For the second straight week, Nebraska will have to deal with a mobile quarterback when the Cornhuskers travel to Westwood to take on UCLA.
The Bruins are led by former five-star prospect Nico Iamaleava. Last year, Iamaleava helped Tennessee reach the 12-team playoff before having a very public dispute with the Volunteers that led to a transfer. After a slow start at UCLA, Iamaleava has begun to show why he was so highly regarded and Matt Rhule expects the redshirt sophomore to be tough to contain Saturday night.
Scouting Nico Iamaleava:
— Avarie Howard (@avariehoward31) November 3, 2025
- He not only leads UCLA in passing but also in rushing
- "I have a lot of respect for the way he plays. He's an elite player."
- With UCLA coming off a bye week, Rhule shares they expect to see some more designed runs from him
Rhule wants the defensive line to step up
Last week, Nebraska struggled once when USC quarterback Jayden Maivia started to use his legs. The Cornhuskers' pass defense is as good as advertised and Rhule believes that Iamaleava will have more designed runs prepared to challenge the defense without testing the secondary.
"He's an outstanding player. If you play zone coverage, he'll find the holes. If you play man coverage, he's going to tuck the ball and run," Rhule said of Iamaleava on Thursday. "They have a rat on him, a spy and he outruns the guy. So it's a great week for our DL. They have to produce, they have to show up, and they have to pass rush."
Iamaleava's rushing numbers have been down over the past three weeks since he rushed for a season-high 128 yards against Penn State. He only had seven carries for 28 yards in the Bruins' loss to Indiana.
Raiola's Injury eliminates 'dream' QB matchup
Dylan Raiola and Iamaleava have a lot of history together and Iamaleava's father, Nic, said over the summer that he was most excited about this game because it would give the two players a chance to compete against each other on the big stage.
'His dad was here this summer' - Nebraska's Matt Rhule shares his thoughts on UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava https://t.co/bmHTeSWbbS
— Vols Big Orange Podcast (@BigOrangePod) November 7, 2025
“It’s going to be huge,” Nic Iamaleava said at the time. “Dylan’s a great kid. Great family. Trained together with the boys back home. It’s been great seeing him on campus. He’s doing amazing things here. I’m excited for him.”
Unfortunately, Raiola suffered a broken fibula last week against USC that will keep him out for the rest of the season. UCLA will not be on Nebraska's schedule again until 2028, likely eliminating any shot at the two players facing each other in college.