If you're feeling a bit down in the dumps following the Tennessee football loss to Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff, you're not alone. Things didn't go to plan for the Vols in Columbus, with the Buckeyes posting a 42-17 win. Ouch.
After the final whistle, as you might have been able to guess, coaches and players were pretty disappointed with the way things ended. The list includes quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who finished throwing for 104 yards and adding 47 more on the ground, with two rushing scores.
Despite things not going well on offense, Iamaleava played his heart out. He did so knowing the stands were packed with people covered in orange. While meeting with the media, the stud quarterback wasted no time in thanking everyone for making the trip to support the team:
#Vols QB Nico Iamaleava: We had so much support up here. So many fans. I hate that we played like that. But I want to say thank you to those people, and I hope they drive home safe.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) December 22, 2024
Nico Iamaleava was thankful for Tennessee fans at the Ohio State game
You can see from that quote via Wes Rucker just how emotional Iamaleava was following the loss. It meant the world to him that so many people traveled from Tennessee to cheer on the players. Hey, a loss might have been recorded, but it doesn't take away from the special season.
Virtually no one gave the Vols a chance to make the College Football Playoff this year. UT ended up going 10-2, highlighted by wins over Florida and Alabama. To finish the regular season as a Top 10 team is a testament to the great work Josh Heupel is getting done in Knoxville.
With this being Iamaleava's redshirt freshman season too, the best is yet to come for him. Add in the fact that Heupel is only going to keep developing him and these two could be in for more memorable years together. The hard work for 2025 will get started as soon as possible. The L to Ohio State is only going to motivate Iamaleava to come back stronger.