There’s something about 41, Tennessee, and Overtime this September. The Vols lost after scoring 41 against Georgia two weeks ago in overtime, but tonight they sneaked past a resilient Mississippi State Bulldogs with the same score. The Volunteers stage a late comeback to avoid a massive upset in the SEC and maintain their recent supremacy over the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Heading into the night, the Vols hadn’t lost to the Bulldogs since 2012, and after tonight, that stat remains. The Vols kept it late though.

After Joey Aguilar redeemed himself with a 6-yard run late in the fourth quarter, DeSean Bishop sealed the comeback with a fabulous 25-yard run to help the Vols to a 41-34 lead (post Max Gilbert conversion), and with the Bulldogs missing their play, game over.

Jeff Lebby went winless in the SEC a year ago. So you can fathom the rage with which they planned to cruise against the Tennessee Volunteers, their first conference game of the season, with a perfect 4-0 overall record. But weren’t they scared of the Tennessee vs Mississippi State history? 

Heupel’s Tennessee came in owning Lebby’s Bulldogs, winners of 8 of the last 9 matchups. Yet then they might have still planned to serve the Vols a bitter potion, stirring up a recipe from 2012. This time, they marched in carrying the SEC’s most explosive offense, lighting up the scoreboard at 53.5 points per game. At the helm? Aguilar, the league’s touchdown king with 12 scoring strikes before kickoff tonight. And that’s how the quarterback crushed the doubts.

Aguilar had too much burden on his shoulders to fill Nico Iamaleava’s place. On the other hand, his own resume has been the biggest turn-off. At App State last year, Aguilar flashed big-play ability with 23 touchdown passes, but his interception tally kept climbing as the Mountaineers faltered in 2024. On the flip side, Heupel’s Iamaleava was the picture of reliability, racking up over 2,600 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just five picks. His steady decision-making powered Tennessee all the way to the College Football Playoff, rarely putting the ball in harm’s way. But looks like the Tennessee fans won’t miss their former quarterback any longer, given the night Aguilar has gifted them.

Mississippi State’s Davon Booth bulldozed into the end zone in the second quarter, snatching the lead back from Tennessee. That’s when Aguilar uncorked a scorching 69-yard bomb to Mike Matthews, grabbing the golden ticket. But the tables turned as the sophomore dropped what should have been a game-changing touchdown. But Aguilar came up with a ‘not to worry, when I am here’ kind of move. Heupel’s squad bounced back with fire. Aguilar connected with his favorite target, Chris Brazzell, wide open over the middle for a slick 15-yard score.Gilbert’s extra point tied the game at 17, keeping the intensity boiling as the first half unfolded.

Late in the game, Aguilar took over, connecting with Brazzell and charging out of the backfield on big plays. A false start by David Sanders Jr. briefly stalled the Vols, but Aguilar answered immediately, finding Braylon Staley on 3rd-and-6 and capping the drive with a six-yard rushing touchdown to tie it at 34 with under two minutes left. While Heupel must be proud of himself that his Aguilar bet paid off, someone else will be prouder.

Joey Aguilar’s rise from struggle to stardom

What Aguilar is today, his parents have a huge contribution to it. Do you know that while growing up, he faced so many financial hurdles that Aguilar was even willing to enroll himself at the firefighter school to earn a job. That’s because spending $100 per week on long train rides felt heavy on his pockets. But his parents never wanted that to happen.

His dad had a small detailing and washing car business. In an interview, his dad, Jose, made a confession, “But I told him that I’d go broke before I let him quit football. Nothing comes easy. You’ve got to earn everything.” Their son proved that all the hard work was worth it. Along with the parents, Aguilar must be indebted to Diablo Valley College HC Mike Darr for trusting him. 

Darr, a cancer survivor, saw potential in the QB that others hadn’t. In the Full Disclosure Productions podcast, they shared what made Aguilar not give up. “I said, ‘It’s an amazing job, and you’ll be absolutely amazing at it, you know. But it’ll still be there after you take this chance. And you may end up enjoying football again, and, really, getting that opportunity to fulfill all those dreams that you had since you were a little boy.’” Now, even after being the Superman in the Tennessee vs Mississippi State game, will the analyst still hold the same old notion for Aguilar?

As Josh Heupel brought to attention how an anonymous head coach took a jab at Josh Heupel’s favoritism for Joey Aguilar. The analyst shared, “The quarterback situation is such that it’s obvious they trust Joey Aguilar to do more through three games than they ever did Nico at any point in him being at Tennessee.” After Saturday night, a bit of favoritism is allowed. What say?