Tennessee’s chances of defeating Alabama largely depend on the performance of their quarterback, Nico Iamaleava. Though Tennessee invested heavily in him, with a reported $8M deal, it appears to be a good investment. Iamaleava has a powerful arm, quick mobility, and impressive composure, even as an inexperienced QB. His arm strength and speed make him a greater threat to Alabama’s defense than Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia.
However, despite his potential, Iamaleava hasn’t yet posed the same level of challenge to defenses as Pavia, particularly after just eight college starts. While Iamaleava can run, it’s not a core part of Tennessee’s offensive strategy.
Alabama struggled defensively in their game against Vanderbilt, managing only a 25% stop rate. The reason was Vanderbilt’s complex offensive schemes, which included hybrid systems that confused Alabama’s defense. Tennessee’s offensive system, led by coach Josh Heupel, is praised but more straightforward and easier to defend. It creates open running lanes, which has allowed running back Dylan Sampson to excel, rushing for 699 yards this season at an average of 5.9 yards per carry. While Alabama needs to limit Sampson, they don’t necessarily have to completely shut him down—unless Iamaleava suddenly plays up to his full potential, as some, like Josh Pate, have suggested could happen. However, Iamaleava has not been performing at his best recently.
In three SEC matchups, Iamaleava’s completion rate is 60.5%, placing him eighth in the conference, trailing less intimidating passers like Payton Thorne and LaNorris Sellers. By contrast, Diego Pavia boasts a 73.8% completion rate in SEC games.
While Iamaleava could improve, Alabama’s defense has struggled, allowing opponents to complete 65% of their passes in SEC games, ranking them 12th in the conference. Tennessee fans may be optimistic that Iamaleava could excel against Alabama’s defense, but the Crimson Tide must focus on limiting Sampson’s effectiveness and putting pressure on Iamaleava to avoid such a scenario.