Nico Iamaleava Speaks Out On Fourth Quarter UCLA Injury

The Bruins went down with quite a few injuries in the road win against Cal. One of the major questions coming from UCLA fans following the win is the status of quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Nico Iamaleava Left The Game in the Fourth Quarter

Sep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) rushes for a touchdown against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Late in the fourth quarter, Iamaleava took off for a 10-yard run up the right side of the field before coming down and losing the football. While he was able to recover the ball, he was noticeably slow to get up.

When he finally got to his feet, Iamaleava was in visible pain and struggled to stand on his own before falling back to the ground. Iamaleava was then helped to the sideline and evaluated, while his younger brother, Madden Iamaleava, would then fill in at quarterback.

Sep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) warms up before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fortunately, Iamaleava would later return to the game, but that wasn’t enough to stop fans from worrying about the quarterback's status moving forward.

Bob Chesney’s Thoughts

Sep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney yells during the second quarter against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In his postgame press conference, head Coach Bob Chesney cleared up the situation and revealed that Iamaleava should be good to go moving forward.

“Yeah, he's good,” Chesney said. “He just got, like, this calf kind of got cleated at the end there, so he tried and it just kept cramping up because of the workout. So we just got to do some work on that and, you know, getting cleaned up.”

Sep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney celebrates after defeating the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That is relieving news for Bruins fans as they start the season 1-0. Aside from a disappointing interception in the red zone, Iamaleava looked calm and collected in the pocket all night long. In addition to the damage he dealt with his arm, he was also able to attack Cal with his legs, as he opened the scoring for the Bruins with a 9-yard touchdown.

Moving forward, Iamaleava’s ability to manage a game will be crucial for the Bruins, as they gear up towards conference play.

Sep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) celebrates with fans after defeating the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In Iamaleava’s own press conference, he insisted that he was good but admitted that the tackle was painful. “I tried to get back up to get back in the huddle, but I had to sit down for a little bit, and then I was good after I went to the sideline,” Iamaleava said.

As the Bruins look forward, there’s plenty to be excited about. Iamaleava will be a crucial part as UCLA looks to completely flip the narrative and shock the Big Ten. Next up, the Bruins turn their attention towards the home opener against San Diego State.

Add us as a preferred source on Google