Nico Iamaleava keeps saying the same thing, and for UCLA, it’s the part that matters most: he and Dean Kennedy still aren’t fully clicking.
That showed up again in the Bruins’ 28-10 win over San Diego State in Week 2, when Iamaleava finished 14 of 22 for 151 yards and threw a costly red zone interception. He still hasn’t tossed a passing touchdown through two games, and after the game he made it clear the quarterback-play caller relationship has work to do.
"To improve it's going to take comfortability with coach Kennedy, him learning me and me learning him still," Iamaleava said. "We're working.
A lot more stuff I'm comfortable with will happen. Me and coach Kennedy have a built a great relationship to work on it."
That honesty stands out, but it also raises the obvious question: why is UCLA still figuring out what Iamaleava is most comfortable doing two weeks into the season, even with a 2-0 record?
"We're still getting comfortable with each other as far as the offense goes and seeing what we do best," Iamaleava continued. "I think it was a good second game for us to learn from…To win these big games, I've got to play way better."
For Bob Chesney’s team to make real noise in Year 1, the Bruins need more from their quarterback. Chesney didn’t sugarcoat Saturday, either.
"It wasn't Nico's best game," Chesney said. "He knows it wasn't his best game.
I just think that the grit and the toughness that he played with though when he needed to get a couple of first downs that really, really mattered to keep drives alive. He put his body on the line, peeled himself off the ground and just kept fighting for his teammates.
That's special."
Iamaleava’s toughness has never been the issue. He’ll take off and fight for extra yards, and he did plenty of that against San Diego State. He was sacked twice and carried the ball 13 times, tying Wayne Knight for the team lead, with seven of those rushes coming on scrambles.
There were real complications around him, too. At times, UCLA was missing four of its top receiving options, and the offensive line was being rotated every series. That kind of shuffle can make any offense look disjointed, and it helped explain why the Bruins were shut out in the first half.
Still, Iamaleava has to be better than this. He’s an experienced athletic freak who should be able to at least steer the offense as a game manager, and that’s what made the first half so jarring.
The interception in the second quarter was a bad one - a throw across his body and off his back foot to tight end Brayden Loftin that San Diego State defensive back Mike Lindsay picked off with ease. UCLA went to halftime scoreless.
The numbers through two games tell the story, too. Per Pro Football Focus, Iamaleava has three big-time throws and three turnover-worthy plays. That kind of split won’t cut it for a player with NFL aspirations.
If UCLA is going to get where it wants to go, the answer starts with Iamaleava and Kennedy finding a better rhythm. The Bruins need the big-time throws.
They need fewer mistakes. And right now, the season’s biggest subplot is whether that balance ever arrives.
In Other News...
UCLA Just Made A New Move That Reaches Far Beyond The Sidelines
UCLA Athletics has lined up another off-field addition for its marquee programs, announcing a multiyear partnership with JLab that makes the company the Official Headphone Sponsor of UCLA Football and UCLA Mens and Womens Basketball beginning this fall. The deal extends beyond a logo placement, with JLab branding set to appear on coaches headsets and the company also working with select student-athletes through its NIL roster.
The agreement was put together with JMI Sports, UCLA Athletics multimedia rights partner, and it adds another commercial layer around a department that has been leaning into outside deals across major programs. For UCLA, the broader value of a partnership like this is as much about visibility and modern branding as it is about the equipment itself, especially with football and both basketball teams carrying so much of the schools public profile. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs First Big Ten Test Will Say A Lot About Chesneys Start
UCLA has opened 2-0 under new coach Bob Chesney, and the early returns have given the Bruins a little breathing room before the schedule gets real. A trip into Big Ten play against Purdue now offers a better read on where this team actually stands, especially with an offensive line built in part around several transfers from James Madison holding up well through the first two games.
Purdue brings its own challenge, and this one should tell a lot about Chesneys start because the Boilermakers have looked better in their second season under Barry Odom. Quarterback Ryan Browne and running back Fame Ijeboi give Purdue enough balance to make UCLA defend with discipline, which is exactly the kind of test that can reveal whether the Bruins fast start is built to last. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Is 2-0 But The Bruins Already Have One Big Concern
UCLAs home opener at the Rose Bowl ended with a comfortable 28-10 win over San Diego State, and Bob Chesneys team is 2-0 to start the season. Wayne Knight powered the offense with three rushing touchdowns, including a late 36-yard burst, while the defense settled in after halftime and helped put the game away by tightening up against the run and creating turnovers.
Still, the result came with an obvious concern for the Bruins. Nico Iamaleava never really found a rhythm behind shaky protection, and his passing numbers reflected a night in which UCLA leaned more on the ground game than it probably wants to long term. For a team trying to build momentum early, the next step is getting the offense cleaner around its quarterback, because the defense may not be able to carry that load every week. [Read more 🡒]