University of Tennessee Athletics
Postgame Notes: #21 Tennessee 35, #17 Iowa 0
January 01, 2024 | Football
TENNESSEE FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES | CHEEZ-IT CITRUS BOWL
Jan. 1, 2024 | Orlando, Fla. | Camping World Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 21 Tennessee 35, No. 17 Iowa 0
General Notes
- Monday's attendance at Camping World Stadium: 43,861
- Tennessee's all-time on-field record improved to 876-414-53 with Monday's win. (NCAA record: 865-414-53).
- The Vols finished the season with a 9-4 overall record, clinching back-to-back seasons of at least nine victories for the first time since 2014-15. Tennessee has won 20 games under Josh Heupel over the last two years, its most in a two-year span since also winning 20 with back-to-back 10-3 seasons in 2003 and 2004. That's the third-highest total among SEC programs the last two seasons.Â
- Monday marked Tennessee's 55th all-time bowl game appearance, which ranks fifth nationally. The Vols improved to 30-25 in bowl contests and have won six consecutive Florida bowl appearances on the field dating back to the 2008 Outback Bowl.
- Tennessee made its sixth Citrus Bowl appearance, and the Vols improved to 5-1 in the bowl. The five wins are the most of any program at the Citrus Bowl.
- Tennessee improved to 12-6 against Big Ten opponents in bowl games. (note: previous meetings include conference at time of meeting)
- Tennessee's 35-point win represented UT's highest margin of victory in a bowl game since defeating Northwestern 45-6 in the 2016 Outback Bowl. It was Tennessee's second-highest margin of victory in a bowl game all-time.
- The victory marked UT's first shutout win in a bowl game since defeating Texas A&M 3-0 in the 1957 Gator Bowl.
- Monday marked the fourth meeting between Tennessee and Iowa on the gridiron. The Vols lead the all-time series 3-1 after Monday's victory, which includes three consecutive wins over the Hawkeyes (2015 TaxSlayer Bowl, 1987 season opener).
- The Vols are 14-13 all-time when playing on New Year's Day, including a 12-4 record since 1971.
- Tennessee secured its 10th straight victory over a non-conference opponent, representing its longest streak against non-conference foes since winning 12 straight from 2015-17.
Vol Captains/Coin Toss
- Tennessee's team captains for Monday's game: LB Aaron Beasley, OL Cooper Mays, DL Omari Thomas, TE Jacob Warren
- Tennessee won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. Iowa received the opening kickoff, and Tennessee defended the north end zone.
Starters
- CB Rickey Gibson III, QB Nico Iamaleava, LB Kalib Perry and RB Dylan Sampson made their first career starts in Monday's game. A total of 18 players made their first career Tennessee starts this season, including eight on offense and 10 on defense.
- Iamaleava became the first freshman quarterback in program history to make his first career start in a bowl game.
- Iamaleava is the fourth UT true freshman quarterback to start a bowl game, joining Tyler Bray (2010 Music City Bowl), Casey Clausen (2001 Cotton Bowl) and Peyton Manning (1994 Gator Bowl). Iamaleava is the first Vol true freshman QB to win a bowl game since Manning.
- S Jaylen McCollough made his 51st career start, breaking the UT career record for starts previously held by CB Jonathan Hefney, who started 50 from 2004-07.Â
Team Offensive Notes
- Tennessee piled up 232 rushing yards in the victory, its eighth game with more than 200 yards on the ground this season. Iowa entered the contest allowing 102.5 rushing yards per game, which ranked 13th in the FBS.
- The Vols played a clean game offensively, committing no turnovers for the fourth time in their last six games. Tennessee's three penalties tied a season-low mark.
Individual Offensive Notes
- QB Nico Iamaleava led the Vols offensively in his first career start, finishing 12-of-19 passing for 151 yards and one touchdown to go along with 15 rushes for 27 yards and three scores on the ground. The freshman signal caller was tabbed 2024 Citrus Bowl MVP.
- Iamaleava tied the Tennessee bowl record with three rushing touchdowns, joining Joshua Dobbs in the 2016 Music City Bowl and James Stewart in the 1994 Gator Bowl in accomplishing the feat.
- Iamaleava opened the scoring on the first play of the second quarter with a 19-yard touchdown run and added a 3-yard score with 8:12 remaining in the first half. Following a strip sack by James Pearce Jr. late in the third quarter, Iamaleava added his third rushing score with a 2-yard scamper on second and goal.
