NC State has the task of preparing for a high-powered Tennessee offense with only one-half of tape on the starters to go off of before Saturday’s contest.
Tennessee is still orchestrated by Josh Heupel and Joey Halzle but features a new quarterback, a new wide receiver, two receivers returning from injury, a new starting running back, and two new rotational running backs.
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava dazzled in his first regular-season start against Chattanooga, with 314 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in just two quarters of work. Iamaleava led the Vols to a 45-0 lead at halftime before his day, along with other offensive starters, was shut down.
Iamaleava enters the NC State game with only six collegiate appearances and two starts. That lack of experience can be a bit deceiving, though, because of the natural ability he has and the fit in Heupel’s offense.
NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson spoke about scouting Iamaleava over the summer and what the Wolfpack will be preparing for with the Vols’ emerging star.
“Went back and studied him in the summer against Iowa in the bowl game,” Gibson said of Iamaleava on Wednesday. “He’s very poised in the pocket. He can extend plays. Smart. Understands their system and what they want to do. And then, obviously, against UTC in the first half, very accurate. I don’t think he threw an incompletion until midway through the second quarter. We’re going to have our work cut out. We’re going to show up and hopefully be better than we were a week ago.”
Gibson spoke to the media for a little over seven minutes on Wednesday and stressed one key thing over and over about the game ahead: communication.
Tennessee’s offense wasn’t as high-tempo as it was in 2023 compared to 2022, but Josh Heupel’s group has been established as a quick-moving offense regardless of the quarterback. Fortunately for the Vols, though, Iamaleava looks more than capable of hitting the turbo button like Hendon Hooker once did. Gibson knows that communication is key when it comes to staying balanced against a team designed to keep opponents off-balance.
“The biggest piece to that is we have to communicate,” Gibson said on Wednesday. “That’s where the breakdown comes, if we’re not communicating, getting the call in. So I have to do a really good job of doing that and then the kids have to respond as well.”
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When Tennessee’s offense is rolling with momentum, it can be hard to slow down as opponents get caught on the heels. Gibson understands that Tennessee’s offense can turn the game into a one-sided affair if not kept in check.
“We have to play very, very fundamentally sound and we have to communicate,” Gibson said. “I can’t say that word enough. If we don’t (communicate), it will be ugly. So our guys have to make sure that we’re talking, getting the right call, getting guys in position to make a play and then we have to make plays.”
Gibson also noted the necessity for his team to make an impact early in the game, something that Tennessee’s offense has also shown a strong push for in the Heupel era.
Gibson first joined the NC State staff as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach in 2019 before swapping the safeties role for the linebackers spot starting in 2020. Prior to his time in Raleigh, though, Gibson spent six seasons with West Virginia, the final five of those as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Gibson also spent seven years as a defensive backs coach with the Mountaineers early in his career.
The Wolfpack’s defensive coordinator will draw on his Big 12 experience to prepare for the high-powered offense Tennessee is expected to bring to the Duke’s Mayo Classic.
“Our background, a couple of us – myself, coach (Joe) DeForest, coach (Brian) Mitchell – were in the Big 12,” Gibson said. “Every week that was the type of offense that we played. We have to do different things in practice to get reps and make it as game-like as we can. Two huddles, trying to run guys as fast as we can at them.”
Tennessee’s starting units tallied 314 passing yards, 176 rushing yards, six touchdowns, and one field goal in the first half of play against the Mocs. While it was against an FCS opponent, Tennessee’s video game numbers were nothing to overlook as the Vols operated more efficiently than some might believe with the new and returning pieces factored in.
NC State’s defense will be in for a tough task against Nico Iamaleava and the Vols’ offense, but it’s a job that Tony Gibson believes his guys are up for.
No. 14 Tennessee will take on No. 24 NC State in the Duke’s Mayo Classic in Charlotte, NC, this Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.
