UCLA Bruins had a night to forget, as they fell 35-10 against the New Mexico Lobos on Friday, Sept. 12, in a game that has them winless on the year at 0-3. Part of that poor performance was centered around quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
The score was a huge joke online. The rivals from other conferences piled in on their trolling, and social media accounts took to their keyboards with pleasure to poke fun at the Bruins. The account @RedditCFB on X was one of those accounts, and they joked saying:
“UCLA reportedly exploring a move to the FCS Big Sky. (source: I made it up)”
The official account of Big Sky Conference on X responded hilariously to that post with:
“No Thank You.”
No thank you https://t.co/2NoDvyCKCV
— Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) September 13, 2025
The Pac-12 conference got in on the action as well when @RedditCFB posted UCLA’s daunting remaining schedule, and they bought back a classic Jerry Seinfeld GIF in response, which read:
“That’s a shame.”
https://t.co/vifhEJ1UEb pic.twitter.com/YDiVCexT8v
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 13, 2025
Nico Iamaleava completed 22 of 34 passes for 217 yards against the Lobos. He had one touchdown but threw a critical interception in the fourth quarter. Iamaleava had six carries for 33 rushing yards.
Related: Joey Aguilar’s Father Sends Bold Message to Nico Iamaleava Following UCLA-Tennessee Trade
Nico Iamaleava’s Rocky Start at UCLA
The transfer quarterback has had a challenging time in Westwood. This latest defeat marks another chapter in the strange saga with Nico Iamaleava and the Bruins.
In what was Iamaleava’s UCLA debut, the Bruins lost, 43-10, to Utah Utes. The transfer was 11-for-22 passing for 136 yards. He had one touchdown and one interception, and ran 13 times for 47 yards in the defeat.
In his second start, Iamaleava still lost to UNLV Rebels, 30-23, but showed signs of improvement. He was 29-for-41 passing for 255 yards and a touchdown. But he had fourth-quarter interception that ended all hope for the Bruins to get back in the game. He did have a 30-yard rushing touchdown in that game as well.
Nico Iamaleava came to UCLA from Tennessee very decorated, and was highly regarded. Particularly in 2024, he started all 13 games, and took them all the way to the College Football Playoff.
That season saw Iamaleava throw for 2,616 yards and had 19 touchdown passes and five interceptions. His efficiency dipped in tough SEC conference games, which was expected, but he still had fine collegiate career numbers. That totaled 241 passing completions of 379 attempts, 2,930 yards, 21 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Read More:
- New Mexico vs UCLA Week 3 Injury Report: Updates on Nico Iamaleava, Kwazi Gilmer, Anthony Woods, and More
- Nico Iamaleava Transfer Portal: 5 Landing Spots If UCLA QB Quits After Nightmare Start To Season
- What Did Pierce Clarkson Do? Nico Iamaleava’s Teammate Hit With Felony Charges Before UNLV Matchup
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!
