NCAAF News: Kirby Smart issues blunt warning to Georgia on Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar ahead of marquee-matchup

The NCAA will have its eyes fixed on the showdown between the Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers. As two undefeated programs meet in Knoxville, Kirby Smart dropped a bold statement on opposing quarterback Joey Aguilar.

The Volunteers have no regrets about the offseason drama that led to Aguilar enrolling in Tennessee. At least for now. The Appalachian State transfer has played lights out since arriving in Knoxville, but this upcoming test could toss all his previous work down the drain.

With Smart and the Dawgs set to walk into Neyland Stadium on Saturday, the two schools have something to prove. For Tennessee it’s the chance to show it belongs with the big names in college football. For Georgia, it’s the opportunity to prove it can play at its best when the stakes are highest.

In order to do so, the Dawgs must contain the best offense in the SEC. Led by Aguilar, who’s only been in Knoxville for a couple of months but looks like he’s been a Vol forever. At least that’s how Smart sees the situation.

Joey Aguilar at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

“It looks like he’s been there for a long time” Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart commented, per On3. “He’s very similar to the quarterbacks they’ve had. He plays within that system and is a really good athlete.“

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How Aguilar can hurt defenses

Fans and students in Knoxville couldn’t have asked for a better way to move on after Nico Iamaleava’s dramatic transfer to the UCLA Bruins. Aguilar stepped into the huddle and has commanded an almost unstoppable unit in the NCAA. Smart and the Dawgs know better than to take the senior quarterback for granted.

“[Aguilar] can take off and really hurt you with the scramble. He’s made some big plays that way,” Smart added. “He plays within the system and is really good at the RPO as well. [Tennessee’s QB] makes good decisions, is accurate and has a strong arm. Certainly fits in well.”

Dawgs’ defense meets Vols’ offense

Georgia’s defensive group will have its work cut out for them in their visit to Tennessee. The Dawgs have allowed an average of 201.5 total yards so far in the 2025 college football season. However, the competition faced by Georgia can’t really be placed in the same table as Tennessee and Josh Heupel’s offense.

As for the Volunteers, their numbers do all the talking. So far, Tennessee registers an average of 605 total yards per game. Of course, that number is largely boosted by the Vols’ blowout victory over ETSU, in which they racked up 734 total yards.

Needless to say, when these two programs collide on Saturday, fans across the country will be in for an electric showdown. It may not be a ‘unstoppable force meets immovable object’ type of matchup, but it’s set to be a heated encounter between two despised SEC rivals. The Game with no Name is set to be in everybody’s lips in college football’s week 3.