UCLA football went to Chicago off an open date and with a new interim head coach. But things looked much of the same as the Bruins fell to Northwestern 17-14. UCLA fell behind 17-0 before mounting a comeback bid that came up short.
How did former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava fare? Iamaleava completed 19-of-27 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown. As has been the case this season, the best part of his performance was the way he ran the football. The redshirt sophomore signal caller rushed for a team-high 65 yards on 14 carries.
UCLA got the ball back in the two-minute drill to end the game with a chance to drive into field goal range and tie the game or score a touchdown to win. But the Bruins gained just one first down before going backwards. Iamaleava took a costly sack with 1:29 remaining.
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The Bruins dropped to 0-4 (0-1 Big 10) with the loss at Northwestern and the road test was arguably their easiest remaining game on the schedule. UCLA hosts Penn State next week and also has tough matchups remaining against Ohio State, at Indiana and at USC.
What games are UCLA’s best chances to get a win? A road trip to Michigan State and a home matchup against Maryland. According to the ESPN Analytics game predictor, UCLA’s best chance to earn a win is against the Terps. They give them just a 28.3% chance to win.
Through four games this season, Iamaleava has completed 65% of his passes for 788 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s added 204 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
In five games at Tennessee this season, quarterback Joey Aguilar has completed 65% of his passes for 1,459 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also rushed for 58 yards and two touchdowns.
