Nico Iamaleava laces 2 touchdown passes to fuel hot start vs. Michigan State
By Ethan Stone
Published:
We covered Nico Iamaleava’s struggles to start the season. It’s only fair we cover the former Tennessee quarterback’s hot streaks, too.
The former 5-star quarterback is playing some of the best football of his life right now, all after a truly dismal start to the 2025 season. Just a week removed from beating Penn State, Iamaleava is already up to 2 touchdowns in the first half against Michigan State. UCLA leads 24-7 early in East Lansing.
Iamaleava’s most recent touchdown was a thing of beauty. He found receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalala for a 12-yard touchdown with just over 4 minutes remaining in the first half. Check it out:
A lot of this insane production, genuinely, is thanks to new OC Jerry Neuheisel. The Bruins were forced to fire DeShaun Foster after an 0-3 start to the season, and the Bruins offense has looked great with Neuheisel calling plays ever since. Just a few weeks ago we were staring at the very real possibility of UCLA going winless to finish Iamaleava’s first year in Los Angeles. It’s a good testament to the notion that things are very rarely as bad as they seem.
The question now is this: How real is this Bruins resurgence? It’s not like Michigan State is a world beater, but Penn State is a respected program that danced with Oregon just a week prior.
Certainly, a storyline to watch. For now, UCLA leads Michigan State 24-7 with 1:19 remaining in the first half.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
