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Josh Heupel provides health update on Nico Iamaleava with eye on Georgia game
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Josh Heupel gave Tennessee fans a reason to breathe a sigh of relief on Saturday night.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava was held out of the second half of Tennessee’s big win over Mississippi State due to an upper body injury. With a game against Georgia just 7 days away, fans were immediately concerned about Iamaleava’s status going into that crucial matchup with the Bulldogs.
However, Heupel said that Iamaleava was held out of the second half on Saturday as a precaution. He’s expected to be full-go next weekend against Georgia.
“We anticipate having [Nico] ready for next week,” Heupel said. Precautionary deal. We expect him to be ready to roll.”
#Vols coach Josh Heupel: We anticipate having [Nico Iamaleava] ready for next week. Precautionary deal. We expect him to be ready to roll.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) November 10, 2024
Iamaleava was excellent on Saturday night before going down with the injury late in the first half. He completed 8-of-13 passes for 174 yards and 2 touchdowns.
He was replaced in this game by Gaston Moore, who had a much quieter second half as the Vols were just looking to protect their lead. Moore finished the game 5-of-8 for 38 yards.
Next week’s game against Georgia figures to have significant College Football Playoff implications for both teams. Tennessee may be able to survive a loss and still make the top-12, but the Vols would potentially be vulnerable on selection day. Georgia is in a must-win situation having suffered its second loss of the season on Saturday to Ole Miss.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
