Tennessee’s Aguilar Thrives While UCLA Faces Offensive Struggles

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — Joey Aguilar‘s comments during an open week have highlighted the stark contrast between his success at Tennessee and Nico Iamaleava‘s struggles at UCLA. Aguilar stated on Oct. 1, “This is just a super quarterback friendly offense. There are a lot of different things that we’re doing in this offense from last year. But coach has got a lot of trust in me, and I’ve got a lot of trust in coach.”

Iamaleava, who transferred from Tennessee to UCLA seeking a better NIL deal, has seen a downturn in performance. His family cited issues with Tennessee’s offense as a primary reason for his departure. Aguilar’s ascension as Tennessee’s starting quarterback has seen the Volunteers ranking No. 3 nationally in scoring offense, averaging 51 points per game. Aguilar has thrown for 1,459 yards, 13 touchdowns, and five interceptions behind a strong offensive line, where he is supported by top receiver Chris Brazzell, who leads the nation with seven touchdown catches.

In contrast, UCLA has struggled significantly, ranking No. 134 out of 136 FBS teams in scoring offense with only 14.3 points per game. Iamaleava has passed for just 788 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions this season. UCLA recently fired coach DeShaun Foster after a rocky four-game start, and offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri also departed from the program.

This Saturday, No. 15 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC) will face Arkansas (2-3, 1-1) at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee aims to remain competitive in the SEC and chase a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Volunteers hope Aguilar’s current form will drive them to victory.

Meanwhile, UCLA (0-4, 0-1 Big Ten) will play No. 6 Penn State (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) looking for their first win of the season. Aguilar has pointed to the open communication and supportive coaching he receives as key factors in his success, especially from head coach Josh Heupel and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle.

“We go in the film room, talk about plays and dial things up,” Aguilar said. “The space of open communication that we have with each other to discuss what we like is very helpful.” Aguilar’s experience with quarterbacks as coaches has enriched his development, providing him various perspectives on the game.

As he embarks on another crucial matchup, Aguilar continues to build momentum while Iamaleava’s time in UCLA remains fraught with challenges.