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Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava Set to Return From Injury Saturday vs. Georgia
The No. 7 team in the country is getting its quarterback back.
After leaving last Saturday's contest against Mississippi State with a head injury, Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava is set to return to the starting lineup this weekend against No. 12-ranked Georgia. ESPN's Chris Low was the first to report the news.
Nico Iamaleava is set to return to the lineup as @Vol_Football’s starting QB vs. Georgia on Saturday night, sources tell ESPN. Iamaleava practiced this week, including team periods, after suffering a blow to the head and missing the 2nd half last week in the Miss. State win.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) November 16, 2024
According to Low, the signal caller practiced all week with the Volunteers in Knoxville—including in team periods.
In Iamaleava's place, backup quarterback Gaston Moore completed five of eight passes for 38 yards while Tennessee learned on their run game to finish off the Bulldogs. Their running backs combined for 240 yards and a touchdown in the 33-14 win.
"He was with us today, had a really good day," Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said earlier this week of his quarterback's health status. "Feel like he'll be in great shape for Saturday."
Iamaleava has completed 65.2% of his passes this season for 1,879 yards and 11 touchdowns. In their lone loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks in October, he threw for a season-low 158 yards and was sacked four times.
At 8-1, Tennessee heads to Athens this weekend ranked No. 7 team in the country according the College Football Playoff Committee. Despite Georgia being ranked No. 12, however, the Vols are consensus two-score underdogs across the board. Saturday's game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. from the University of Georgia's Sanford Stadium.
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Mike Kadlick is a breaking/trending news writer at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He graduated from Boston University with his Master's in 2021. Mike is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.