Nico Iamaleava of Tennessee made one of the most anticipated debuts as a starting quarterback in recent memory. The true freshmen lived up to the astronomically high expectations of the fans at the Citrus Bowl. In a 35-0 demolition of the No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes, who possessed a top-5 defense in every significant statistical category going into play, Iamaleava scored four touchdowns.
Iamaleava led the offense with composure the entire afternoon, extending plays with his feet, making throws under pressure, and not giving the ball over. Aside from holding onto the ball a bit too long on a few occasions, he played a perfect football game and did a good job of handling the highs and lows of a postseason game.
There was plenty of yardage left on the field, but the passing figures won’t blow anyone away. Assuming all of the No. 1 reps, he had a number of dropped passes and miscommunications with his receivers that should be worked out when the team starts working with Iamaleava in the spring. Many fans across the country were astonished by his rushing ability, as he scored three touchdowns on the ground and successfully converted several crucial third downs with his feet.
The way head coach Josh Heupel changed the offense was the most telling aspect of his performance. In third-and-short situations, the Vols went into I-formation, something they haven’t done much of since Heupel took over. Tennessee clustered together, moved quickly, and threw Iowa basically every tempo possible. Iamaleava is the main reason Tennessee has reason for excitement going forward.