Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava was certainly happy the Vols came back from a poor start to top Alabama 24-17. However, he wasn’t content with a comeback win.
“We had a great message in the locker room and we’re glad the way our guys came out and played in the second half,” Iamaleava said of the Vols who were down 7-0 to Alabama at halftime. “We need to come out and start fast in the first half. Can’t get shut out like that anymore.”
The Vols have been shutout in the first half for three consecutive game. That’s an unenviable mark that dates back to 1963.
“I missed the shot to Squirrel on the touchdown,” Iamaleava said, referring to receiver Squirrel White. “I missed him. I think that if that if I hit that, it gets our offense flowing and we’re feeling a whole different type of way. So, I got to be better on that, but I’m proud of the way we bounced back in the second half.”
Iamaleava’s best throw might have been a 16-yard touchdown pass in the the fourth quarter to Chris Brazzell to give the Vols the lead 21-17.
“I went to the slot,” Brazzell said. “They kind of like that matchup with the safety. They were playing man. I ran my route. Caught the ball. Great ball fan.”
Iamaleava’s turnaround actually began earlier in the game, in which he completed a 55-yard pass to receiver Dont’e Thornton that set up a touchdown run by running back Dylan Sampson that gave the Vols a 14-10 lead late in the third quarter. Iamaleava threw the ball on the run to Thornton, who had gotten behind the Crimson Tide’s defense. Thornton said the play was a big part of the gameplay leading into Saturday.
“I feel like this whole week we’ve been working on (that play) heavy and like looking at the film, we talked about this one, one of the plays that we felt like was going to hit,” said Thornton, who had three catches for 70 yards. “Even though the look wasn’t exact from what we’ve been practicing all week, Nico has a lot of confidence in all his receivers. So it’s one of the moments that we felt like we needed to make a play, and he took the shot and that’s what happened.”
Said Iamaleava, “We didn’t get the certain look we wanted. As I rolled out, I saw I still had a one-on-one matchup with Tay (Thornton). And you know, I trusted him to go make that play.”
Iamaleava seemed to respond well to being knocked out of the game when he was tackled from behind, slammed his face into the turf and seemed to grab his back.
“I think the thing I needed that,” he said. “Woke me up a little bit for sure.”
The No. 11 Vols weren’t perfect on Saturday even though they beat No. 7 Alabama. Tennessee seems to have plenty of room to grow as their offense improves over the coming weeks.
“Everything man,” Iamaleava said when asked what the Alabama win meant for the Vols. “You know we got a tight locker room. I think we really came together even tighter after our Arkansas game. So I think our bond just has been strong through all throughout. We’ve been working since January. So it’s been been a tight brotherhood since then.”
The loss to Arkansas seems like eons ago after Tennessee managed to top two of its biggest rivals in Florida and Alabama over the past two weeks. Now, the Vols have an off week to prepare for November and, if they can take care of a business, a likely spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
