Nick Saban talks Nico Iamaleava in Tennessee Football's 'quarterback-centric' offense
Nick Saban got a good look at Josh Heupel’s offense the last three years, when his Alabama teams lined up against Tennessee in the annual renewal of the Third Saturday in October rivalry.
The Vols put up 567 yards of total offense in the 52-49 win over the Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium in 2022, with Hendon Hooker combining for 441 total yards and five total touchdowns. He threw all five touchdowns to Jalin Hyatt, who had six total catches for 207 yards.
In 2021, Hooker had touchdown passes of 57 and 70 yards in Tennessee’s loss at Alabama. The Vols led 20-7 at halftime in Tuscaloosa last season and finished with 404 total yards in a 34-20 loss after Saban’s team stormed back in the second half.
That’s why it was so easy for Saban to break down Heupel’s scheme Tuesday on the SEC Network set, where he’s serving as an analysts during SEC Media Days in Dallas after retiring from coaching in January.
Nick Saban on Tennessee’s offense: ‘They don’t have a lot of negative plays’
The topic was redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee’s new starter at the position this season and the former five-star prospect and No. 1 overall player in the country.
“I’m going to call it a quarterback-centric offense,” Saban said. “In other words, they spread you out, they make you defend 53 yards (across) the field and they make you 100 yards deep because they will attack you vertically in the passing game.
“But there’s a lot of plays in this offense, running plays that turn into advantage throws. I call them smokes, which are quick screens outside with a guy. Or a bubble (screen) … so the receiver corps’ ability to execute on the perimeter.”
Saban said it’s hard for a defense to hide what it’s trying to do because of how Tennessee spreads the field and the tempo with which Heupel’s offense moves.
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Both should help a young quarterback in his first full season as a starter.
“Because these plays are packaged,” Saban said. “We’re going to hand it off if (the defense has) five in the box, we’re going throw it out there if they’ve got six in the box. So they don’t have a lot of negative plays and they’re going fast and the defense usually has to show what they’re going to do.
“It’s hard to disguise against this offense because they’re going fast, they’re snapping the ball and you got to be ready to play. So you got to get your cleats in the ground, get your eyes on your key and get ready to play.”
Nico Iamaleava in first career start: 178 total yards, 4 touchdowns
Iamaleava made his first career start in Tennessee’s 35-0 win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day, accounting for 178 total yards and four total touchdowns. In his five games as a freshman last season, Iamaleava completed 28 of 45 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns and ran 20 times for 71 yards and had three rushing touchdowns.
He was ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect by On3 in the 2023 class, picking the Vols over Miami, Alabama, Georgia and others.
“This is a very challenging group,” Saban said of the Vols, “but it is a quarterback-centric offense and I think it’ll be interesting to see how Nico handles all those responsibilities this year. He certainly has the ability to be a great player.”
