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Why UCLA football is in trouble without Nico Iamaleava

UCLA football’s season took a major blow after starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava suffered a serious injury in the second quarter of their 17-15 upset victory over Oregon, leaving the Bruins without their undefeated leader. Iamaleava, who had thrown two interceptions before the injury, was initially expected to return but ultimately did not come out of the locker room at halftime.

His absence is a significant setback for UCLA, which entered the game at 5-0 and now faces Wisconsin this Saturday without its star signal-caller. Backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach stepped in for the remainder of the game, completing three of six passes for 43 yards and a touchdown, but his limited experience in a high-stakes Big Ten matchup raises concerns about UCLA’s offensive depth moving forward.

Head coach Bob Chesney acknowledged the severity of Iamaleava’s injury, stating that further evaluation would be needed to determine his recovery timeline, which appears to be longer than initially thought.

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