Tennessee offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle discusses Nico Iamaleava’s 20 rushing attempts at Ohio State.
Redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava completed his first season as Tennessee’s starting quarterback.
The 6-foot-6, 215-pound signal caller completed 14-of-31 passing attempts for 104 yards in Tennessee’s, 42-17, loss at Ohio State on Saturday in the College Football Playoff first round. He also totaled 20 rushing attempts for 47 yards and two touchdowns.
Tennessee offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle discussed Iamaleava’s performance against the Buckeyes.
“A lot of the runs that Nico ended up doing was just him extending plays on his own,” Halzle said. “We did have some design quarterback run on the play he scored on and a couple third and shorts.
“We weren’t creating big plays in the pass game, weren’t creating big windows. We had difficulty up front. It was just an entire unit where from start to finish it couldn’t get anything to pop going right there. That’s why you ended up seeing him running with the ball in his hand a lot.”
Iamaleava had two other games this season with 10-plus rushing attempts. He totaled 11 rushing attempts at Arkansas and 12 at Georgia.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel recaps the Vols’ first-round loss in the College Football Playoff at Ohio State.
The 2024 college football season came to an end for Tennessee (10-3, 6-2 SEC) on Saturday. The Vols were defeated by Ohio State (11-2, 7-2 Big Ten), 42-17.
The contest took place at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, during the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Fourth-year Tennessee coach Josh Heupel discussed the Vols’ season finale after the game.
“Just want to thank our fans,” Heupel said. “I don’t know what the actual number was that showed up, but there was a bunch of orange that decided to make the trip. Appreciate them. Disappointed for them. Disappointed for our team and everything that we have put into it since last January, that we didn’t coach and play better in this one early.
“There wasn’t a phase of the football game where we operated the way we needed to early in the game, and came back and made a couple plays at the end of the second quarter to tighten it up, and just didn’t function well enough the beginning of the third quarter, either. That’s a credit to them, but just didn’t do what you have to on the road in a game against a really good football team. Disappointed on all those accords. Talked to the players in the locker room, and everybody was disappointed, obviously, but there’s a lot of guys that played the last game in a Tennessee uniform that we’re really proud of, too. A lot of those guys have been with us since we started this journey, when I first got hired. Great leaders, great people, great players, and meant a lot to what we’ve built.”
Ohio State defeats Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
No. 8 seed Ohio State (11-2, 7-2 Big Ten) defeated No. 9 seed Tennessee (10-3, 6-2 SEC), 42-17, Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes led, 21-10, at halftime.
Ohio State scored the first 21 points of the game and led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The Vols scored 10 points in the second quarter. Max Gilbert converted a 36-yard field goal and Nico Iamaleava recorded a 2-yard touchdown run.
Iamaleava, Tennessee’s redshirt freshman quarterback, converted 14-of-31 passing attempts for 104 yards. He also totaled 47 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 20 attempts.
Peyton Lewis was the Vols’ leading rusher as he recorded 77 rushing yards. Bru McCoy led Tennessee with four receptions for 40 yards.
Will Brooks had an interception for Tennessee which set up Gilbert’s field goal.
Tennessee managed 256 yards of total offense against the Buckeyes.
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith finished with six receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns. He was targeted six times.
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard completed 24-of-29 passing attempts for 311 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
PHOTOS: Tennessee-Ohio State first-round College Football Playoff game at Ohio Stadium
The first round of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff has concluded.
First-round play kicked off on Friday with No. 7 seed Notre Dame defeating No. 10 seed Indiana, 27-17, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.
Saturday featured three games.
No. 6 seed Penn State defeated No. 11 seed SMU, 38-10, at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. No. 5 seed Texas was also victorious, 38-24, against No. 12 seed Clemson at Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.
The final first-round game took place at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. No. 8 seed Ohio State (11-2, 7-2 Big Ten) defeated No. 9 seed Tennessee (10-3, 6-2 SEC), 42-17.
The Buckeyes advance to the Rose Bowl against Oregon in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Below are photos of the Tennessee-Ohio State game in the College Football Playoff first round.
Tennessee football announces game captains at Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.
No. 9 Tennessee will open play in the College Football Playoff on Saturday. The Vols are slated to play No. 8 seed Ohio State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) at 8 p.m. EST (ABC) in Columbus, Ohio.
Ahead of kickoff, Tennessee announced game captains versus the Buckeyes.
Cooper Mays (offensive line), Bru McCoy (wide receiver), Keenan Pili (linebacker), Matthew Salansky (long snapper) and Omari Thomas (defensive lineman) will serve as game captains for the Vols against Ohio State.
The Tennessee-Ohio State winner will advance to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals and will play No. 1 seed Oregon in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2025 in Pasadena, California.
Tennessee last played in the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1, 1945 versus USC.
Nick Saban makes a game prediction between Tennessee and Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.
ESPN “College GameDay” broadcast live from Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday.
No. 8 seed Ohio State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) will host No. 9 seed Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) on Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Kickoff between the Vols and Buckeyes is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio (ABC).
