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In a devastating setback for UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava and his team, the quarterback is expected to miss a significant amount of time after getting sandwiched by two defenders Saturday.
While it’s possible that Iamaleava’s season could be over, he is still being evaluated for a knee injury and no official announcement has been made about his status. Coach Bob Chesney is scheduled to speak with reporters at 1 p.m. PDT.
A prolonged absence of UCLA’s starting quarterback could imperil the unbeaten Bruins’ bid for their first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
No. 12 UCLA (5-0 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) now must turn to either backup Ty Dieffenbach, who played admirably in relief of Iamaleava during the Bruins’ victory over Oregon, or fellow reserve Madden Iamaleava, the younger brother of Nico.
Iamaleava was hurt late in the second quarter when was crushed between two defenders while going down. Oregon defensive tackle Bear Alexander also punched Iamaleava’s helmet on the play but was not called for a penalty because the officials apparently did not see it.
Iamaleava left for one play and then returned for the next one, throwing a pass that was intercepted in the end zone. He was replaced in the second half by Dieffenbach, who threw the 9-yard touchdown pass that proved to be the decisive points in the Bruins’ 17-15 triumph.
In his first appearance with UCLA after transferring from Cal Poly, Dieffenbach completed three of six passes for 43 yards while effectively managing the offense.
Chesney said after the game that he had gone with Dieffenbach instead of Madden Iamaleava – who had previously appeared in relief of his brother this season – because of the superior ability to run the ball that Dieffenbach had displayed in practice.
Nico Iamaleava had struggled for most of the season, particularly in the first two games when he tallied two interceptions and no touchdowns. He rebounded against Purdue and Maryland, combining for four touchdowns and no interceptions, before faltering again in the first half against Oregon.
Among other mistakes, Iamaleava underthrew what should have been a touchdown pass to Aiden Mizell that the wide receiver had to wait for before hauling it in for a 62-yard gain. Iamaleava then misfired on another pass that should have been a touchdown while rolling out, fumbled at the 1-yard line – leading to a Ducks touchdown – and had a pass batted down at the line of scrimmage while also having two passes intercepted.
Iamaleava has completed 62.1% of his passes this season for 982 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. It’s possible that the Long Beach native could return to UCLA for a fifth college season after spending two years at Tennessee before coming home to join the Bruins.
Whoever Chesney anoints as Iamaleava’s replacement will get his first start Saturday against Wisconsin at the Rose Bowl. That will be the opening of an extended homestand that also includes games against Michigan State and Nevada.
Dieffenbach and Madden Iamaleava have engaged in a spirited battle to be the top backup since spring practices, each impressing at different times.
Dieffenbach, a senior, has considerably more experience than redshirt freshman Madden Iamaleava, albeit at the Football Championship Subdivision level. As the starter last season for Cal Poly, Dieffenbach completed 92 of 162 passes (56.8%) for 1,305 yards and 9 touchdowns with 9 interceptions while also rushing for 321 yards and 4 touchdowns in 67 carries.
After appearing in only one game last season and not throwing a pass, Madden Iamaleava has played a bit more this season, replacing his brother near the end of the season-opening victory over California. He also played against Purdue, throwing his first college pass – it fell incomplete – and against Maryland.