Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava returns to Alabama game after leaving with injury
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava left Saturday afternoon’s game against Alabama with an apparent injury Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium. Iamaleava landed hard on his chest after being sacked by an Alabama defensive lineman on a second-and-seven near midfield.
Iamaleava missed just one play before returning to the game on Tennessee’s next possession.
“Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava was clutching his left side in pain in their injury tent,” sideline reporter Molly McGrath said on ABC’s game broadcast. “I’m told it’s his left hip that was injured. You saw him warming up. He looked a little bit rattled but told teammates, ‘I’m OK.’”
Iamaleava was intercepted to end the possession, after rolling left and being hit as he threw toward McCoy in the end zone. He was 6-for-12 for 90 yards before the interception, throwing for 53 yards on the drive and running for seven more yards.
The interception was Tennessee’s third turnover of the first half. The Vols also missed field goals of 53 and 50 yards.
Iamaleava was briefly replaced by fifth-year senior Gaston Moore with 11:36 left in the second quarter, with the Vols trailing 7-0. Moore was intercepted on his first play on a deep target to Bru McCoy.
Iamaleava was checked out in the injury tent on the Tennessee sideline but emerged from the tent with his helmet on. He then began throwing passes on the sideline.
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Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe threw a 5-yard touchdown to Ryan Williams on a jump ball to put the Tide up on the previous possession. The drive went 64 yards in eight plays, taking 3:50 off the clock.
Tennessee’s offensive struggles continued in the first quarter, starting with a Dylan Sampson fumble lost on the first possession. The Vols drove 43 yards after forcing Alabama to punt on the opening series of the game, but Sampson was stripped at the Alabama 38-yard line and the Crimson Tide recovered.
Iamaleava missed two open receivers down the field later in the quarter and Tennessee’s receivers had two drops.
The defense continued to keep the Vols in it, thanks to a Jermod McCoy interception in the end zone that the Tennessee corner returned to the Alabama 46. The ensuing drive went just 11 yards before Max Gilbert missed wide right on a 53-yard field goal attempt.