Former coach Nick Saban is in his first season on “College GameDay.” He picked the winner of the Tennessee-Ohio State first-round game.
Saban picked Ohio State to defeat Tennessee.
Tennessee leads the all-time series versus the Buckeyes, 1-0. The only meeting took place on Jan. 1, 1996 in the Citrus Bowl. Tennessee defeated Ohio State, 20-14, in Orlando, Florida.
Former Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano discusses the Vols in the College Football Playoff and playing in cold weather.
No. 9 seed Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) will play in a cold-weather game on Saturday like the Vols did at Missouri in 2019. The Vols will play at No. 8 seed Ohio State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
A below freezing temperature is expected at kickoff between Tennessee and the Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio.
On Nov. 23, 2019, the Vols defeated Missouri, 24-20, with 39 degree weather and 7-9 mph wind at kickoff.
Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano completed 23-of-40 passing attempts for 415 yards and two touchdowns, guiding the Vols to victory. At the time, his performance was the first for a Tennessee quarterback to record 400-plus passing yards in a game since Tyler Bray in 2012.
Three Tennessee wide receivers also recorded 100-plus yards for the first time during a game in school history: Josh Palmer (124), Jauan Jennings (115) and Marquez Callaway (110).
Guarantano discussed with Vols Wire Tennessee in the College Football Playoff and preparing to play in cold weather at Ohio State like he did at Missouri and other contests.
“I see a lot of analysts saying it is a negative factor for Tennessee,” Guarantano said. “What a lot of people do not understand about Knoxville is how cold it can get. Amongst that Missouri game, we played in a bunch of cold weather games and we practiced in cold weather all the time. It is not that much different than the north, and I am from New Jersey. Obviously, the only thing that can take effect is the travel, but it is not really a far game. If we go to the Rose Bowl, or such, that is a little further, but you would be there for a week.
“The weather is not really an effect, it’s not snow, it’s not really anything like that, it’s just a little colder. We have the Smoky Mountains, we have Rocky Top, the guys are used to it. I don’t really think it takes into effect, the only thing it can do is mental. It is a little harder to get warm, a little harder to sweat a little bit, but for this game everyone just has to be ready to go. The juices will be flowing, so it won’t be too difficult to get their bodies going for this one.”
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Guarantano played at Tennessee from 2016-20. He completed 494-of-808 passing attempts for 6,174 yards and 38 touchdowns.
Guarantano played for the UFL’s Houston Roughnecks in 2024. He returned to Tennessee for the first time for a football game in 2024, attending the Vols’ win against Alabama at Neyland Stadium on Oct. 19.
The former Tennessee quarterback is excited about the current state of UT athletics competing at a championship level in multiple sports.
“That was my first time back since my last game,” he said. “It is a really good time. It’s all sports.”
Guarantano also discussed Tennessee’s football program under fourth-year head coach Josh Heupel.
“He looks at his personnel, he game plans for his personnel, he puts his players in the best position possible, no matter if that is every game or every year, every recruiting class — everything,” Guarantano said. “He is such a special coach and he does it the right way. I am super happy that they decided to go with him as coach because it has been program changing, for sure.”
Score predictions for the Tennessee-Ohio State game in the College Football Playoff first round.
No. 9 seed Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) will open play in the College Football Playoff on Saturday. No. 8 seed Ohio State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) will host the Vols in the College Football Playoff first round.
Kickoff between the Vols and Buckeyes is slated for 8 p.m. EST at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. ABC will televise the matchup.
Saturday will mark the Vols’ first game played in Ohio all time. Ohio Stadium will also host a football game for the first time in December.
The winner between the Vols and Buckeyes will advance to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals against No. 1 seed Oregon (13-0, 9-0 Big Ten). The quarterfinal matchup will be contested at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on Jan. 1, 2025 (5 p.m. EST, ESPN).
Tennessee will become the fourth team as a SEC member to play Ohio State at Ohio Stadium all time.
No. 9 seed Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) will become the fourth team as a Southeastern Conference league member to play at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
The Vols will play No. 8 seed Ohio State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) on Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Kickoff between Tennessee and the Buckeyes is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST and will be televised by ABC.
Saturday’s winner will advance to the Rose Bowl to play No. 1 seed Oregon on Jan. 1, 2025.
Ohio State has hosted three other games against teams as SEC members all time at Ohio Stadium: LSU (1988), Kentucky (1935) and Vanderbilt (1933). The first SEC football season was in 1933.
Ohio State’s game results versus SEC members at Ohio Stadium
Tennessee announces uniform combination at Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.
No. 9 seed Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) is preparing to play at No. 8 seed Ohio State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes will host the Vols on Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio (8 p.m. EST, ABC).
“Great opportunity this week, playing a big game against a great opponent,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “A lot of work has gone on to get to this point. The guys started back in January, staff and players together. They’ve earned the right to play in a game like this.”
Tennessee announced its uniform combination against the Buckeyes on Wednesday. The Vols will wear their “storm trooper” uniforms: white helmets, white jerseys and white pants.
