Citrus Bowl – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Phil Parker details how Vols’ offense will not change with Nico Iamaleava

Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker details how Tennessee’s offense will not change with Nico Iamaleava.

Tennessee freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava will make his first career start versus Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day (1 p.m. EST, ABC).

The 6-foot-6, 206-pound freshman signal-caller appeared in four games for Tennessee during the 2023 regular-season.

Iamaleava completed 16-of-26 passing attempts for 163 yards and one touchdown. He recorded 44 rushing yards on five attempts.

Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker met with media on Friday. He discussed the Hawkeyes facing Iamaleava and the Vols’ offense.

“I don’t think the offense is going to change,” Parker said. “It’s been very similar to what he’s done in the past, but I think we have about 54 snaps on him. They are running the same offense, but he is a little bit different in style. Probably runs maybe a little bit better. I’m sure they have got some other things up their sleeve of what they want to do with them, but it’s going to be a challenge for us and we are going to be have to to be able to match their talent outside with the wide receivers they have and the ability to stop the run.

“I think that’s the most important thing that we have to do in any game. You have to make sure you stop the run and try to make them pass it, which, you know, they have a lot of explosive plays and one of our goals is making sure that we don’t give up explosive plays, so it’s definitely a challenge in that way.”

Squirrel White ‘is an explosive play waiting to happen’

Tennessee wide receiver Squirrel White is an explosive play waiting to happen.

Tennessee sophomore wide receiver Squirrel White appeared in every game for the Vols during the 2023 regular-season.

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound wide receiver recorded 64 receptions for 764 yards and two touchdowns in 12 contests. He also totaled 13 rushing yards on two attempts.

Ahead of Tennessee’s matchup versus Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle met with media. He discussed what White has meant to the Vols’ offense this year and what is ahead for him.

“Squirrel, he is just an explosive play waiting to happen,” Halzle said. “That has been one of the biggest things for him, is he has legit 10.4 track speed out there. You put guys like that on a bunch of grass and you let them go run really fast, cool stuff happens.

“He is been the guy we can rely on to be, all right, we need to go take the top off of this right now, we need to go stretch the defense. Squirrel is a guy that can go out there and do it on any given down, any given snap. He has been a big, crucial part of this offense.”

Brian Ferentz details Iowa facing Tennessee’s defense in Citrus Bowl

Offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz details Iowa facing Tennessee’s defense in the Citrus Bowl.

No. 23 Tennessee (8-4, 4-4 SEC) will play No. 17 Iowa (10-3, 7-2 Big Ten) in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

Rankings reflect the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Kickoff between the Vols and Hawkeyes is slated for 1 p.m. EST and will be televised by ABC.

Iowa offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Ferentz met with media on Friday and discussed facing Tennessee’s defense.

“Everything for them starts with their front, with those big guys,” Ferentz said. “I think our league has changed a little bit. We have seen some more defenses like that as time has gone on with some bigger guys up front, especially in the interior. I think what makes these guys interesting is they have got the big guys up front. They have got the two backers that are pretty good players. Then, they are playing with those DBs, and they can be a little bit fluid with what they are showing you. I think a real testament to them is just structurally, and I mean this as a huge compliment, they change week-to-week. They can present different looks, based on the game, based on the team they are playing. They can choose to play a couple different ways. They can change the front, they can change the coverage structure. They are really fluid in those things, and they do a nice job of it. They can really create some challenges with you for the pictures you are seeing up front or in the back end with the coverage.

“I think one of the big challenges for us this week is going to be trying to identify very early on what their game plan is against us, because I think it will look different than maybe what we have seen on tape week-to-week. There is, obviously, going to be elements of it, but this has been a tough preparation, because you cannot just say, hey — it is not like playing our defense where it’s like, hey, this is what they are going to do. We know that. They are going to match it up against what we are, but it is going to look like this on game day. Now we have to beat it. There is an element of, hey, look, these guys have some really good players, but there is a structural component that is a little bit of a question mark right now. We probably will not know until about eight, nine, ten plays in this first quarter exactly what it is going to look like and make sure we are dialed in and seeing those pictures clearly and attacking them the way we want to attack them.”

Aaron Beasley previews Vols’ defensive matchup against Iowa’s offense

Aaron Beasley previews Tennessee’s defensive matchup against Iowa’s offense.

Senior linebacker Aaron Beasley appeared in every contest for Tennessee during the 2023 regular-season.

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker recorded 67 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks, one interception, four pass deflections and one fumble recovery in 12 games.

Beasley met with media on Friday ahead of the Vols’ matchup against Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day. He discussed competing against the Hawkeyes’ offense.

“I think they do well up front,” Beasley said. “I think the o-line does a really good job working together. I feel like they will show us some stuff that we really have not seen this year. They run a lot of 13-personnel and 12-personnel, and they will stay in that all game. I feel like that is a little bit different, stuff we really have not seen, but overall, I feel like they work well together and they do a good job for sure.”

