Tennessee football quarterback Nico Iamaleava earned his first career touchdown run early in his first career start.
Iamaleava went 19 yards on a designed run for his first career touchdown to put the Vols ahead of Iowa early in the second quarter of Monday’s Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
Dylan Sampson and Dayne Davis made some good blocks on the right side of the line of scrimmage, with Sampson serving as a lead blocking back for the freshman QB to break loose for the score.
Iamaleava and the Tennessee offense had an uneven start on the first couple drives. The Vols’ opening drive was curtailed by two penalties and a third down sack, and the second drive was done in by Iowa pressure on a third down designed screen that could have been a big play by Sampson.
The true freshman from Long Beach, California added his second career touchdown run on a 3-yard carry to cap the following drive for the Vols.
Through four drives, Iamaleava is 5-of-9 for 54 yards passing while adding 34 rushing yards and the two touchdowns against one of the country’s best defenses in his first career start.
