3. Passing game may have finally come alive
Did Nico Iamaleava finally find his rhythm? The Tennessee Football quarterback went 28-of-38 on the day for 292 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. He was able to work the middle of the field and the short out-routes, making Kentucky pay for its cover-four man defense that Mark Stoops bizarrely decided to employ for much of the game.
Iamaleava didn’t have as many deep shots as he usually gets, but he stayed patient, working the tight ends and taking what the defense gave him. This is why Miles Kitselman was able to finish the game with six catches for 97 yards and a touchdown while Holden Staes added three catches for 27 yards.
Part of what has been helping the Vols on this front is targeting Bru McCoy, who led all wide receivers with five catches for 56 yards. Iamaleava showed he was willing to make defenses pay for leaving the short field open, and that led to one of his best performances of his young career. Dylan Sampson ran well with 142 yards and two touchdowns, and that can’t be ignored, but the pass set up the run.
Now, there were some issues in the passing game, but it was on the end of the pass-catchers. There were three drops that should have been touchdown passes, which could have had Iamaleava pushing 400 yards on the night, but at least Iamaleava’s passing on his own was solid. That’s a huge step for him going forward.
Takeaway #4: Missed opportunities
