To close the season, the Volunteers drew a slot in the Citrus Bowl against the best defense in the nation in the Iowa Hawkeyes. Given UT’s propensity for the offense to disappear at times, a tough defense is going to be difficult to overcome. To make the offense even less potent, many offensive players have opted out of the bowl game, including Joe Milton III, 1,000 yard rusher Jaylen Wright, and backfield mate Jabari Small. Transfer players dominated on the defensive side, though, as starters Tyler Baron, Wesley Walker, and Doneiko Slaughter have decided to leave the program. In the new age of college football, the teams which take the bowl field will only vaguely resemble the team which played ball all fall.
Some of the biggest news of the game was the announcement Nico Iamaleava would be making his first career start. Nico, the highly rated and heralded quarterback who has been backing up Milton all year, has patiently waited in the wings as Rocky Top fans have been clamoring for his promotion to the starting lineup. Despite Joe Milton’s high statistical efficiency, fans have been disappointed, at best, and furious, at worst, with the starter for his inconsistency and lack of success with the offense. The Knoxville crowd will be analyzing every snap from Nico for signs of greatness.
The first drive did very little to give Rocky Top hope, but it was largely due to some offensive line woes. With his starting tackle out, Nico was scrambling a lot. He was able to pick up some big gains and short with his feet, but he was also often running out of pass plays, and sacked a lot. Even the defense faltered early after a short, shanked punt, giving up 43 yards after Iowa started at the Tennessee 47-yard line. But facing 3rd and goal, Tennessee’s Andre Turrentine dove in front of the pass, picking it off, and securing the ball before hitting the dirt in the endzone. From there, the define was lights out when it mattered, surrendering only 11 first downs, and 2-14 3rd down conversion attempts, a James Pearce interception returned for a touchdown, and one of the teams five sacks being a forced and recovered fumble only two yards from one of the team’s touchdowns.
And as far as the offensive touchdowns go, this is where Nico did well. Against the top defense in the nation, Nico was effective through the air and on the ground. While constantly under pressure, and Iowa’s defense collecting half a dozen sacks, Nico collected over 150 passing yards and a late score, as well as three rushing scores on the ground, leading to a 35-0 win. It could very well have been 42-0 if Heupel decided to rush a couple more times, but he allowed the clock to expire after getting a first down at the Iowa 2-yard line with 30 seconds left in the game. Just as Milton had the year before, the quarterback play in the bowl game gave great hope to the UT faithful. But, unlike Milton, Nico was a Freshman, with a few years ahead of him. The future at Rocky Top could be bright.