With Nico Iamaleava’s injury, is Tennessee headed for Georgia ambush or is it a big win?

by Junna Base November 13, 2024

Is Georgia faltering or is Tennessee football ambushed in Athens?

The Vols will find out on Saturday in their biggest game of the season.

On today’s episode of “The Volunteer State,” hosts Adam Sparks and John Adams break down the Tennessee-Georgia game and any additional storylines that come with it.

That, of course, starts with the status of UT quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who left the Mississippi State game with an upper-body injury.

Tennessee (8-1, 5-1) plays Georgia (7-2, 5-2) on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. Everything about the game dominated the discussion on this week’s podcast.

How Nico Iamaleava’s injury affects the Georgia game

UT coach Josh Heupel said Iamaleava was in “great shape” to play against Georgia. But he also suggested that reporters monitor the SEC violation report for updates later in the week.

Sparks said it was a kind of Rorschach test. Positive fans feel persuaded by Heupel’s comment regarding Iamaleava’s health, but negative fans may find cause for concern in his ambiguity.

Can backup quarterback Gaston Moore lead the Vols to a win over Georgia with Iamaleava out or limited?

Sparks and Adams believe it would be difficult. But if UT continues to play lockdown defense, that’s entirely possible.

Can Kirby Smart get the best out of Georgia?

Georgia may be on shaky ground.

Off the field, everything about the Bulldogs is criticized.

Quarterback Carson Beck had to explain why he was smiling on the sideline during a loss to Ole Miss. Georgia coach Kirby Smart called player Jake Pope an “idiot” for jumping up and down with an Ole Miss player during the field-storming celebration. And Smart is dealing with questions about criminal charges against wide receiver Colbie Young.

On the field, Georgia played poorly in a 28-10 loss to Ole Miss.

Fans are frustrated with Beck’s turnover issues. The offensive line is injured and inconsistent. And Beck lacks elite wide receivers and tight ends.

Adams said Beck’s body language doesn’t inspire his teammates the way former quarterback Stetson Bennett did.

But don’t underestimate Smart’s ability to motivate his Georgia team with an underdog message. Forget that the Bulldogs are a 9-point favorite. Smart will point out that UT is ranked higher in the polls and doubts about Georgia are growing.

Adams said he would like to hear the audio recording of Smart’s pregame speech in the locker room. Sparks joked that Smart uses “what people say” tactics to motivate his team, but that is usually effective.

Assessing Tennessee’s playoff picture win or lose

This game has major playoff implications.

If Georgia loses, it will likely be out of the playoffs with three losses. And if Tennessee wins, the path to the playoffs and the SEC title game against the Texas-Texas A&M winner is clear.

If Tennessee loses to Georgia, it will join a group of bubble teams trying to force their way into the playoffs.

Adams and Sparks briefly discussed these scenarios. But they know that will be the podcast topic next week when Tennessee loses to Georgia. However, if the Vols win in Athens, they should move into the playoffs.

In any case, Sparks and Adams argued that Tennessee’s defense made it an attractive playoff contender. But you have to keep playing well against Georgia.

To hear the full discussion, check out the podcast.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. e-mail [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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