee offensive line an immediate boost.
Tennessee’s 2025 season outlook
Needless to say, Tennessee would love to build upon last year’s trip to the College Football Playoff. However, a new quarterback and questions elsewhere on the offense could make that difficult. The Vols may need the defensive side of the ball to carry them, especially early in the season. Of course, that will be difficult with a high-profile game with Syracuse in the opener and a home date against Georgia just two weeks later. Tennessee will also play some of its biggest rivalry games, like Alabama, Kentucky, and Florida, on the road. Another 10-win season is possible, although the path back to the CFP looks narrow.
When and where Tennessee plays Syracuse in 2025
The Orange and Volunteers are set to play at noon on Saturday, August 30. The game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. While technically a neutral-site game, Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a cool 212-mile drive from the Tennessee campus, while nearly 1,000 miles from Syracuse.
Learn more about Tennessee: https://allfortennessee.com/
Prediction: Tennessee 21, Syracuse 17
With both teams breaking in new transfer quarterbacks, the defensive side of the ball should have a leg up, leading to a low-scoring affair. Look for Syracuse to put up a good fight and beat the double-digit spread. But Syracuse might not have the combination of talent and experience necessary to upset a quality SEC opponent to open the season.