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    • Tennessee QB good enough against NC State
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    Tennessee QB good enough against NC State

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    CHARLOTTE – Nico Iamaleava looked mortal but was still good enough in No. 12 Tennessee’s win over No. 23 NC State in the Duke’s Mayo Classic on Saturday night.

    Iamaleava had two touchdowns and two interceptions.

    He is now 3-0 as UT’s starting quarterback. That includes two wins over Top 25 teams: No. 17 Iowa in the Citrus Bowl and No. 23 NC State in this Week 2 game of the 2024 season.

    Below is a quick summary of Iamaleava’s performance against NC State.

    Nico Iamaleava’s stats in the Tennessee vs NC State game

    Iamaleava was 16-of-23 passing for 211 yards, two TDs and two interceptions. He also rushed for 65 yards, including a 31-yard TD run.

    After starting the game with two incompletions, he made seven straight passes to give UT the lead for good, connecting with tight ends Miles Kitselman and Holden Staes for TD passes.

    Nico’s best: Deep pass to Squirrel White

    Iamaleava threw a 45-yard pass to Squirrel White in the second quarter.

    Iamaleava was under pressure, but he stayed upright and delivered the pass while leaning on his back foot. White made the diving catch, setting up a field goal for the Vols.

    It was reminiscent of Iamaleava’s 59-yard pass to Dont’e Thornton on a similar route against Chattanooga a week earlier.

    Nico’s worst: his first interception

    Iamaleava threw the first interception of his UT career in the second quarter. It was the result of a bad call.

    Iamaleava got greedy and tried to fit a pass between four defenders while Bru McCoy ran a dig route down the middle of the field. Those passes in tight windows were easier against Chattanooga.

    The turnover resulted in a missed scoring opportunity after the Vols crossed into NC State territory.

    Iamaleava threw a pick-6 later in the game, but he was hit as he threw the pass. The first interception, however, was entirely his fault.

    Grade: C+

    Iamaleava committed two turnovers that could have been costly against better opponents, but he also made several crucial plays to help the Vols pull away.

    There were good and bad things in his performance. That means Iamaleava still has a lot to do, but it’s much easier after another blowout win.

    Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing to knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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