This post was updated Oct. 13 at 10:32 p.m.
Football is referred to by many as more than a game.
For the Bruins, perhaps it is also a literary tale, one that has been marked by tragic irony over the last few days.
Just two days after No. 12 UCLA football upset then-No. 13 Oregon 17-15 as the road underdogs Saturday – marking the first time the Bruins have won at Autzen Stadium since 2004 and clinching a 5-0 record – senior quarterback Nico Iamaleava was reported to have suffered a knee injury that likely rules him out for the remainder of the year.
[Related: Nico Iamaleava expected to miss remainder of UCLA football season with knee injury]
Coach Bob Chesney said although several outlets have written about Iamaleava expecting to be out for the rest of the 2026 campaign, the starting signal-caller was set to meet with team doctors Monday for an assessment of his potential to return. As of now, Chesney said Iamaleava’s status was week by week with the possibility of coming back to play, though not without some current concern.
“We’ve been talking about this for a very long time,” Chesney said Monday. “It’s very rare to make it through an entire season fully intact. That’s not the easiest thing to do in a contact sport. For our guys, they understand that, and they’re prepared for that. And our job is to support the guys that can’t go and ultimately prepare the guys that can.”
Chesney said Iamaleava thought he was hit in the thigh at first after colliding with Oregon defensive lineman Bear Alexander late in the first half of the Bruins’ most recent outing on a scramble run – a hit many have dubbed as foul.
Although the Long Beach local returned to action for a singular play – on which he threw his second of two interceptions in the match – Iamaleava would eventually be ruled out for the remainder of the game.
“When you see it, it’s certainly egregious,” Chesney said of the Alexander hit. “It shouldn’t be a play that is allowed to occur in this sport, and it’s a shame that that was missed.”
In Iamaleava’s place, UCLA rolled with senior quarterback Ty Dieffenbach, who finished his first game as a Bruin since transferring from Cal Poly with three completions on six attempts, including a nine-yard touchdown to fifth-year running back Wayne Knight.
On his very first play in blue and gold, Dieffenbach took a deep shot straight to the hands of sophomore wide receiver Brian Rowe Jr., who seemed open in the corner of the end zone for what would have been a touchdown, had it not been for a mishap in securing the ball.
“He threw some really nice, accurate footballs – catchable footballs,” Chesney said. “He stepped up in the moment where we need him to. At the same point in time, he commanded the offense very, very well. What got him there is we’re looking at this on a week-to-week basis. And he had a really good week of practice. He did a really good job, and he brings a lot to the table.”
Chesney said the starting quarterback battle between Dieffenbach and Iamaleava’s younger brother – sophomore Madden – is week to week, with the former not even knowing he would be the go-to option against Oregon until he was told in the moment. Nonetheless, Chesney added that Dieffenbach was excited and had no nerves entering the game.
Regardless of who assumes the role under center, Chesney said the offensive game plan ultimately comes down to what the opposing defense gives the Bruins. Senior tight end Josh Phifer added that both signal-callers are competitors in practice and praised Dieffenbach for his performance against Oregon.
“His poise was really inspiring,” Phifer said. “Being in the huddle and just seeing that your quarterback is not really nervous or freaking out at all and just ready to go to attack makes the rest of the offense feel comfortable too. It was good to see a guy have that level of confidence and poise.”
Should Dieffenbach continue to man the quarterback position in Nico Iamaleava’s absence, the former Mustang seems to have the trust of his receiver room, having built camaraderie over the offseason.
Senior wide receiver Landon Ellis said Dieffenbach – a Calabasas local – hosted him and other players from the East Coast for Easter, knowing many were away from their families. Ellis added that Dieffenbach trained in the offseason as if he were the starter from the get-go, often asking guys to throw or for extra film.
“I really didn’t know what was wrong with Nico or who was coming in or what was happening,” Ellis said. “Once I settled down and realized Ty was in the game – probably after our second possession – I went over there, and I was like, ‘Just let it fly. There’s no reason to be hesitant.’ He nodded right back.”
No matter who is throwing the ball, the Bruins know they have opened the year with a historic start.
However, the focus has never been the number in the rankings but rather the steps it took to get there.
“We have to ROV it – be real, open and vulnerable,” Phifer said. “If you wouldn’t take advice from someone, why would you take criticism from them? I feel like we’re still the same football team that we were in August. We weren’t getting the same hype that we are right now. We believed in ourselves.”
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