The excitement around Nico Iamaleava’s first career start for Tennessee was more than enough to bring eyeballs to the television in the Citrus Bowl.
Iamaleava was handed the reigns less than a week before the bowl game with veteran quarterback Joe Milton III declaring and opting out for the NFL Draft. That move gave fans and analysts alike their first chance to see what the former No. 1 overall recruit could do against a stout Iowa defense.
Iamaleava’s four total touchdowns on the day helped propel the Vols to a 35-0 win over the Hawkeyes as more than six million viewers tuned into the contest.
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Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. was also a major factor in Monday’s game as he recorded a sack, a forced fumble, and a 52-yard pick-six to seal the win for the Vols in Camping World Stadium.
According to Tennessee Football on X, the Citrus Bowl pulled in 6.8 million viewers on Monday afternoon.
That statistic makes Tennessee’s game against Iowa the most-watched non-New Year’s Six bowl game and the most-watched Citrus Bowl game since the 2020 contest between Alabama and Michigan.
There’s hardly a better time to pick back and watch football than New Year’s Day, after all.
All 👀 on the #Vols #GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/kdhcHO3Qdp
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) January 5, 2024
