If Nico Iamaleava wasn't already in the early conversation for the 2024 Heisman Trophy, he should be now.
The Tennessee quarterback wasted no time getting out to a hot start to the college football season, picking apart the Chattanooga defense Saturday en route to a dominant 69-3 win for the Volunteers. In the process, he set a program record for the most passing yards in the first half.
Iamaleava is in his second season with Tennessee, but this is his first as the starting quarterback on head coach Josh Heupel's team. He served as the backup to Joe Milton III last year, but now the 19-year-old has full control of the offense.
If the Week 1 showing was a sign of things to come this season from Iamaleava, the Volunteers quarterback is going to quickly become a fan favorite.
Here is more on Iamaleava's performance today against Chattanooga.
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Nico Iamaleava stats today
Iamaleava was everything Volunteer fans could ask for in his 2024 season debut. The redshirt freshman helped Tennessee get out to a jaw-dropping 45-0 halftime lead over Chattanooga with three passing touchdowns in the first half.
In the first quarter, Iamaleava and Tennessee took advantage of a Chattanooga fumble deep in their own territory. The QB hit tight end Ethan Davis on 1st-and-goal for a four-yard touchdown, pushing the Vols' lead to 14-0.
The next drive, Iamaleava needed just two plays to go 59 yards into the end zone. He first hit wide receiver Chris Brazzell II for a gain of 25 yards before hitting wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. for a 36-yard score through the air, extending the lead to 21-0.
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In the second quarter, Iamaleava didn't slow down. On the team's second drive of the quarter, he helped the Volunteers go 79 yards, capping off the sequence with a 10-yard touchdown to Thornton.
He finished the half with 314 yards through the air, which set a school record for most passing yards in the first half ever by a Tennessee quarterback.
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With Tennessee holding a 45-0 lead at halftime, that was all that Heupel and his staff needed out of the young quarterback. Iamaleava did not play at all in the second half, stepping aside to let Gaston Moore and Jake Merlinker get reps at the QB position.
Here is how his final stat line looked on Saturday:
| Comp-Att | Comp% | Yards | TDs | INTs |
| 22-28 | 79% | 313 | 3 | 0 |