UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava made his eagerly awaited debut with the Bruins this past weekend following a difficult exit from Tennessee earlier in the spring. Iamaleava faced challenges during his team’s 43-10 defeat to Utah, connecting on merely 11 of his 22 throws for 136 yards, including one touchdown and an interception.
Iamaleava and the Bruins will aim to recover on Saturday as UCLA heads to compete against UNLV on CBS Sports Network. UNLV, under the new guidance of coach Dan Mullen, has begun the season at 2-0 with victories over Idaho State and Sam Houston. Mullen’s roster, filled with transfers, includes defensive back Aamaris Brown, who wasn’t particularly impressed with Iamaleava’s performance, the top player in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings.
«To be honest, nothing really stands out to me about him [on tape],» Brown mentioned on Monday. «In the past, there’s been discussions about ‘five-star this, five-star that.’ I’ve been around plenty of five-star and four-star [players], it doesn’t faze me. I have competed against tougher opponents, including Alabama and more. … Going up against someone like Nico, there’s no surprise, no thrill or anything like that.»
Nico Iamaleava receives a reality check in Utah’s domination of UCLA: Tennessee transfer’s debut disappoints
Cameron Salerno
Brown, who has recorded an interception in both of UNLV’s games, possesses a wealth of experience competing against various quarterbacks. He started his journey at Kansas State in 2020 and dedicated two seasons there before moving to USF for an additional two years.
UNLV fell short in last season’s Mountain West championship game against Boise State, which secured the No. 3 seed in the first-ever 12-team playoff, and subsequently saw coach Barry Odom depart for Purdue. With a refreshed lineup under Mullen, UNLV garnered some preseason attention as a potential contender in the Mountain West again. The Rebels struggled at the outset, narrowly escaping with a 38-31 victory over Idaho State in Week 0. They performed better last week, successfully defeating Sam Houston on the road, 38-21.
In contrast to Brown, Mullen feels his team will face a real test with Iamaleava and the Bruins coming to town.
«Reviewing the film, you can see the talent he possesses,» Mullen stated. «The statistical performance at the end may not reflect the type of game he wanted to play, but his talent is evident on film. … I believe [Nico] will come out energized and eager to shine and recover from his previous performance. He is an immensely talented player.»
This weekend will represent only the third all-time encounter between the teams, with UCLA having won the previous two matches.
