In the second half of No. 221 No. 21 UCLA 's game vs. Oregon, Bruins coach Bob Chesney made a quarterback change from former five-star recruit and the Bruins' starter from last season in Nico Iamaleava.
When UCLA came out on offense for the second half, leading the Ducks 10-6, Iamaleava's backup,Ty Dieffenbach, was the starting quarterback instead.
Here's everything you need to know about UCLA's quarterback change against the Ducks.
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Why did UCLA pull Nico Iamaleava?
Iamaleava struggled to throw the ball successfully in the first half with their starter. In the first half, he threw two interceptions. His second of the half came late, as UCLA had gotten the ball back after Oregon's Dylan Raiola threw an interception himself. The pick gave UCLA the ball back on Oregon's 27.
NICO IAMALEAVA BACON BURGER INTERCEPTION TO KOI PERICH pic.twitter.com/pNk4pFCWHL
— FD (@flooduck) October 10, 2026But there is an important moment to note, right before he threw this pick. Iamaleava did take a tough hit a few plays before, which caused him to come out of the game for a play. It appeared as though he may have taken a hit from an Oregon defender as he was going to the ground:
Guy for Oregon punches Nico Iamaleava in the neck. pic.twitter.com/chwkBDDiDe
— Chad Fisher DNP (@ChadFisher) October 10, 2026Dieffenbach came in for him and threw an incompletion before Iamaleava returned.
At halftime, CBS' Jenny Dell asked Chesney if Iamaleva was hurt, and the coach indicated that he was OK. After halftime, Iamaleava didn't come out of the locker room until after the half had started. Dell also reported that Iameleava's family entered the locker room after the half before he came out. He returned to the sideline with a towel over his head, not in uniform, indicating that he was done for the day.
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Who replaced Nico Iamaleava?
UCLA's backup is senior quarterback Ty Dieffenbach. A native of Calabasas, Calif., Dieffenbach started his career at Pittsburgh from 2023-2025 before transferring to Cal Poly. Last season for the Mustangs, he threw for 1,305 yards with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions across 11 games.
Is Nico Iamaleava injured?
It appears that he is. Dell reported at halftime that he was "doubtful" to return to the game:
Nico Iamaleava did not come out of the locker room after halftime and is doubtful to return due to injury. @JennyDell_ has the report. pic.twitter.com/TJvvXh2rlL
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 10, 2026It's unclear at this time what the exact nature of Iamaleava's injury is.
Nico Iamaleava stats
| Season/Game | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | Rush Yards | Rush TD |
| 2026 | 62.6 | 820 | 4 | 2 | 143 | 1 |
| Vs. Oregon | 69.2 | 162 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Nico Iamaleava estimated NIL deal
Iamaleava's NIL valuation per On3Sports is $2.1 million for 2026. He started his career at Tennessee, but transferred before the 2025 season. It was estimated that he signed an NIL deal worth $8 million for four seasons with the Vols.
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