Oct 11, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) looks for an open receiver in the second quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

What Nico Iamaleava Said After UCLA's Dominant Win

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Connor Moreno | Last updated Oct 11, 2025 5:05 PM ET

The UCLA Bruins are proving that last week wasn't just some stroke of luck, dominating Michigan State, 38-13, for their second consecutive win.

The Bruins started the game with a three-and-out and conceded an Aidan Chiles touchdown to go down 7-0. After that, UCLA scored 38 unanswered points, a stretch that featured dominant defense and stifling offense.

UCLA had its best game on the ground of the season, and Nico Iamaleava didn't have to lead the charge. The Bruins posted 238 yards on the ground on 43 attempts and used all four of their running backs.

Jalen Berger led the charge with 83 rushing yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, good for 6.4 yards per rush. Berger also caught two touchdowns from Iamaleava.

Although the Bruins' rushing attack led the way, Iamaleava had yet another quality game, throwing for 180 yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-24 passing.

Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles was having a rough outing before leaving the game in the third quarter after taking a big hit. Backup signal-caller Alessio Milivojevic was able to throw a touchdown in his stint.

The Bruins proved this week that their Penn State upset wasn't just a stroke of luck, and that a turnaround is fully underway. UCLA (2-4, 2-1 Big Ten) plays host to Maryland next week.

What Nico Iamaleava Said Postgame

Here's a transcript of what the Bruins' quarterback said after the win.

On the differences between the first four games and the last two:

“We’re getting back to having fun. Football is a great sport that we play, and we’re getting back to childhood memories when we used to play this when we were younger. We’re going out there and having fun with it. We were a little uptight the first four games, and I feel like we went out there, let our hair flow, and played for fun.”

Keys to the offense's success under Jerry Neuheisel:

“Like I said, the offensive guys are going out there and having fun. We’re not uptight. The plays Coach Jerry is putting us in have been great. He’s putting us in great positions for us to be successful. Everything is clicking right now. The o-line has done a great job getting our run game open, and receivers are doing a great job of getting open.”

On the best part of their recent success:

“Just us sticking together. It’s tough to start off 0-4, so I think us staying together in this whole journey. It was a rocky start, but it’s been a great and fun journey for us.”

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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