Josh Heupel evaluates performance of Nico Iamaleava at halftime of Citrus Bowl
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is loving what he’s seeing from quarterback Nico Iamaleava in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Iowa.
At halftime, Iamaleava has completed 7-of-13 passes for 94 yards, but he’s done damage with his legs, amassing 33 yards on seven carries, scoring two rushing touchdowns. Speaking with ESPN before heading to the locker room, Heupel evaluated his quarterback’s performance thus far.
“He’s done a good job of managing everything,” Heupel said, regarding his quarterback. “Sack there in the two minute drill that we can’t take. Be smart with the ball. Ready to play for another 30 minutes.”
Moreover, the Volunteers defense has held the Iowa offense to only 81 total yards in the first half, forcing a turnover as well. Specifically, the potent Hawkeyes running game has been neutralized, held to only 52 yards on 18 attempts at the moment.
Heupel made sure to praise the performance of his defense in that aspect, but pointed out that he wants to clean some things up.
“Done a good job in the run game,” Heupel added. “Destructive. Played vertically. Tackled well. We’ve got to be better on some of our third downs, just in coverage, matching some things up. Gotta get off the field. We’ve got to play for another 30 minutes.”
Alas, Iamaleava is starting for Tennessee for the first time, as usual starting quarterback Joe Milton takes a backseat. Earlier this week, Heupel explained what Milton’s role would be for Monday’s clash.
“Joe has done it the right way during the course of his career. You look at how everything has unfolded, he is a guy that chose to stay. Believed in his teammates what we were building, and how his coaching staff and players around him were going to help him grow as a player. Did a lot of really great things during the course of the season. He has been a huge impact on our program for game day on Monday. Be another voice to help Nico as he comes off the sidelines, things that are going on. Being able to help him get ready for the next set and also create positive energy,” Heupel said.
“Besides being the quarterback on the field, throwing the football, making decisions, every other part of his roles that he has had during the course of the year he can still have on the sideline.”
Time will tell if Tennessee can hold on to their 14-0 lead over Iowa, but the Volunteers are looking to end their season on a high note against the Hawkeyes in Orlando.