Nico Iamaleava showcases perfect mindset following close Vols win over Kentucky

The No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers are 7-1 on the season following a thrilling, heart-stopping 28-18 win over the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday night. Neyland Stadium was electric, but Mark Stoops and Co. made things much closer than anyone would have hoped for.

In the first half, the play from Tennessee was a bit sloppy on both sides of the ball, but Josh Heupel's players were able to clean things up to post a double-digit victory. Following the final whistle, guys were celebrating in style, but they knew their play still wasn't good enough.

That's exactly what freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava had on his mind. While speaking to reporters, Iamaleava didn't waste much time in calling the team out a bit, saying there are still plenty of things that need to be cleaned up.

Nico Iamaleava knows the Tennessee Vols have a lot to clean up moving forward

"Man, there's still too many missed opportunities out there. We've got to put it all together one of these games, and I always believe it'll be the next game. We have to clean up a lot of stuff. We had a lot of penalties in the first half, and just missed opportunities down the field that we've got to connect on. It's coming, man. I keep telling my guys we've got to keep going, and it'll pop eventually."

- Nico Iamaleava via Vols 247

That's a great mindset to have for Iamaleava and it also showcases a lot of maturity. The youngster and his teammates just came out on top of a rivalry game in front of a loud crowd. Despite that, he still wasn't happy with some of the mistakes posted by Tennessee.

This is exactly what you want to see out of a young leader on this team. In the end, Iamaleava tossed for 292 yards and a touchdown, while adding 14 yards on the ground. It was a strong performance and he'll look to play even better in Week 11 with Mississippi State next up on the schedule for Homecoming Weekend.