Nico Iamaleava's much-anticipated debut with the UCLA Bruins didn't go as hoped, with the 20-year-old quarterback struggling mightily against a strong Utah Utes defense. Iamaleava left the Tennessee Volunteers program in a cloud of dust late in the college football offseason over a reported NIL dispute, and instead transferred closer to his California home. The transfer was widely-reported and led to negative press on both ends – Iamaleava left Tennessee as an NFL hopeful, but now has some tough questions to answer in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the Vols scattered to find a replacement in Joey Aguilar.
Iamaleava showcased some questionable accuracy in his debut, completing just 11 of 22 passes for 136 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He did have a team-high 47 rushing yards. The sound defeat wasn't all on Iamaleava, and if anything highlighted questionable judgement from Iamaleava in choosing the Bruins in the first place. If winning were his top priority – as he claimed when he joined UCLA – then he would've had better odds of achieving that goal at Tennessee.
"I didn't execute at a high level," Iamaleava said after the loss. "I gotta be better. We all gotta be better."
What went wrong in Nico Iamaleava's UCLA debut
What Iamaleava did prove on Saturday night is that he is who Tennessee fans thought he was – a quarterback who needs a lot to go right to be on the winning side. In Knoxville, Iamaleava was surrounded by talent that could make up for some of his deficiencies, such as decision-making and throw accuracy. UCLA doesn't have that kind of all-around talent, as evidenced by their defense's overall lack of execution against Utah.
The Utes converted 14-of-16 third downs against the Bruins, and finished the game with almost 500 total yards of offense. Utah emerged from Saturday's Week 1 contest as a clear Big 12 contender. UCLA, meanwhile, has a long way to go to fulfill Iamaleava's transfer dreams.
"We take this as a learning experience," Iamaleava said. "We're going to face many more tough opponents, and we gotta be ready."
Tennessee Vols were the real winners on Saturday
While Iamaleava struggled to get much going on offense for the Bruins Saturday, his former team did not face the same level of competition. Tennessee's season-opening win over Syracuse could vault them in the next AP Top-25. The Vols defeated the Orange, a fellow Power-4 opponent, 45-26. Tennessee's defense still has plenty of question marks, but Joey Aguilar impressed the Vols coaching staff, completing 16 of his 28 throws for nearly 250 yards and three touchdowns. Unlike Iamaleava, Aguilar did not get happy feet in his Tennessee debut.
"I guess that’s just how I am. I came prepared. I mean, I go into every game cool, calm, collected. I have a mellow flow to me. I get excited obviously good plays, but don’t get too down on bad plays. Everybody looks to me on the team, so I got to keep that composure and just keep going," Aguilar said postgame, per On3.
Aguilar will face his own challenges against steeper SEC competition, just as Iamaleava did. However, if there is anything the 24-year-old proved on Saturday, it's that his veteran status should help him thrive where Iamaleava struggled. Aguilar is able to move on from his mistakes and focus on the next throw.
Where Nico Iamaleava and UCLA go from here
Is it fair to judge Nico after just one game with his new team? Absolutely not. He'll have plenty of chances to prove the doubters and a loud chorus on Tennessee fans wrong this season. However, the schedule won't do him any favors if UCLA doesn't make the improvements he hinted at postgame. UNLV and New Mexico – the two teams the Bruins face next on the schedule – are by no means pushovers. Then, the Big Ten schedule hits hard.
UCLA ranked opponent | Date |
|---|---|
vs Penn State | Oct. 4 |
at Indiana | Oct. 25 |
at Ohio State | Nov. 15 |
This doesn't include an end-of-season rivalry test against the USC Trojans, when the Bruins could very well be fighting for bowl eligibility. Don't get me wrong, this was always going to be a tough test for Iamaleava. UCLA is a program in transition, and Iamaleava was a huge get for them.
Iamaleava talked a big game this offseason. It's time for his play to do the talking.