Nico Iamaleava, Malik Washington Headline Key Matchup

The UCLA Bruins (2-4, 2-1 Big Ten) are one of the hottest teams in college football, and are looking to make it three in a row against the Maryland Terrapins, who are reeling after two consecutive losses.

UCLA's interim head coach Tim Skipper celebrates after a Bruins touchdown against Michigan State during the third quarter on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's not going to be easy for the hosting Bruins; the Terps may have lost their last two games while conceding leads, but the losses were close affairs to No. 25 Nebraska and Washington, which also received votes in last week's AP Top 25.

The Rose Bowl matchup features two dynamic quarterbacks -- Nico Iamaleava and Malik Washington. As we get into our weekly game previews, let's break down the matchup under center.

Season Stats

Nico Iamaleava:

1,134 passing yards
114-172 pass comp/attempt
66.3% completion
9 TD
3 INT
14 sacks
135.4 passer rating
68.3 ESPN QBR
335 rushing yards
66 carries
5.1 average rush yards
4 TD

Malik Washington:

1,506 passing yards
137-220 pass comp/attempt
62.3% completion
10 TD
2 INT
2 sacks
133.0 passer rating
61.0 ESPN QBR
45 rushing yards
17 carries
2.6 average rush yards
3 TD

ucl — Oct 4, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Malik Washington (7) throws against the Washington Huskies at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Last Game

Nico Iamaleava @ Michigan State (38-13 W):

180 passing yards
16-24 pass comp/attempt
66.7% completion
3 TD
0 INT
2 sacks
170.9 passer rating
53.6 ESPN QBR
3 rushing yards
6 carries
0.5 average rush yards
0 TD

ucl — Oct 11, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) drops back to pass against Michigan State in the first quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

Malik Washington vs. Nebraska (34-31 L):

249 passing yards
27-37 pass comp/attempt
73.0% completion
1 TD
0 INT
1 sack
138.4 passer rating
74.7 ESPN QBR
23 rushing yards
6 carries
3.8 average rush yards
0 TD

UCLA's Maryland Offensive Scouting Report

ucl — Oct 11, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Malik Washington (7) looks to throw from the pocket as offensive lineman Michael Hershey (61) and offensive lineman Amory Hills (77) block during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

UCLA defensive lineman Keanu Williams spoke to the media on Tuesday and shared some early impressions on a dynamic Terps offense led by freshman quarterback Malik Washington.

"Good, dynamic passing offense. They got a good quarterback. he can throw the ball. They got good receivers. They got a pretty solid O-line up front. So they got things. You know, it's the Big Ten, so we got to come every week. We got to bring it."

Jul 29, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; A detailed view of UCLA Bruins helmet during Pac-12 Media Day at Novo Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Despite being a freshman, Washington has had a solid start to the season. Williams doesn't view him as a freshman, though, just as another player on the field.

"I've played with freshmen who are ballers, you know what I mean? So, I respect every opponent I got in front of me. I line them up as, 'You on the field for a reason.' Don't matter if you're 18 or if you're 28, it don't matter. So if you out there, you ready to play. I respect my opponents for sure."

ucl — Michigan State's Makhi Frazier, center, is tackled by UCLA after a gain during the first quarter on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

UCLA's defense has endured a dire turnaround. Through the first three games of the season, one could argue the Bruins had the worst defense in college football.

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