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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Tennessee starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava is in concussion protocol, and his status for this weekend’s game at No. 12 Georgia is undetermined, sources told ESPN.
Iamaleava left Tennessee’s home win over Mississippi State on Saturday with an apparent head injury. He did not return to the sideline for the second half. He remained in the locker room then walked out onto the field for the postgame routine with a towel over his head.
While his status for this Saturday’s contest is uncertain, there’s been some positive signs from Tennessee this week. He did dress and practice on both Monday and Tuesday, and Volunteers coach Josh Heupel on Monday said Iamaleava was in “great shape” to play against Georgia.
Heupel added that the SEC injury report, the first of which comes out Wednesday night, will continue to update Iamaleava’s status for the weekend.
Whether or not Iamaleava will play looms large over the game for No. 7 Tennessee. He has thrown for 1,879 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. He was replaced by senior Gaston Moore against Mississippi State, and Moore threw for 38 yards on 5-of-8 passing as Tennessee nursed a 20-7 halftime lead before prevailing 33-14.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart called the unknown at quarterback “a dilemma” and said he found the Bulldogs “trying to prepare for kind of two guys, because philosophically, I don’t know how they’ll approach it with the other quarterback.”
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach contributed reporting.
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