Tennessee Quarterback Nico Iamaleava Facing Unfamiliar Pressure vs Oklahoma
Star QB Nico Iamaleava will face some unfamiliar pressure as Tennessee and Oklahoma kick-off at 7:30 PM ET
It’s finally game day and the Tennessee Volunteers are set to take on the Oklahoma Sooners. A big headline from this game has been Josh Heupel and his star quarterback Nico Iamaleava going into Oklahoma to take on the Sooners’ standout defense and Brent Venables.
Tennessee and Iamaleava will experience something they have yet to experience this season. That is the pressure that Oklahoma will bring. Oklahoma does a great job with zone blitzes and their edge rushers do an even better job at freeing themselves up for a path to the QB.
Iamaleava has only been sacked one time this season as he has a great offensive line up front. However, the offense line will be without Lance Heard at the tackle position and will likely turn to Dayne Davis. This will be something to watch as Oklahoma will likely try to attack this side of the field heavily with Heard being absent. R Mason Thomas has emerged as one of the better defensive linemen in the country this season with three sacks and a forced fumble. The Vols haven’t faced a better pass rusher than Thomas yet which will be something to watch in this game.
Iamaleava’s mobility will play a factor as he will likely use his legs to make noise. If Iamaleava can stay calm through the Oklahoma storm the Vols could have a great night in the office.
All questions will be answered as Iamaleava lines up for the toughest game of his collegiate career up until this point. Kick-off is slated for 7:30 PM ET as the primetime lights shine brighter than ever on the Redshirt-Freshman
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Tim Tebow Names Hardest Place to Play in the Country
Tim Tebow won the Heisman for the Florida Gators in 2007. During his time with Florida, he played in some harsh road environments. During his Heisman-winning season, Tebow played the Tennessee Volunteers, Ole Miss Rebels, LSU Tigers, and Kentucky Wildcats on the road. While making his pick for the upcoming game between LSU and the UCLA Bruins on “SEC Nation,” Tebow made another interesting statement regarding the Tigers. Out of all the SEC venues, Tebow stated that Tiger Stadium, also known as “Death Valley,” was the most challenging place to play. Even though Tebow won the Heisman in 2007, he lost in Baton Rouge to LSU 28-24. He finished the game with 158 passing yards, three total touchdowns, one interception, and 67 rushing yards.
In addition to making the cross-country journey to Baton Rouge, UCLA will need to block out the crowd noise in Death Valley. LSU and UCLA have only played once before in college football. LSU traveled to UCLA in 2021 and lost 38-27.
After losing 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels to the NFL, LSU has turned to Garrett Nussmeier under center. Nussmeier has 895 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and two interceptions through three games.
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