Vote For Nico Iamaleava as Manning Award QB of the Week

The Bruins' quarterback is in the running for yet another major Week 6 award.

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

Nico Iamaleava was one of the biggest stories of the college football week for his stellar performance in UCLA's stunning 42-37 upset over Penn State.

The performance landed the redshirt sophomore a plethora of national awards, including the AP National Player of the Week and the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Iamaleava was also named to the Manning Award "Stars of the Week" list and is in the running for the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week.

If you want to vote for the Bruins' quarterback among seven other nominees, you can click this link.

Nico's Big Week

It took a little longer than UCLA Bruins fans hoped, but Nico Iamaleava finally had a signature performance while donning the blue and gold.

The redshirt sophomore had one of the best games of his college football career, leading the Bruins to an improbable 42-37 win over No. 7 Penn State on Saturday, reminding everyone that he was under center for a College Football Playoff team just last season.

Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer (3) celebrates with quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Bruins looked like an entirely different team from start to finish, opening the game with an 11-yard touchdown pass, followed immediately by a surprise onside kick recovery.

Former UCLA tight ends coach Jerry Neuheisel was promoted to offensive play caller following the departure of offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri, and the Bruins' offense became cerebral. UCLA went into halftime up 27-7 on the Nittany Lions.

Iamaleava had his "Welcome To Westwood" moment, finishing the game scoring five total touchdowns -- two passing and three rushing -- while throwing for 166 yards on 17-of-24 completions and rushing for 128 yards on 16 attempts.

Iamaleava's Week 6 Grade

Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) scores a touchdown on 1 yard run during the third quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Bruins needed all of Iamaleava's 294 total yards and five total touchdowns. His 156.4 passer rating and 97.4 ESPN QBR were each of Iamaleava's highest ratings of the season.

If the Bruins can turn around the season, as steep a climb as it may be, not only will they look back at this win against one of the nation's top teams at the time, but they'll also coin Iamaleava's performance as the turning point.

Before this game, the highest grade we've given the Bruins' star quarterback was a B- for his second-half efforts against UNLV. Iamaleava exceeded even that half by far, for a sustained performance all game.

For Iamaleava's big game against Penn State, we give him an A-.

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