Tennessee football’s season-opening act was a blur Saturday at Neyland Stadium. It was as though the Vols ran through the “T” right into the end zone on their way to a 69-3 victory over Chattanooga.

If a UT season has ever gotten off to a more dominant start, I didn’t see it. And I’ve been here awhile.

A lopsided victory was expected as soon as this mismatch was scheduled. But even with those expectations, the suddenness with which the Vols asserted their superiority was stunning.

They had 24 points by the end of the first quarter. They led 45-0 with 6:43 remaining in the first half.

It was more of a highlight show than a game, and Tennessee had game-like stat totals by halftime. By then, the Vols had 503 yards and 21 first downs. They piled up yards and points so fast it was almost enough to please an offensive perfectionist like Josh Heupel.

However, Tennessee’s fourth-year coach focused on a failed last possession in his drive-by, sideline interview on the way to the locker room. “Gotta do better in the second half,” he said.

With all respect to Heupel’s offensive expertise, I question whether the Vols will play a more dominant half the rest of the season.

Whoa! I just realized I’m seven paragraphs into a column and haven’t mentioned Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Is that any way to treat a Heisman Trophy hopeful.

You could see why multiple oddsmakers had Iamaleava as a top-10 Heisman candidate even though he had made only one college start entering his redshirt freshman season. He completed 15 of his first 16 passes and had more than 300 yards passing by halftime. He also had completed passes to 10 different receivers.

If Iamaleava had played the entire game, my guess is he  would have completed throws to Smokey and a Tennessee tuba player. He became so prominent so quickly, it’s a wonder someone in the broadcast crew didn’t dub him “Heismanaleava.”  But the announcers were having too much trouble with “Iamaleava” to risk getting cute.

As productive as Heupel’s offense has been with the Vols, it’s still possible to envision an upgrade with Iamaleava. Aside from his stats, two things stood out: his accuracy – on throws both short and long – and his release, which often was nothing but a quick flick.

He cross-field throws, and short tosses to running backs repeatedly were on time and on target. That enabled his receivers to not only make an easy catch but have time to make a move before a Chattanooga defender arrived.

None of Tennessee’s opening opponents have been competitive on Heupel’s watch. Nonetheless, his previous offenses didn’t burst out of the gate with this kind of speed and precision.

That’s a credit to the entire offense, not just Iamaleava.

Maybe, this is what Tennessee’s most optimistic fans expected with an offensive-minded coach, a talented quarterback, and an experienced complementary cast of offensive players.

UT moved the ball so swiftly note-taking was challenging. But I did circle a couple of other names in the first half.

Oregon transfer wide receiver Dont’e Thornton was a disappointment last season as a freshman. But it was evident Saturday he’s clearly more comfortable split out wide than he was in the slot, where he played initially in 2023. He caught three passes for 105 yards in the first half while demonstrating the speed that can stretch a defense.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Thornton, but running back Dylan Sampson’s first-half performance wasn’t surprising. Not only is he a threat to lead the SEC in rushing. He’s an adept receiver coming out of the backfield.

ADAMS: What I will be watching closely in Tennessee football opener, including secondary

Heupel’s decision-making was noteworthy, too  – if for no other reason than electing not to play Iamaleava in the second half.

Given Heupel’s affinity for points and yards, he must have been tempted to give Iamaleava a couple of more possessions. But he resisted the urge – and avoided the risk of exposing his star quarterback to unnecessary hits.

Heupel was rewarded for his restraint as backup quarterback Gaston Moore and freshman Jake Merklinger also led touchdown drives, and the Vols surged past the 700-yard mark while amassing 36 first downs.

The Neyland crowd had thinned out by then. And most of those fans likely were thinking "Game 2 can't get here fast enough."

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football: Nico Iamaleava already looks like 'Heismanaleava'