Latest on Nico Iamaleava’s Status vs. USC Trojans

Iamaleava's presence alone makes UCLA a better team. While he did struggle against Washington, it was clear that he was still shaking off the cobwebs after missing the Ohio State matchup with a concussion.

This season, Iamaleava has passed for 1,728 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He has led the Bruins in all major rushing categories with 101 carries, 490 yards, and four rushing touchdowns.

His rushing ability adds a new dimension to the Bruins' offense, which will be severely missed if he is unable to suit up against USC. Iamaleava has led the Bruins in rushing in five games this season. His rushing performance against Penn State was a huge reason why UCLA was able to pull off the upset.

If Luke Duncan Gets The Call

If Iamaleava can't play, the Bruins won't be in that much trouble. Luke Duncan has shown, with a very small sample size, that he can be a great quarterback for the Bruins. His first two college appearances came against No. 1 Ohio State and Washington when Iamaleava went down.

In those two appearances, Duncan accumulated 235 yards and two touchdown passes, on a 61.8% completion rate. From those games, it is clear that Duncan has the arm talent to win the Bruins games; he needs more opportunities to showcase himself.

The only thing that Duncan cannot replicate from Iamaleava's game is his rushing ability. While Duncan has shown flashes in the air, he still isn't comfortable enough yet to take off and run as Iamaleava has shown.

This playing style might actually be more preferable for the Bruins. Against Washington, Iamaleava's rushing really got UCLA in some trouble in the turnover category. This is something Duncan has yet to show he's susceptible to with 0 turnovers to this point.

If Iamaleava suits up, UCLA could prove to be a much tougher matchup for USC. But even if he doesn’t, Duncan has shown he can be a reliable and productive backup. Either way, the Bruins still have a chance to shake things up.