Does Tennessee football fake injuries after extra points, more on Nico, bowl projections

Tennessee football fans liked Nico Iamaleava’s performance, questioned fake injuries and pondered bowl destinations after the Vols beat Connecticut 59-3 on Saturday.

Iamaleava, the five-star freshman quarterback, tossed his first touchdown pass. Linemen dropped like flies on PAT kicks following some of UT’s eight TDs. And after a wild day in the SEC, the postgame picture is getting a little clearer.

Those were the most popular topics among the 70 questions submitted by UT fans via our free Vols text group.

No. 16 UT (7-2, 3-2 SEC) plays at Missouri (7-2, 3-2) on Saturday. But first, let’s dive into this week’s Vols mailbag.

What are the updated bowl projections for UT?

The three most likely destinations are Florida bowls: Gator (Dec. 29, Jacksonville), ReliaQuest (Jan. 1, Tampa) and Citrus (Jan. 1, Orlando).

With an 8-4 record, the Vols make sense in the Gator or ReliaQuest (formerly Outback). At 9-3, they would probably play in the ReliaQuest or Citrus.

But the Citrus goes to the top SEC team not in the College Football Playoff or New Year’s Six, so other teams could dictate where UT goes.

For example, Ole Miss (8-1, 5-1) could drop to the Citrus and bump UT down, or it could rise to a New Year’s Six bowl and potentially open the Citrus to the Vols. LSU and Missouri are other teams to watch for the same bowls.

If UT went 7-5, it would drop below those three Florida bowls. If it went 10-2, it could challenge for a New Year’s Six bowl, but that scenario would include upsetting No. 1 Georgia.

Why does UT fake injuries after PAT kicks?

It gives UT’s defense more time to rest and reset before the next possession.

The Vols often score quickly. All six of their scoring drives against UConn took less than three minutes of game clock. So an additional couple of minutes can make a difference for defensive players trying to catch their breath from the previous drive.

It’s unfair to say that all the injuries on PAT kicks are faked. But some, perhaps most, aren’t legitimate injuries.

How can the Vols complain about faking injuries when they do it?

It’s a fair point. But how harshly you judge UT depends on how you distinguish between rules of football, general ethics of the sport and gamesmanship.

UT didn’t appear to fake injuries until late 2021, after the tactic was used against it in numerous games to slow down its up-tempo offense.

Ole Miss, for example, beat UT in October 2021 with 18 injury stoppages, including 11 in the fourth quarter. Many of them were faked.

No rule was adopted to penalize teams for faking injuries. So rather than continuing to argue in vain, UT used it to its advantage. That doesn’t make it right. But it does make it rationale.

What did you think of Nico Iamaleava’s performance?

It was good. He looked more comfortable running the offense than his two previous appearances, which shows that a season of practice has paid off.

Iamaleava completed 5 of 9 passes for 86 yards. He overthrew one pass and underthrew another. But he showed good poise on a 25-yard run and a fake quarterback draw that he turned into a TD pass.

Why are fans mad that the third and fourth QBs played? They need playing time too.

The best thing from a team perspective would be giving Iamaleava as many snaps as possible. He’s an inexperienced backup who likely will start next season.

So I understand the frustration of fans who wanted Iamaleava to stay in the game longer.

But Josh Heupel also considers the personal side of coaching, and that involves giving players playing time that he feels they earned through practice and hard work.

Gaston Moore and Navy Shuler had played one game each this season. They might not get another chance. So Heupel rewarded them with some playing time on homecoming.

Why didn’t UT save the Dee Williams package for Missouri or Georgia?

Dee Williams, the electric punt returner, made his offensive debut. He gained 11 yards on a tap pass behind the line of scrimmage, and Iamaleava overthrew him on a wide receiver screen.

It was already public knowledge that Williams had practiced at slot receiver, so there’s no reason to hide that from future opponents. Since Williams hasn’t played offense before, giving him game experience provided more reward than risk.

I’m concerned about next year’s offensive line. What will the Vols do?

There are reasons for concern but also factors to consider.

First, how many starting linemen will return? Center Cooper Mays, right guard Javontez Spraggins and right tackle Gerald Mincey each have an extra season of eligibility remaining because of a COVID exempt year. Also, reserve tackle Dayne Davis and left guard Andrej Karic, a part-time starter, have one year remaining.

All five won’t return. But two or three could.

Then UT must develop its young offensive linemen into starters. A couple will rise to the occasion.

But beyond that, UT must add at least two offensive linemen through the transfer portal. This season it got Miami transfer John Campbell at left tackle and Karic, a Texas transfer, at left guard. It must do at least that much for 2024.

Jaylen Wright has been amazing. Will he turn pro?

I think so, although running back Jaylen Wright hasn’t addressed his plans yet.

Wright is big enough (5-foot-11, 210 pounds). He has NFL-caliber speed. And he’s improved as a pass blocker and receiver.

Wright will rush for 1,000 yards this season against SEC defenses while sharing carries with two other running backs. He has nothing else to prove.

Plus, running backs have a short shelf life in the NFL. So the quicker you can get into the league and reach a lucrative second contract, the better.

Is Joe Milton an NFL prospect?

Yes. He probably hasn’t performed well enough to be an early round pick. But NFL teams are still intrigued by Joe Milton's his size and arm strength.

I recently asked an ESPN commentator who knows quarterbacks well for his take on Milton’s draft stock. He thought Milton was around a fifth-round pick.

That sounds about right. However, pre-draft workouts can change projections dramatically for quarterbacks.

When NFL teams draft quarterbacks early, they can’t afford to be wrong. If they draft them late, it’s OK to gamble. So Milton probably fits in that latter category.

Could Bru McCoy return to UT next season?

Yes, injured wide receiver Bru McCoy could come back in 2024. But that doesn’t mean he will.

Before fracturing his ankle, McCoy was already an NFL prospect planning to enter the 2024 draft. He’ll turn 24 years old before next football season, so he’d have to weigh the value of coming back.

Expect him to get a pre-draft evaluation to aid his decision. And whether he can run at full speed by the spring also could be a factor.

SPARKS Why Joe Milton's surge, Nico Iamaleava's impressive game were perfectly timed for Vols

I thought the Vols were supposed to wear blue uniforms. What happened?

No, UT always planned to wear “Summitt Blue” accents with its traditional uniform. You may have seen blue uniforms that fans created on social media, but those weren’t real.

Every Thursday, UT announces its uniform combination for that week’s game, and Knox News reports it. If you don’t see it from UT or a credible news source, it’s probably not real.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Does Tennessee football fake injuries after PATs, more QB questions