"It just shows how well I can learn and how well I take that preparation seriously," Aguilar explained. "I've been a backup twice in my career at JUCO and App State. First game at App State, walked in as a backup. So the dedication to go in there and work like you are the starter, because I mean, next man mentality is always true, and that happened to me.
"I lived it. I was a backup. A guy got hurt, I had to go in there, and I had to be prepared. So to be a guy that can go in there and the willingness to learn and support the guy that's in front of you."
Both proved that when it was time to play, they were ready. Aguilar was 12th in the FBS this last season with 3,565 passing yards and a 67.3 completion percentage, throwing for 24 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. And Fagnano finished with the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in college football, with 28 touchdowns and only one interception through 413 passes.
"Something that I've definitely learned throughout my career is adversity is going to hit, failure is part of it," said Fagnano of the journey. "It's just part of the game that we play, and it's not about maybe wins and losses, although that's what we're graded on
"It's, how do you come back from those losses, and how do you become better from that? Are you going to let adversity just kind of be the end of your story, or you're going to come out on the other side of that and and be better?"