One of the most talked-about moves in the latest College Football Transfer Portal involved Nico Iamaleava, who made the decision to leave the Tennessee Volunteers and join the UCLA Bruins. Unfortunately for him, his debut as the starting quarterback in the Big Ten Conference ended in a resounding loss to the Utah Utes.
In a Rose Bowl atmosphere that lived up to the occasion, DeShaun Foster’s team struggled to find answers throughout the game, ultimately falling 43–10 to the visiting team.
Iamaleava, who completed 11 of his 22 passes for 136 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, spoke with the media after the game and took partial responsibility for his performance.
“We just didn’t execute well. Got to finish drives. Coach Tino put us all in the right position to go out there and execute. Me personally, I have to be better. We all got to be better as a unit,” he said via rockytopinsider.com.
Logan Fano #0 of the Utah Utes sacks Nico Iamaleava.
Despite the loss, the QB knows there’s still time to improve: “Everything we want is still ahead of us, man. It’s week one. Our whole mindset is shifting to who our opponent is week two and going out there and dominating and executing at a high level like our coaches are putting us in position to do.”
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Coach’s confidence in Nico Iamaleava
While this may not have been the debut Nico Iamaleava or the Bruins had hoped for at their home facilities, the beauty of Week 1 is that redemption is always just around the corner. Head coach DeShaun Foster believes in his starting quarterback’s talent — and trusts he’ll be able to showcase it sooner rather than later.
“Nico is a competitor. He’s not going to quit. Keeps playing hard, kept motivating the guys around him. We just have to do a better job protecting him and keeping him upright.”
He also praised his team’s attitude despite the loss: “I think the score kind of got us to be one-dimensional at one point. That was tough. I was proud of the way they came out and just kept fighting. There might have been a couple long faces on the sideline, but for the most part, most of those guys were still out there fighting and understanding what you’re putting on film now is actually who you are as a football player.”
Kyle Whittingham of the Utah Utes hugs DeShaun Foster of the UCLA Bruins.
What’s next for the Bruins?
Looking to bounce back quickly and shift their mindset moving forward, these are the upcoming matchups the UCLA Bruins will face:
- @ UNLV, September 6
- vs New Mexico, September 12
- @ Northwestern, September 27
- vs Penn State, October 4
- @ Michigan State, October 11
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Can Nico Iamaleava lead the Bruins on a playoff run this season?
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