There is a glass half-full aspect to Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava overthrowing open receivers on deep balls so far in Southeastern Conference play.
The receivers are open.
“These last couple of weeks, our receivers have continued to grow in what they are doing, and Chris Brazzell is a great example of that,” coach Josh Heupel said this week. “It happens because of how you practice and how you prepare. You start stacking days and weeks of performing at a high level on the practice field, and it will translate to the game.
“We have played a bunch of bodies, but we need that room to continue to grow. That will be part of the puzzle of us executing the way that we need to.”
The No. 7 Volunteers (6-1, 3-1 SEC) practiced Thursday and will have the weekend off due to their second and final open date of the regular season.
Tennessee has yet to throw for 200 yards in a league game this season, amassing 194 passing yards at Oklahoma, 158 at Arkansas, 169 against Florida and 194 last weekend in the 24-17 defeat of Alabama. It hasn’t been for a lack of deep-ball attempts by Iamaleava, just a lack of deep-ball completions.
“I would say it’s been more encouraging than frustrating, just because we know we can make plays,” sixth-year senior receiver Bru McCoy said. “You look after games at what makes things not tick, and you realize how close you are.”
Iamaleava’s top deep threat has been senior Dont’e Thornton, who caught a 66-yard touchdown pass at Oklahoma, a 42-yard pass in the last minute at Arkansas, and a 55-yarder late in the third quarter against Alabama. The Vols did not have a completion of 25 yards in the overtime win over Florida, and Iamaleava struggled through a 2-of-7 first quarter against Alabama that included an overthrow of Squirrel White that would have been a certain touchdown.
The 14-of-27 passing line for Iamaleava last weekend was his worst of the season.
“When you are young and when things aren’t going well and you can hear certain members of the crowd, which happens in this game when you play that position, and when you’ve missed some throws, turned it over or haven’t moved the ball, the quarterback takes ownership of all of that,” Heupel said. “When it’s not going well and it feels like the walls are pressing in on you, you have to have the courage, strength and fortitude to push back on it and go play really good football — not perfect, but really good football and find a way to come away with the win.
“You have to be a tough dude mentally and physically to withstand all that. That is one of the real positives that you take away from this last game with Nico.”
Heupel, who quarterbacked Oklahoma to the 2000 season’s national championship, is quick to recognize that deep-ball accuracy is a challenge to begin with, but he believes there are fundamental elements in which Iamaleava could improve his percentages.
“Where you are on the field dictates some of how you get to throw the ball,” Heupel said. “Safeties also can dictate how you get to throw it. There is a way you want to throw it, so all of that together has to work with what’s going on up front in protection. There are times that you’re not going to be in a perfect position and you have to find a way to complete it. There are a couple things with his eyes leading to where he’s at body position-wise on a couple of those things, but he’s made some really nice throws, too.
“The throw to Dont’e down the sideline was a special throw on the run to be able to complete, and so was the throw to Chris Brazzell in the end zone on third down. There are some things that he has to continue to grow in, but that’s all a part of continuing to grow as a player.”
The receivers, meanwhile, will keep trying to do their part in getting free so the results will be obvious when Iamaleava starts putting deep balls on the money more frequently.
“I think we’re playing well, and I think we’ve got a lot of room to grow,” McCoy said. “Even after a win, you watch the film and assess how much you left out there. It’s almost like a bittersweet taste in your mouth.
“We’ve shown game after game that we can get open.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.