Senior Day wasn’t looking so good for the Vols. Scotty Walden of the UTEP Miners was up to his bag of tricks, just as he was as head coach of the Austin Peay Governors back in 2023 when UT struggled to an ugly win over an FCS program then. At the same time, distractions of other meaningful games were present.
As a result, the Vols were sputtering offensively. Nico Iamaleava had completed just 2-of-6 passes, and the offense had failed to score on each of its first three possessions. UTEP had the ball and was driving late in the first quarter for a chance to take the lead. That ended when they missed a 49-yard field goal.
Finally, the Vols had some momentum, but they had squandered earlier momentum when they failed to capitalize off a Jermod McCoy interception. It looked like that would happen again, as Iamaleava took a five-yard sack, and Sampson then ran for six yards. Enter 3rd and 8.
A lethargic fan base was fully certain that wouldn’t convert this, and the players may have felt it too. However, Iamaleava hit Sampson with an easy dump-off, and Sampson ran it for a first down. That play was just the spark the Vols needed. Iamaleava completed all four of his other passes on that drive, which ended with a Sampson touchdown.
From then on, the Vols poured it onto UTEP, as they scored touchdowns on seven of nine possessions. A scoreless first quarter was followed by 28 points in the second quarter, 14 in the third and 14 in the fourth. For his part, Iamaleava would complete nine straight starting with that pass.
At the end of the game, Iamaleava’s stat line was a 17-of-23 for a career-high four touchdown passes and another 36 rushing yards. He turned the corner with that one completion, and it allowed the Vols to send the seniors off on a high note and finish their second regular season in three years undefeated a home.
