Analysts across the country were raving about Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s season debut on Saturday against Chattanooga.
The redshirt freshman quarterback’s strong season debut was good enough for him to earn Co-SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Iamaleava split the honor with Alabama freshman receiver Ryan Williams.
Iamaleava played in just one half of Tennessee’s 69-3 win over Chattanooga where he completed 22-of-28 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns. The 6-foot-6 quarterback started red-hot, completing his first 10 passes and throwing more touchdowns than incompletions in the first quarter.
Williams started at receiver for Alabama, catching two passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. The former five-star caught touchdown passes of 84 and 57 yards.
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After starting in Tennessee’s Citrus Bowl win over Iowa last season, Iamaleava was making his first regular season start of his career against Chattanooga as he becomes the Vols’ full-time starting quarterback.
Tennessee scored on its first seven drives against the Mocs in the season opener including touchdowns on six of the drives. The Vols last two drives with Iamaleava in the game were a three-and-out and a two-minute drill that penalties and a sack derailed.
Iamaleava spread the ball around well to a number of pass catchers with Dont’e Thornton, Bru McCoy, Chris Brazzell, Squirrel White, Dylan Sampson, Cam Seldon, Ethan Davis and Holden Staes all catching passes from the Vols’ starting quarterback.
Tennessee’s redshirt freshman quarterback will look to keep the momentum moving forward this week when the challenge gets much more difficult as Vols face NC State in Charlotte.
