Nico Iamaleava, Aidan Chiles Matchup Preview

The UCLA Bruins (1-4, 1-1 Big Ten) are reeling from one of the biggest wins of the college football season against Penn State, but must now turn around and go on the road against the Michigan State Spartans (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten), who are looking to bounce back from two-straight losses.

The Big Ten matchup features two dynamic, dual threat quarterbacks -- Nico Iamaleava and Aidan Chiles. As we get into our weekly game previews, let's break down the signal-caller matchup.

Season Stats

Nico Iamaleava:

954 passing yards
98-148 pass comp/attempt
66.2% completion
6 TD
3 INT
12 sacks
129.7 passer rating
70.8 ESPN QBR
332 rushing yards
60 carries
5.5 average rush yards
4 TD

Aidan Chiles:

953 passing yards
79-125 pass comp/attempt
63.2% completion
9 TD
3 INT
14 sacks
146.2 passer rating
76.0 ESPN QBR
177 rushing yards
52 carries
3.4 average rush yards
4 TD

ucl — Oct 4, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) warms up before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kylie Graham-Imagn Images | Kylie Graham-Imagn Images

Last Game

Nico Iamaleava vs. No. 7 Penn State (42-37 W):

166 passing yards
14-24 pass comp/attempt
70.8% completion
2 TD
0 INT
3 sacks
156.4 passer rating
97.4 ESPN QBR
128 rushing yards
16 carries
8.0 average rush yards
3 TD

Aidan Chiles @ Nebraska (38-27 L):

85 passing yards
9-23 pass comp/attempt
39.1% completion
0 TD
2 INT
4 sacks
52.8 passer rating
65.6 ESPN QBR
23 rushing yards
13 carries
1.8 average rush yards
2 TD

ucl — Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) looks to pass during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Opposing Scouting Reports:

Michigan State on Nico Iamaleava:

"We had to defend him (Chiles) all training camp, absolutely," Spartans DC Joe Rossi said (courtesy of Michigan State Spartans On SI). "You've got a long guy with a really good arm who can run (in reference to Iamaleava). That is very similar to Aidan. So we've defended him all training camp and all spring."

"He likes to scramble up the middle," Michigan State defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren said. "He can scramble outside. He's mobile. It's going to be a challenge for us to shut him down, but I think we can. I'm confident in us."

UCLA on Aidan Chiles:

"Aidan, great guy," Bruins defensive back Scooter Jackson said during Tuesday's media availability. "He's a local kid. That was actually my rival when I was at Warren High School. He went to Downey. Great guy, great quarterback... Great arm, can run, great guy."

"Well, I need to watch a little bit more film, but the film that I have watched, that's a challenge because you've got to keep him contained," Bruins defensive end Jacob Busic said. "You saw it on the flip side with Nico [Iamaleava], nothing's more disheartening than when it's 3rd-and-15 and the quarterback takes off for 50 yards. You're like, 'Oh my gosh!'

"We're going to have that challenge with Michigan State. He's an athlete, he can run, so we've got to keep him contained. We've got to rush, we've got to get him off his points. But when we do get him off his points, we got to make sure that he doesn't sneak out."

ucl — Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) throws against the Southern California Trojans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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