Nico Iamaleava, UCLA’s senior starting quarterback, will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. This development affects the No. 12 ranked Bruins, who have a 5-0 record in Coach Bob Chesney’s first season. The team looks to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Iamaleava suffered the injury during the first half of UCLA’s victory against Oregon. While running with the ball, he was tackled and hit in the head, resulting in a leg injury. Though Iamaleava initially returned for one play, he did not come back after halftime and was seen in street clothes later.
“When someone goes down, and someone’s gotta step up, you’re either exposed or you’re revealed,” said Coach Bob Chesney.
Before leaving the game, Iamaleava completed 10 of 17 passes for 162 yards, with two interceptions. Over five games, he accumulated 982 passing yards, 144 rushing yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions.
After the match, Coach Chesney indicated that Iamaleava needed a detailed medical evaluation, initially believing the injury involved only the thigh but recognizing possible further damage.
Ty Dieffenbach, a senior who was third on the depth chart behind Iamaleava and his brother Madden, took over in the second half. Dieffenbach completed three passes for 43 yards, delivering one touchdown, which contributed to the Bruins’ 17-15 win.
Coach Chesney decided to play Dieffenbach over Madden, mainly due to the potential for Dieffenbach to enhance the ground game. He noted that Dieffenbach had a productive week of practice and commended his performance under pressure.
Dieffenbach transferred to UCLA after a stint at Cal Poly, where he started 11 games last season, amassing 1,305 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Before Cal Poly, he spent two years at Pittsburgh without game action. Originally from Agoura High, Dieffenbach started as a wide receiver during his high school days and ended with 4,153 passing yards and 48 touchdowns across three varsity seasons.
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