That’s more like it. Nico Iamaleava and the UCLA Bruins secured their first win of the 2025 NCAA season when almost nobody expected it. With the Penn State Nittany Lions paying them a visit at the Rose Bowl, the Bruins delivered their best performance of the campaign and survived for a 42-37 win.
Iamaleava has been in Westwood for roughly six months. Still, he’s been put through the wringer in record time. Much talk has surrounded UCLA as the Tennessee transfer quarterback struggled in transitioning to his new life in Los Angeles. It took a while—and several painful lessons—but the Bruins are starting to reap the fruits of their work.
DeShaun Foster is no longer on University Park. An 0-3 start cost him his seat at the helm of Penn State’s football program. With his departure came transfers, along with decommitments from recruits in the classes of 2026 and 2027.
However, those who remained were determined to right the ship before it was too late in the college football campaign. Iamaleava made sure everybody was on the same page as he delivered a bold statement across the locker room. Needless to say, it did the trick as the Bruins put on a show against the No. 7 Nittany Lions.
Nico Iamaleava #9 of the UCLA Bruins against the Penn State Nittany Lions
“There was a lot of outside noise coming into this game,” Iamaleava said during his post-game press conference. “I was preaching to the guys, ‘If y’all don’t want to be here, man, leave.’ I was basically telling them that whoever still believes we’re in this, and that we’ve got games ahead we can win—let’s roll.”
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Lead by example
Much has been said about Iamaleava. Many of those can both be true. Fans across the nation still disapprove of his decision to enter the transfer portal over NIL disputes with the Volunteers. However, his time in UCLA hasn’t been entirely as bad as the Bruins’ record indicates.
Iamaleava has struggled, that’s undeniable, but he’s also been left out to dry in several occasions. More times than one, Iamaleava has been asked to play hero ball for the Bruins. As it stands, the sophomore quarterback is the entire offense in the City of Angels.
Nico Iamaleava at Martin Stadium on September 27, 2025 in Evanston, Illinois.
So far, Iamaleava 954 passing yards, 6 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. Moreover, he’s rushed for 332 yards and 4 touchdowns. No other player on the roster has scored through the ground. The numbers may be good for the Long Beach-native, but they are a recipe for disaster for UCLA.
Ranked no more
Yet another loss against a Big Ten opponent in the NCAA was the tipping point for Penn State in the AP Poll Top 25. Concerns are only growing louder around Drew Allar, James Franklin, and the Nittany Lions’ ability to prevail when the spotlight is brightest.
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Calling the UCLA game a tough matchup may be too kind, though. It was expected to be a much easier job—a noon game against the crestfallen Bruins in front of a sea of empty seats in Pasadena—things didn’t go as planned for Penn State. The school in State College had entered the season ranked first in the nation.
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The Nittany Lions are now out of the rankings altogether heading into Week 7. Number one is no more, ranked college football program is no more, Happy Valley is happy no more—something must change for Penn State. If there’s a lesson to be learned from its recent reaper, UCLA, it’s that one should never be out of the fight in a season as long as the NCAA’s.
