Alec Abeln noticed that something was off.

From his seat in the coaches booth atop Neyland Stadium, the Tennessee tight ends coach saw Kentucky's defense do something deep in the red zone that hadn't shown up on film last Saturday night.

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Tight end Holden Staes was the intended target, but two Wildcats' defenders followed him out of the backfield as Vols' quarterback Nico Iamaleava rolled to that side of the field. So Iamaleava improvised.

Miles Kitselman, the second tight end on the field for Tennessee, was running to the opposite side of the end zone, uncovered and unaccounted for. When he saw Iamaleava, he turned in his direction.

The result was a touchdown to extend the Vols' lead to two scores late in the third quarter, one that created enough separation for a 28-18 victory to open a critical final month of the regular season.

"He was just being a ball player," Abeln said. "The tight zone played out totally different than we expected than what's on tape and really three years of going against that defense. Honestly, it was a dead play, but those two guys just made it right. It was special. I was up in the box when it happened, and we were losing our damn minds. Pretty cool."

"Players making plays. It was a great job by Nico (Iamaleava)," Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said. "Big time play. Understanding all the bodies, where they are at. Having the physical traits, being able to make that play, and then Kitselman being on the same page and making a play."

Kitselman finished as Tennessee's leading pass-catcher, totaling six receptions for 97 yards in another performance that has solidified the once junior college product and limited role player at Alabama in the Vols' top tight end through eight games.

His role before arriving at Tennessee as a transfer last spring was unclear. The Vols added Notre Dame transfer Holden Staes to the room, which already included highly-touted freshman Ethan Davis who was coming off of his freshman season.

Now, he is one of the most crucial pieces of the offense.

"The kid just loves playing football," Abeln said. "Usually when you have that, the rest falls into place. Just an unbelievable work ethic, unbelievable amount of prep he puts in each week. Getting to see him make the most of the opportunity Saturday was cool."

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Tennessee has utilized the tight end position in the previous three seasons under Heupel, but the group has been even more involved in the offense this season.

The Vols have made the most of running two tight end sets, which has led to the kind of plays that Kitselman made against Kentucky, but they're contributing in the run game, too where Dylan Sampson is having a record-setting campaign in part to their efforts.

That goes back to the group's buy-in long before the season began.

"We talk about it all the time," Abeln said. "With the mindset of your opponent, you have a chance to affect the way the game is played with your physicality. When you're a dual-threat guy the way our guys are, it just makes you that much more valuable. There's a lot of offensive systems where the tight end is a glorified slot receiver. The reality is, if you want to play at the next level, there are a handful of guys that get away with being that mold of tight end, but the guys that really last and have long careers are the guys who can put their hand in the dirt, can get after you in the run game and can be really solid in protection.

"I think all of the guys see that and understand that's what the position is at its core. Making plays on top of that is a bonus."

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