'You can see it, you can sense it': Tennessee WRs 'absolutely love' playing for Nico Iamaleava
Kelsey Pope has seen both sides of it. Tennessee Football’s wide receivers coach played quarterback in high school before starring as a wide receiver at Samford.
He knows that some quarterbacks are better to play with than others. And there aren’t that many that everyone wants to play for.
“I’ve seen a handful of guys that receivers want to go play for,” Pope said this week. “And you can see it, you can sense it.”
He can see it and he can sense it with his Tennessee receivers and redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
“They love playing for their guy,” Pope said, “like absolutely love playing for him. It’s infectious in practice, it’s obviously easy in the game because the crowd’s there and there’s adrenaline. But they absolutely love playing for their guy.”
Nico Iamaleava vs. Chattanooga: 22-28, 314 yards, 3 TDs
Iamaleava showed every reason why in No. 14 Tennessee’s 69-3 win over Chattanooga in the season opener at Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
He started a perfect 10-for-10 for 189 yards and two touchdowns and finished the day — he only played the first half after helping the Vols lead 45-0 at the break — 22-for-28 for 314 yards and three touchdowns, setting a new Tennessee record for passing yards in a half.
Iamaleava delivered one pass after the next that was on time, placed perfectly and caught in stride by his receivers, looking every bit the part of the former No. 1-ranked recruit in the 2023 On3 Ratings.
“And as talented as he is,” Pope said, “he’s an even better teammate and a better leader. So that’s a testament to him and the growth that he’s shown since coming on the campus.
“It makes our group, our camaraderie, it makes the chemistry that much better when those guys love each other and they play hard for one another. So they love playing for ‘Eight Ball’ (Iamaleava).”
Dont’e Thornton caught three passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Bru McCoy led the Vols in receptions and targets, catching six passes on seven targets for 89 yards. Chris Brazzell caught five passes for 59 yards.
Redshirt freshman tight end Ethan Davis caught Iamaleava’s first touchdown pass of the season on a 4-yard pass over the middle in the first quarter.
Iamaleava put the pass in a tight window in traffic, moving quickly to find Davis in the end zone.
“You only have a very limited amount of time before the defensive line is at the quarterback,” Davis said of the timing. “You have to be moving fast and be decisive with your decisions.
“He knew where I wanted the ball, and I knew where he was going to throw the ball. It was a good chemistry thing between us two.”
Up Next: No. 14 Tennessee vs. No. 24 NC State, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
And when the timing isn’t there? Davis and Iamaleava were able to work through that in Week 1, too.
“We had one play where our communication, our timing was a little messed up,” Davis said. “Straight to the sidelines, sideline adjustments. ‘E, get your eyes around a little quicker.’ ‘I got you, Nico.’ So next time we run that play, we’ll make sure we’re dialed in on that one.
“Easy for him to come and coach me. Also for me to a coach him on where I need the ball, where I want the ball and where he’s going to put the ball.”
No different than any other sideline conversation between Tennessee receivers and their new quarterback.
“He’s a great teammate,” Davis said. “He an extremely (good) leader. Easy to talk to, easy to communicate with.”
The expectation is more of the same when the Vols face No. 24 North Carolina State in the Duke’s Mayo Classic Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
“Just the way he prepares, the way he comes in every single day, I’m not surprised at all how he performed (against Chattanooga),” Davis said. “And I’m sure the consistency will continue to go throughout these (upcoming) weeks.”
