Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is human. That’s okay. He’s also very humble.

The redshirt freshman actually threw his first interception in a 51-10 beatdown of North Carolina State on Saturday in the Duke’s Mayo Classic. It was a ball that sailed past his intended receiver and into the hands of an awaiting North Carolina State defensive back. 

“I was trying to squeeze it too long,” Iamaleava said. “…I could have ran or scrambled (and) made a play.”

Iamaleava proved his humanity once again when he missed Squirrel White on a short out-route in the red zone that would have resulted in a first down and, possibly, a touchdown. Instead, the pass was off the mark. Iamaleava threw one other interception that wasn’t entirely his fault. He was hit as he threw, but could have taken the sack or tried to run instead of throwing in the face of pressure.

Now, let’s be clear. Iamaleava still played really, really well. He completed 16 of 23 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns with the two interceptions. He was afforded the early mistakes by a defense that held the Wolfpack to 143 total offensive yards.

“Our defense did great, man,” Iamaleava said. “…The defense played lights out, man. We see that every day in practice, the way they prepare. So I think overall as a whole defense they play great.”

Iamaleava proved efficient on the ground. He ran the ball just eight times for 65 yards and a touchdown, picking up real estate at times when the Vols needed it most.

“I try not to use my legs as much,” Iamaleava said. “But in this game, the looks I was getting, I had to. So it felt good to get out there and use my legs.”

Tennessee also proved lethal when using its tight ends for the second week in a row. Redshirt freshman Ethan Davis was the star last week with his first touchdown pass. Miles Kitselman and Holden Staes caught three passes for 38 yards and one pass for 18 yards, respectively. Both were able to score, meaning Tennessee has had three tight ends score touchdowns in just two games this season.

“Tight ends worked their butt off every day,” Iamaleava said. “”It felt good to reward those boys for all the blocking they were doing so it felt good. Rewarding.”

Iamaleava also benefitted from a strong running game as tailback Dylan Sampson ran for 132 yards on 20 carries for two touchdowns.

“Samp does what he does, man,” Iamaleava said. “That’s Dylan Samson, one of the best backs in the country. We know when we get the ball in his hands, you know anything can happen.”

Despite being ranked No. 24 in the nation, the Vols will play better teams this season than North Carolina State. Tennessee will have to get better to beat a stout SEC foe compared to a mid-level ACC opponent. Therefore, Iamaleava was asked to self-assess the Vols’ offense and – as usual – he said there is much more work to be done.

“We’ve got to be better in the red zone (and) third downs, fourth downs,” Iamaleava said.

For the record, the Vols converted on 7-of-14 third downs and were 1-for-1 on fourth downs on Saturday. It’s safe to say that Iamaleava will never be happy with his performance unless there’s confetti reigning down at the conclusion of the season.

“I did okay,” Iamaleava said of how he can improve. “I think early on in the game, not forcing stuff, taking what the defense gives me. I think that’s the main thing for me….I thought my performance was okay. Overall, the team did great, though.”

Iamaleava’s play may not be a finished product, but his attitude certainly seems complete as a team player and not affected by the superstar status he is quickly achieving.