UCLA Beats Oregon as Iamaleava Is Ruled Out Indefinitely

UCLA beat Oregon 17-15 on Saturday, October 10, after backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach replaced injured starter Nico Iamaleava and threw the decisive touchdown. Iamaleava is out indefinitely with a knee injury, according to a report Monday, but he is still due for medical evaluation and has no established return timeline. Iamaleava was hurt late in the second quarter after taking a hit from Oregon defenders. He briefly left the game and returned for one play, which ended with an interception, but did not come back after halftime. A UCLA team spokesperson initially described the injury as a leg issue, while coach Bob Chesney said at halftime that Iamaleava had a thigh issue. The diagnosis has not been confirmed publicly. Dieffenbach completed three of six passes for 43 yards and a touchdown in his first appearance for UCLA after transferring from Cal Poly. His 9-yard scoring pass proved decisive in the 17-15 win. Chesney said he chose Dieffenbach over reserve Madden Iamaleava because Dieffenbach had shown a stronger ability to run the ball in practice. Before leaving, Iamaleava completed 10 of 17 passes for 162 yards and threw two interceptions.