Could We See Nico Iamaleava Play vs. Virginia?
The Volunteers are set to take on the Virginia Cavaliers to open the season in Nashville. Kickoff at Nissan Stadium will be at noon E.T. It is no secret to the college football world that Joe Milton will get the start on Saturday. However, based on his two starts from last season against Vanderbilt and Clemson, Milton clearly can put points up on the board for the Vols' offense.
So, if the score margin is high enough between the Cavs and Vols, could Nico Iamaleava get a regular season debut in Nashville on Saturday? According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Tennessee is -28 in the spread against Virginia, leading to the prediction that the Vols may be up big come the end of the game. This can lead to Iamaleava possibly getting some garbage time play.
It seems to make sense, too. Virginia gave up an average of 24 points per game last season throughout ten games. With a 3-7 record combined with this average, it is safe to say Virginia cannot consistently put up a lot of points on offense. Thus, the Vols may outscore the Cavs early, leading to an Iamaleava appearance. Tennessee fans already got a good glimpse of Iamaleava at the spring game. He looked poised, going 50% through the air that game, and showed just what he could do.
There are already a lot of games on Tennessee's schedule that are set up to have Iamaleava play in. For example, Austin Peay next weekend to open the year in Neyland Stadium could show signs of him playing if that game were to get out of hand. However, Virginia shows their lack of an ability to score, and the spread from sportsbooks across the country details that Iamaleava may step onto the field in game one of the 2023 season.
Tennessee Volunteers QB Nico Iamaleava during fall camp on August 2nd, 2023, in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Caitie McMekin of the News Sentinel)
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