Bryson Eason previews 2024 Citrus Bowl

Tennessee defensive lineman Bryson Eason previews the 2024 Citrus Bowl.

Redshirt junior defensive lineman Bryson Eason is set to return to Tennessee in 2024.

Eason met with media on Thursday ahead of the Vols’ matchup against Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. He discussed if his first start at last year’s bowl game helped shape him into the player he is today.

“It was just a great feeling for one, it just gave me a lot of confidence going into this season,” Eason said. “It let me know that I can do this and just help the team and be productive in every which way. It was a great jump and a great feeling, it just helped me out a lot with confidence.”

Eason’s media availability can be watched below.

Aspects of Nico Iamaleava’s game that have taken biggest jump detailed

Aspects of Nico Iamaleava’s game that have taken the biggest jump are detailed.

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.”

Tennessee-Iowa Citrus Bowl transfer portal, opt out tracker

A look at players for Tennessee and Iowa who are not playing in the Citrus Bowl.

No. 23 Tennessee (8-4, 4-4 SEC) will play No. 17 Iowa (10-3, 7-2 Big Ten) in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024.

Rankings reflect the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Kickoff between the Vols and Hawkeyes is slated for 1 p.m. EST. ABC will televise the matchup at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

Tennessee leads the all time series against the Hawkeyes, 2-1.

The two schools last played in the TaxSlayer Bowl on Jan. 2, 2015. Tennessee was victorious, 45-28.

Tennessee defeated Iowa, 23-22, on Aug. 30, 1987 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Hawkeyes beat Tennessee in the Peach Bowl, 28-22, in Atlanta, Georgia on Dec. 31, 1982.

Vols Wire looks at Tennessee and Iowa student-athletes who entered the NCAA transfer portal or opted out of the Citrus Bowl. Student-athletes who are not playing in the Citrus Bowl are listed below.

Cooper Mays details Nico Iamaleava being ‘the guy all throughout bowl prep’

Tennessee offensive lineman Cooper Mays details quarterback Nico Iamaleava being the guy all throughout bowl prep.

Senior offensive lineman Cooper Mays announced on Dec. 15 he will return to Tennessee in 2024.

Mays met with media on Friday ahead of the Vols’ matchup against Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day. He discussed freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava who is set to make his first career start versus the Hawkeyes.

“He has been the guy all throughout bowl prep,” Mays said. “He has done well for himself. Like coach (Joey Halzle) said, he does not really handle himself like a young guy. We have had a few weeks here to gel and come up and give him a chance to get ready for the game. He has done a really good job, and he has done the best he can with it.”

The 6-foot-6, 206-pound freshman signal-caller appeared in four games for Tennessee during the 2023 regular-season.

Iamaleava completed 16-of-26 passing attempts for 163 yards and one touchdown. He also recorded 44 rushing yards on five attempts.

Kickoff between the Vols and Hawkeyes is slated for 1 p.m. EST at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

Citrus Bowl ‘not a tune-up game’ for Nico Iamaleava in first start

Citrus Bowl is not a tune-up game for Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava in first start.

Freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava will make his first career start in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl versus Iowa.

Tennessee offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle met with media on Friday and discussed where on the spectrum of cautious to aggressive does he think Iamaleava should be against Iowa.

“It is not a tune-up game for a starter,” Halzle said. “This is a kid making his first start against one of the best defenses in all of college football. I do not think you can go into it thinking differently. You have to go take what is there, whatever they are presenting to it, you have to go take advantage of it. You are still going to have to push the ball down the field. You are going to have to take check downs when they present. We are going to have to run the football well. Football is still football at the end of the game. We have to block well. We have to tackle well. We have to catch, throw. We have to do all that type of stuff.

“To do all of that, then, you are inserting a freshman quarterback in on top of this, where he has to manage the game. He has got to understand situational football, when to take the risk, when to not, all of that, when to scramble, when is a throwaway a good thing, when is an incompletion a positive. All of those type of thoughts for a young quarterback is what I think you see young guys when they are making their first start get in trouble in sometimes. Now, he does not handle himself like a young guy, so really confident in that. I think he is prepared well. I think he is ready to go, so looking forward to seeing what he has on the first.”

Joey Halzle discusses Iowa’s defense ahead of Citrus Bowl

Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle discusses Iowa’s defense ahead of the Citrus Bowl.

Tennessee offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle met with media on Friday and discussed preparing for the Vols’ matchup against Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

“Iowa, obviously, you can see on tape, extremely well-coached,” Halzle said. “They play extremely physical. They tackle well in space. They scheme well. They are just a very sound, solid, strong defense from top to bottom. You see a lot of physical play up front, especially from their defensive line, their linebackers, they like to play physically, get their hands on people. They shed blocks. There is a reason their defensive numbers are the way they are. It is all the way to the back end.”

Kickoff between the Vols and Hawkeyes is slated for 1 p.m. EST on New Year’s Day at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.