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UCLA coach Bob Chesney waiting on doctor’s ruling before making final Nico Iamaleava decision

UCLA football secured its first signature victory under new head coach Bob Chesney with a hard-fought 17-15 win over Oregon on Saturday. The Bruins’ offensive backbone, quarterback Nico Iamaleava, suffered an injury during the game and is now expected to miss the remainder of the season, according to initial medical assessments.

Chesney confirmed he is awaiting a more definitive diagnosis before making any final decisions, noting that while there are serious concerns, no specific outcome has been ruled out yet. Iamaleava, who transferred from Tennessee to UCLA ahead of the 2025 campaign, had been playing at a high level this year, completing 72 of 116 passes for 982 yards and five total touchdowns before the injury.

With Iamaleava sidelined, backup Ty Diffenbach stepped in, completing three of six passes for 43 yards and a touchdown in his first action for UCLA. Diffenbach, who previously played at Cal Poly, had thrown for 1,305 yards and nine touchdowns during his redshirt sophomore season before transferring to the Bruins.

Despite the loss of their starting quarterback, UCLA’s strong defensive performance and Diffenbach’s contributions helped the team climb in the rankings ahead of their next home game against Wisconsin this Saturday.

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