Tennessee is gearing up for the 2025 season with Joey Aguilar at the helm, hoping to write a new chapter at quarterback that brings stability and excitement to Neyland Stadium. As Vol Nation anticipates fresh energy and leadership from Aguilar, the program is focused on moving forward while cherishing the promise of a new era. Yet, despite the excitement surrounding the new starter, the shadows of Nico Iamaleava linger in Rocky Top’s collective memory, and sometimes, the memory is not a good one.

Even as Nico Iamaleava packed his bags for greener pastures and blue and gold, it isn’t just his exit that’s haunting Neyland Stadium loyalists. His impact has undeniably left a mark, but one particular play, one decision, has left a scar so fresh it might just itch more than seeing Nico’s name in another program’s media guide. It’s the play that keeps you wide-eyed at 3 AM, replaying highlights with your face in your palms. That Arkansas game. You know the one.

Cousin Shane’s tweet perfectly captures the simmering frustration still boiling over in Vol Nation. It read, “Nico running out of bounds still pisses me off more than him leaving.” The tweet is a throwback to the sad day of October 5, 2024. Tennessee was down to its last gasp against the Arkansas Razorbacks. It’s the type of moment every quarterback dreams of, a chance to become a Rocky Top legend. Instead, what followed was a play every Vols fan wishes they could delete from their memory bank.

On that final, desperate snap, Nico Iamaleava, poised just yards away from potential victory, scrambled, looked for a receiver, and…ran out of bounds as time expired. No Hail Mary. No wild deflection. No shot at the end zone. Just the echo of whistles and stunned silence. In a post-game interview, Nico tried to explain; he said, “As I rolled out, I saw (Dont’e Thornton) coming open. But if I threw that ball, it was going to be batted down right away. So I tried to let Chris Brazzell work a little bit, and he was covered at the time. As soon as I was trying to let the ball go, I felt it slipping in my hand.” But fans weren’t having any of it. Social media and radio call-ins lit up. And a swarm of voices echoed into the Knoxville night.

If this sounds painfully familiar, well, that’s because it isn’t the first time Vols fans have been left flabbergasted by a QB running out of bounds with the game on the line. Let’s hop in the time machine. Back in 2021, against Ole Miss, Joe Milton pulled nearly the same stunt as Nico. Final play, 21 yards out, time slipping away; rather than lob one toward a sea of orange in the end zone, Milton tucked it and tiptoed out of bounds. And just when you think Rocky Top could catch a break, the ghost of 2007 gets in line, too. Arian Foster, in a do-or-die two-point conversion during a madness-fueled four-overtime win over Kentucky, was forced out of bounds short of the goal line, nearly derailing another Tennessee miracle.

So, how do you recover when football déjà vu keeps coming for your heartstrings? Vol Nation, if it helps, misery does love company. At least you’re not alone, and your rivals are probably reading this while giggling over a cup of coffee. But if there’s one thing Tennessee fans do best, it’s dust themselves off and keep showing up, clapping those victory cigars and daring the next quarterback to try again. Who knows, Joey Aguliar may be watching and learning exactly what not to do. Meanwhile, invest in stress balls. You’ll need them during those nail-biters, just in case deja vu ever comes knocking again.

Rocky Top roast of Nico’s run-out blunder

That moment from the Arkansas game has become a sore spot for Vol fans, far exceeding the sting of Nico transferring to UCLA, and fans haven’t forgotten it. On Cousin Shane’s post, one fan commented with a classic Forrest Gump nod. They said, “Out of bounds. Back to California. He just ran.” It’s like a metaphor for escaping the pressure when it counted, and many fans felt exactly that mix of frustration and disbelief as Nico literally ran away to UCLA.

Then there’s the more critical perspective that cuts deeper. A fan claimed, “People downgrading us because of Nico leaving fail to understand he threw 5 total TDs in SEC play last year against teams not named Vanderbilt. Good riddance.” This isn’t exactly a glowing endorsement. This comment highlights that Nico’s touchdown passes in SEC play were few and mostly came against weaker teams. So while some might see it as a reason to hold onto hope, most fans likely read it as confirmation that Nico never quite reached the level Vol Nation expects at Rocky Top.

The lingering pain from that Arkansas play is real enough for some fans to revisit it again and again. One shared, “That was painful to watch again on Netflix last night,” referring to the SEC documentary Any Given Saturday. And with relief bubbling up alongside frustration, another fan said, “Easily because I’m glad he left.”

Rounding it out, a fan’s tongue-in-cheek warning to Tennessee’s future quarterbacks is classic Rocky Top. The tweet read, “Every QB meeting needs to start with if you do this, our own linebackers will spear you.” That sums up the tough-love mindset. There’s no room for mistakes like running out of bounds with time expiring, or else expect the wrath of a fanbase that feels all the highs and lows deeply.