"This man is a big silencer" - Fans stunned by Nico Iamaleava's iconic LeBron James celly after sheer domination against Ohio State

Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava tried to give his best performance against Ohio State in the first round of the 12-team college football playoffs. He served as the backup to Joe Milton last season before taking over as the starting quarterback this year.

Iamaleava helped the Vols qualify for the playoffs for the first time in the program's history. However, they had a rocky start against the Buckeyes after Ryan Day's team took a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.

The Tennessee Volunteers found themselves on the scoreboard in the third quarter. Iamaleava scored a 2-yard rushing TD after a 36-yard field goal by Max Gilbert.

After scoring the touchdown with just 20 seconds left in the first half, the quarterback celebrated by hitting LeBron James' iconic ' Silencer' celebration which the NBA star did during his game-winning 3-pointer against Golden State over a decade ago.

Fans took to social media to react to Iamaleava hitting the LeBron James 'Silencer'. One fan stated that the quarterback is the ultimate power of the Tennessee Volunteers:

"This man is a big silencer"

Another fan felt that Iamaleava would be the clutch player to help the Vols make a comeback victory:

"Nico's clutch silencer shot"

A fan made fun of the fact that despite Iamaleava's touchdown, the Vols still suffered a massive deficit:

"While he's losing. Man this generation is a joke."

Another fan urged the Vols to capitalize on this scoring momentum:

'Good. Let's pull up fam"

One fan stated that Imaleava's touchdown was a highlight of the game:

"That was pure heat and a moment to remember"

This fan stated that the quarterback did James' iconic celebration better than the creator himself:

"Nico did it better than LeBron did"

Unfortunately, the Ohio State Buckeyes kept their foot on the offense making it impossible for the Vols to make a comeback. They scored three more touchdowns in the second half while Iamaleava made a consolation rushing TD in the fourth quarter.

He finished the game tallying 104 passing yards, and two touchdowns rushing while the Vols succumbed to a 42-17 loss.

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Nico Iamaleava's helmet cracked during intense first-round playoff showdown against Ohio State

Despite a dominating victory by Ohio State, Tennessee put up a tough competition right from the start. During the team's first drive against the Buckeyes, Nico Iamaleava tried making a play by rushing out of the pocket.

He was, however, tackled by Ohio State's Cody Simons. The impact of the tackle cracked Iamaleava's helmet. While the quarterback was making his way to the sidelines, a clip of the cracked helmet went viral on social media.

The Tennessee quarterback replaced his helmet for the second drive. With the Vols eliminated from the playoffs, Ohio State is now scheduled to face Oregon in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal game. It will be interesting to see if Ryan Day and his team can end the Ducks' undefeated winning streak.