- RB Dylan Sampson recorded his fourth career 100-yard rushing yard game, finishing with 133 yards on the day on 20 carries. His previous 100-yard games came in wins over UTSA (139 on 9/23/23), Virginia (115 on 9/2/23) and Vanderbilt (131 on 11/26/22).
- WR Squirrel White tallied three receptions for 39 yards in the win, finishing his sophomore campaign with a team-high 67 receptions. That mark ties with 2022 Biletnikoff winner Jalin Hyatt for the seventh-most receptions in UT single-season history.
Team Defensive Notes
- The Tennessee defensive unit shut out a bowl opponent for the third time in program history. Previously, the Big Orange claimed a 3-0 shutout win over Texas A&M in the 1957 Gator Bowl and against Oklahoma in the 1939 Orange Bowl, 17-0.
- The Vols stifled the Iowa passing attack with two interceptions and 60 passing yards allowed. The 60 passing yards were the fewest by a Tennessee opponent since Kentucky had 25 on Nov. 19, 2019, and were the fewest by a Tennessee opponent in a bowl game since Syracuse had 16 in the 1966 Gator Bowl.
- Iowa finished the game with 173 yards of total offense, the lowest mark by a Tennessee opponent in a bowl game since Texas A&M had 169 in the 1957 Gator Bowl.
- Iowa's 2.8 yards per play marked the second lowest output by a Tennessee bowl opponent all-time. The program bowl record of 2.2 yards per play was set in the 1939 Orange Bowl vs. Oklahoma.
- With five sacks in Monday's game, Tennessee finished the season with 41 - representing the fifth-most team sacks in a single season in program history and the most since logging a school record 50 sacks in 2000.
- The Vols have logged at least one sack in 17 consecutive games dating back to the 2022 season.
- With eight tackles for loss in Saturday's game, Tennessee improved its season total to 101 - representing the seventh-most team TFLs in a single season.
- The Vols tallied a pair of interceptions from DB Andre Turrentine and DL James Pearce Jr. to improve their season total to 12. Tennessee has registered double digit INTs in three consecutive seasons under defensive coordinator Tim Banks, the longest such streak for the program since doing it five times from 2012-16.
- Pearce's interception was returned 52 yards for a touchdown, UT's fourth pick-six of the season which is tied for the national lead as of Jan. 1, 2024.
Individual Defensive Notes
- DE James Pearce Jr. capped his breakout sophomore season with a dominant performance in the Citrus Bowl, finishing with four tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a pick six.
- Pearce set up UT's first TD of the second half with a strip sack deep in Iowa territory late in the third quarter, which was recovered by DL Dominic Bailey at the 3-yard line.
- Pearce added to his impressive stat line with his first-career interception to extend the Vols' lead to 28-0 early in the fourth quarter, snagging a pass towards the sideline and returning it 52 yards for a touchdown.
- DB Andre Turrentine thwarted a first quarter Iowa drive with his first career interception, making a diving grab in the end zone. It was Tennessee's 11th pick of the season.
Special Teams Notes
- P Jackson Ross rounded out his redshirt freshman campaign with a career-high seven punts for 284 yards (40.6 avg), including a career-best five punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
Career Highs
The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:
Offense
- QB Nico Iamaleava
- 19 pass attempts
- 12 completions
- 151 passing yards
- 15 rushing attempts
- 27 rushing yards
- 3 rushing TDs
- RB Dylan Sampson
- 20 rushing attemptsÂ
- RB Cameron Seldon
- 13 rushing attempts
- 55 rushing yards
- 13-yard long rush
Defense/Special Teams
- DL Dominic Bailey
- 3 tackles (ties career high)
- 1 fumble recovery
- LB Elijah Herring
- 1 pass breakup (ties career high)
- DL James Pearce Jr.
- 1 interception
- LB Jeremiah Telander
- 1 TFL (ties career high)
- DL Omari Thomas
- 1 pass breakup (ties career high)
- DB Andre Turrentine
- 1 interception
- 1 pass breakup
- 2 passes defended
- DL Tyre West
- 1.5 sacks
- P Jackson Ross
- 7 punts
- 284 punting yards
- 5 punts inside 20
Players Mentioned
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