Tennessee freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava will make his first career start against Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Kickoff between the Vols and Hawkeyes is slated for 1 p.m. EST at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
Iamaleava will become the fourth true freshman quarterback to start a bowl game for Tennessee in program history, joining Tyler Bray (2010 Music City Bowl versus North Carolina), Casey Clausen (2001 Cotton Bowl versus Kansas State) and Peyton Manning (1994 Gator Bowl versus Virginia Tech).
Tennessee offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle met with media on Friday. He discussed aspects of Iamaleava’s game that have taken the biggest jump from his vantage point.
“In his defensive recognition, he really dug into that,” Halzle said. “A lot of freshmen quarterbacks are like, cool, teach me the plays and I will figure it out. He really wanted to dive into, all right, how do I judge a defense, what am I getting as far as tips and how do I know when I’m getting pressure, when am I hot, when am I not. He has really dug into that. Like I said at the beginning, not like most true freshmen handle themselves. He was big into that side of it.
“Mechanically, when someone comes in as highly touted as he was, a lot of times, they feel like they are finished products. He was not. He wanted to come in and be like, all right, what do I need to do to take my physical game to the next level, as well. He came in and was completely open with tinkering with the mechanics, his lower body, all of that. That is why I think he has made the growth that he has and why I think the guys out there with him have the confidence that he will go perform at a high level when he is called upon.”
