Why UCLA football is in trouble without Nico Iamaleava

Why UCLA football is in trouble without Nico Iamaleava

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Why UCLA football is in trouble without Nico Iamaleava
Nico Iamaleava

Why UCLA football is in trouble without Nico Iamaleava originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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UCLA left Oregon the same way they arrived, undefeated, minus their starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava.

The Bruins still pulled off the upset, 17-15, with quarterback Ty Dieffenbach playing the remainder of the game. However, Iamaleava did not have a game to rave about before his injury, with two first-half interceptions. He sustained his injury in the second quarter after a quarterback scramble. There were some questionable motives by the Oregon defenders during the course of the tackle.

Iamaleava came back into the game for a short amount of time before exiting again.

UCLA head coach Bob Chesney believed Iamaleava would be back, but the injury seemed to be more serious than initially anticipated.

“There might be a little bit more to it, which we got to just figure out as we go through the process tonight, tomorrow, and the rest of the way," Chesney said after the game.

If the Bruins are without Iamaleava, how will it impact them offensively? Dieffenbach finished the game completing three of his six passing attempts for 43 yards and a touchdown. He showed flashes of his running ability but was thrown into the fire in the middle of a huge Big Ten game.

The status of Iamaleava's injury is still unknown, but it does not seem to be short term. Is No. 12 UCLA in trouble without him? They very well could be. Iamaleava has boosted his team to where they're at, currently at 5-0 on the season.

The Bruins face Wisconsin on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. 

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