Why Nico Iamaleava's first start was a big success for Tennessee

Nico Iamaleava didn’t torch the Iowa defense in his first start, but his performance left Tennessee fans feeling excited about what the future might hold with him playing quarterback going forward. Plus, a 35-0 bowl win doesn’t hurt those good feelings, either.

VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs joined On3’s Andy Staples to discuss the ins and outs of Iamaleava’s first extended action after the capper to Tennessee’s season. For Hubbs, the smooth operation of the offense was the strongest sign that Iamaleava was humming along.

“But the bigger thing was, he didn’t have to call a timeout. There wasn’t a delay of game penalty. They played with tempo. Everybody seemed to be on the same page. He never seemed — the game never seemed to fast for him presnap, post snap, or anything like that. And I think when you talk about good quarterback play, we all know how vital it is in college football and in the NFL. It starts, first and foremost, with game management. And I thought Nico managed the game really well. Did he have the wow throw? Maybe he didn’t have the wow throws where you’re like, ‘Holy — what a laser!’ But the game never seemed too fast, the moment never seemed too fast for him. Which I think for Tennessee fans is a really nice starting point for 2024,” Hubbs said.

Iamaleava didn’t shred the Iowa defense, totaling just 178 combined yards. But he was efficient and had four total touchdowns, including three on the ground. His passing line was an efficient and effective 12-of-19 for 151 yards and a score.

He was also harassed constantly by the Iowa defense, getting sacked a half dozen times. There’s plenty to improve but considering the circumstances, a solid game from a true freshman quarterback.

And the fact that Iowa couldn’t create much of anything on offense while the Tennessee ground attack churned out north of 200 yards made life that much easier for Iamaleava.

“I mean you’re sitting there with that game at 14-0, Andy, and the only way Tennessee loses is if Tennessee does something crazy,” Hubbs said. “If they turn it over, you’re loose with the football on a scramble and you get the ball knocked loose if you’re the quarterback, or if you throw one up in harms way under pressure. And he just didn’t do that. He managed the game. And I know that’s such a bad word and when you talk about quarterback play, but he really did. He was smart with the football all day long, which I don’t think you see all the time with young quarterbacks, freshman quarterbacks. I don’t think you’ve seen it the entire bowl season. There’s been some freshman out there who have had some moments where they’re just freshman with the football, and he didn’t seem to have any of those.”