Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava didn’t have complete support from his teammates on Saturday. Dropped passes were a problem for the Vols in their win over Kentucky, but that didn’t affect how the redshirt freshman felt about his intended targets.
“I’m confident in every throw,” said Iamaleava, who completed 28 of 38 passes for 292 yards and a touchdown in a 28-18 win over Kentucky on Saturday night in Neyland Stadium. “Any throw out there, I’ve got the most confidence in my receivers to go and make that play and my tight ends are going to make that play.”
Those Vols didn’t exactly instill confidence in the many fans that were in attendance to watch the Tennessee top the Wildcats. The Vols had several drops that limited the Tennessee’s offensive performance. Iamaleava said he was there to support his intended targets when things didn’t go well, especially in the first half.
“I’m still instilling confidence into my guys on the sideline,” Iamaleava said. “Everybody messes up. Everybody has their play. You got to be able to pick your teammates up. I just told them I’m gonna keep coming to you.”
Iamaleava played arguably his best game against decent competition as he was in control throughout the contest – despite the many mistakes the Vols made on offense, which included an untimely hold against offensive tackle John Campbell Jr. and a fumble by running back Dylan Sampson.
“I was just taking what the defense was giving me, quick stuff was out there,” Iamaleava said.
Iamaleava’s best play against Kentucky probably came when he completed a six-yard touchdown pass to tight end Miles Kitselman. Iamaleava rolled out and threw back to Kitselman, who was not the intended target, which was actually fellow tight end Holden Staes.
“Was supposed to go to Holden Staes to the flat and me and Miles kind of just improvised,” Iamaleava said. “He wasn’t supposed to be on the route right there, but I saw him open up and he made a great play.”
Said Kitselman, who led the Vols with six receptions for 97 yards, “That’s just the kind of player that Nico is, not freaking out or anything like that. Luckily enough, I just happened to turn around. So yeah, that was great by Nico.”
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel complimented Iamaleava after the game. However, Iamaleava wasn’t ready to shoot off any fireworks following the win.
“It was okay,” he said. “Gotta keep getting better. The sky’s the limit for this whole offense…for me, too. Gotta keep playing better.”
That may be true. However, the Vols have certainly played themselves into College Football Playoff contention. With the initial rankings set to be revealed on Tuesday, Tennessee looks primed for a spot in the inaugural 12-team postseason event.
