USC rival UCLA loses starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava for season

Believe it or not, the 2026 college football season has nearly reached its halfway point. And while USC fans are certainly not happy about it, one of the biggest surprises of the first half has been Bob Cheney and undefeated UCLA.

This week, however, the Bruins suffered a rough break when it was reported that starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava is likely to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. Iamaleava appeared to suffer the injury this past Saturday against Oregon.

Iamaleava’s statistics this season have not been anything to write home about. Through five games, he has thrown the same number of interceptions (four) as touchdown passes. Still, though, given the massive importance of the quarterback position, it is extremely rare for a team to lose its starter and not be affected by it in some way.

The Trojans and Bruins will face off at the Rose Bowl on November 28. It will be interesting to see how Iamaleava’s injury affects UCLA, and if the team is able to continue winning football games without him.

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