PASADENA — Nico Iamaleava weaved his way through the crowd of UCLA football recruits and friends of the program. The rest of his team had already jogged through the home-team Rose Bowl tunnel and into the locker room.
Nico was looking for home — and he found it. Waiting to provide pregame support, Nico’s parents, Leinna and Nic Iamaleava, wrapped their son in a swarming hug. Iamaleava said earlier this week he was expecting 20-to-30 family members to be at the game — family, his driving point from Big Ten Media Day all the way to the season opener on why he transferred from Tennessee to UCLA.
“I’ve always wanted to play in the Rose Bowl,” Iamaleava said earlier this week. “I almost had a chance last year to come here and play (last year with Tennessee), came up short, but I’ve always been excited to play in the stadium, and, man, it’s a surreal moment for me, and I can’t wait to just get in there.”
Just minutes earlier, former UCLA quarterback Wayne Cook — now a radio sideline reporter — stated the obvious over the Rose Bowl speaker system:
“Back home, as a Bruin,” Cook said. “I expect (Iamaleava) to have a great year.”
Should Iamaleava have a “great year,” history will show it didn’t start that way — on all fronts for the Bruins quarterback and his team.
Much like the Bruins’ defense — which struggled to stop Utah’s rushing attack during the first quarter, giving up 89 yards on an average of 5.9 yards per rush — the redshirt sophomore quarterback flailed after his first drive came up short on a fourth-and-two.
After connecting with Matthews for an 18-yard completion for his first UCLA pass, when it came to converting on fourth from Utah’s 42-yard line, Iamaleava forced a pass to the California transfer wideout in tight coverage. Matthews couldn’t escape coverage, and the ball fell incomplete for a turnover on downs. Iamaleava’s next drive saw Utah defensive end Logan Fano sack him for 13 yards, forcing the Bruins to punt.
Iamaleava’s third drive, however, showcased why the Bruins have reason to dream on the former No. 1 overall recruit’s ability. On a designed run, the 6-foot-6 signal caller shed two tackles for 21 yards. To cap off the drive, Iamaleava met with redshirt junior running back Anthony Woods — the Utah transfer playing against his old squad — catching the ball at the five and taking it in for a touchdown, marking both of their first scores in blue and gold. The Iamaleava-to-Woods wheel route, helping UCLA avoid heading into halftime hoisting a goose egg, shared traits of offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri in his first collegiate game as offensive playcaller.
UCLA’s offense debuted a new look, no matter how Saturday’s result shaped up, after its hush-hush fall camp.
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