Josh Heupel’s homecoming could not have gone more in his favor. Anyone who doubted that Tennessee was a true contender in the SEC this season has now been silenced as the Vols put together a solid 25-15 in-conference win over the Oklahoma Sooners on the road.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava gave Heupel the game ball following the victory, but the former Oklahoma quarterback did not center the affair around himself.
“This game was never about me coming back here,” Heupel said. “Not for our football team. I say all that, but they also understood that this one was a little bit different for me personally, too. That is not what it was about. But I do appreciate their recognition of that and wanting that for me.”
Here’s a look into four things we took away from both sides in the Tennessee victory.
1. Nico Iamaleava wasn’t perfect, but proved himself against legitimate competition
There’s been a lot of buzz about Iamaleava being one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, but some were skeptical because of the fact Tennessee hadn’t played a quality opponent yet on the schedule. That can be done away with now as he’s faced a solid SEC defense and still maintained a high level of play. So long as he sustains this through the rest of the schedule, it seems it is only onward and upward for Iamaleava.