The Tennessee Volunteers delivered a strong blow to the crestfallen Alabama Crimson Tide. The Vols prevailed 24-17 at home and have brewed uncertainty in Kalen DeBoer’s side. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel made something clear on quarterback Nico Iamaleava after the big win in the SEC.
The Volunteers secured the win in a heated “Third Saturday of October”. Iamaleava did not post the flashiest stats, but took care of business and walked off Neyland Stadium’s turf with the victory. Tennessee improved to 6-1, while Alabama fell to 5-2 on their college football season. Josh Heupel made something clear on the team’s quarterback after the game.
“Young quarterback. It’s going to continue to get better,” Heupel said. “Guys around him got to help him too. And that means just doing their job at a really high level. But to me, quarterbacks, it’s toughness. It’s mental toughness. When it matters the most, how do you perform? And how do you control the game? And there’s a lot of things, just physical, mental toughness that I really liked tonight.”
Iamaleava closed the day with 14 completions for 194 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The Volunteers rushing game stole the show and proved an unsolvable riddle for DeBoer’s defense. The running back room combined for 220 yards and two touchdowns.
Jalen Milroe’s harsh self-criticism
It was not a good game for Alabama QB Jalen Milroe. Once a Heisman Trophy contender in the NCAA, Milroe had another rough outing and he may have kissed his odds goodbye. After the loss to Tennessee, Milroe was straightforward on his individual assessment.
“That’s something I can definitely improve on, just giving our guys a chance,” Milroe said, via On3. “We harp on giving our guys a chance because they’re very explosive with the ball. So just putting it in the range of them and just trusting in them because I know they’re gonna make big plays if the ball’s in their range. That’s definitely something I’ve gotta improve on.
“I’ve gotta take full ownership of that. When it comes to communication up front, communication to the guys around, I’ve gotta do better on my end, playing with better detail.”