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Josh Heupel updates QB Nico Iamaleava injury for Tennessee vs Georgia
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- Josh Heupel updates QB Nico Iamaleava injury for Tennessee vs Georgia
Coach Josh Heupel said he expects Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava to be available to play in the Georgia game on Saturday.
"(Iamaleava) was with us today. (He) had a really good day," Heupel said at his weekly press conference on Monday. "(We) feel like he'll be in great shape for Saturday. But you guys can monitor (the SEC availability report) on Wednesday and track it throughout the week. (We) certainly feel like he'll be in a good spot."
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Iamaleava did not return from the halftime locker room in UT's 33-14 win over Mississippi State because of what a team spokesperson called an "upper-body injury."
After the game, Heupel said he expected Iamaleava to be available against Georgia, but he didn't provide details about injury.
"We anticipate having (Iamaleava) ready for next week (against Georgia)," Heupel said after the Mississippi State game. "So (it was) a precautionary measure at halftime. (We) feel like we will be ready to roll next Saturday."
Iamaleava has played his best football since the second half in a win over Alabama on Oct. 19. He has completed 65% of his passes for 1,879 yards, 11 TDs and four interceptions in his redshirt freshman season.
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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.
VOLS MAILBAG Could Tennessee get squeezed out of College Football Playoff?
The game will impact the College Football Playoff. If Georgia loses, it's likely out of the playoff picture. If Tennessee loses, it can still get into the 12-team playoff, but its path would narrow.
Tennessee is ranked No. 4 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and No. 6 in the AP Top 25. Georgia is ranked No. 10 in the coaches poll and No. 11 in the AP poll. But the Bulldogs are a 9-point favorite at home.
Last week, Georgia was ranked No. 3 in the first College Football Playoff poll and Tennessee was No. 7. But that will change following Georgia's loss to Ole Miss when the updated CFP poll is released on Tuesday (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
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Could Gaston Moore play against Georgia?
Backup quarterback Gaston Moore , a fifth-year senior, finished the Mississippi State game. He is UT's best option if Iamaleava is out or limited against Georgia, and freshman Jake Merklinger is the No. 3 quarterback.
On Monday, Heupel said Moore is prepared to play, if needed.
"Gaston gets reps throughout the course of practice every day, every week," Heupel said. "That's why he went out and played the way that he did (against Mississippi State)."
Moore is 16-of-25 passing for 201 yards with two TDs and two interceptions this season.
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"Nico is a dog, a super tough kid," tight end Miles Kitselman said. "But whoever is out there, we are ready to roll. We have faith in Gaston."
Tennessee has more injuries than just Nico Iamaleava
Tennessee has injury concerns to key players in addition to Iamaleava. And Georgia has dealt with a slew of injuries, especially on the offensive line.
That will draw extra attention to the SEC student-athlete availability report, released daily beginning Wednesday night.
Wide receiver Dont'e Thornton left the Mississippi State game with an upper-body injury. He leads the Vols with 550 yards receiving and four TDs. Heupel said he expects Thornton to be available to play against Georgia.
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Running back Dylan Sampson left in the second quarter against Mississippi State because of an apparent lower left leg injury. He returned and rushed 30 times for 149 yards, both career highs, while appearing to play with discomfort.
Sampson leads the SEC in rushing attempts (201), rushing yards (1,129) and TDs (20). Backup running back DeSean Bishop missed the Mississippi State game due to an injury suffered against Kentucky on Nov. 2.
Left guard Andrej Karic left the Mississippi State game after playing only 21 snaps, and veteran backup Jackson Lampley replaced him.
Why SEC injury report could reveal more about Vols
The SEC availability report will be released at 8:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, and then updated on Thursday, Friday and 90 minutes before kickoff on Saturday.
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Teams designate players on the report as probable, questionable, doubtful or out. On game day, they can also be designated as a game-time decision.
Per the SEC policy, schools must accurately designate players' participation status. Failure to do so will subject schools to potential penalties ranging from $25,000 for a first offense to $100,000 for a third and further offenses.
Obviously, teams can fudge a player's injury status to a small degree. But road teams are at a disadvantage if they want to conceal that information.
If a player does not travel with the team on Friday, he must be listed as out. A home team doesn't travel, so it can drag out potential deception until the final report released 90 minutes before kickoff.
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Those details only matter if Heupel and Georgia coach Kirby Smart want to practice gamesmanship by disguising players' status. The high stakes of this game suggest that's possible.
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: Nico Iamaleava injury update for Tennessee quarterback vs Georgia
