Nico Iamaleava presents Josh Heupel with game ball as Tennessee finishes off win over Oklahoma

Nico Iamaleava and the Tennessee Volunteers went into Norman, Oklahoma, and scored a convincing 25-15 win over the Sooners on Saturday night.

That game was extra special for Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, who was a Heisman runner-up while playing QB at Oklahoma back in 2000, when he also led the Sooners to a national title.

He then served as an assistant under Bob Stoops at Oklahoma from 2006 to 2014 before his contract wasn’t renewed in 2015.

Needless to say, this was a personal game for Heupel. Though he downplayed it all week, you could tell it was special to get a win in Norman.

And to make things even more special, Iamaleava presented his coach with the game ball as the Vols finished off Saturday night’s victory:

What a moment between Nico and Heupel pic.twitter.com/avLOtvp0IZ

— CHANNEL TN (@CHANNEL_TN_) September 22, 2024

Iamaleava was solid on Saturday, doing exactly what his team needed from him in order to win. He threw for 194 yards and a touchdown and ran for 15 yards, too. He didn’t throw an interception, though he did lose a pair of fumbles.

It was a performance his coach can be proud of, and that moment on the sideline is one neither of them will forget any time soon.

This is looking like it could be a special season for Heupel and the Vols.

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.