Tennessee Vols redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava had a great performance in UT’s 28-18 win against the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday night.
Iamaleava completed 28 of 38 passes for 292 yards and a touchdown. He could’ve had four touchdowns and more passing yards but three touchdowns were dropped by receivers. It was the best that Iamaleava’s looked in his young career.
One particular play, Iamaleava’s only touchdown of the night, showed why the California native was ranked as the No. 1 player in the 2023 recruiting class.
In the third quarter, with the Vols clinging to a four point lead, Iamaleava improvised on a play that was well defended by Kentucky. Iamaleava scrambled to his right and, while being pursued by a Wildcats defender, found tight end Miles Kitselman in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.
Those are the types of plays that have made Patrick Mahomes a superstar quarterback in the NFL.
That play was designed to go to tight end Holden Staes in the flat, but Kentucky had it well defended. Iamaleava was able to quickly scan the field and find Kitselman, who wasn’t even supposed to be running a route on that play, in the back of the end zone. Iamaleava then delivered a perfect throw across his body.