Nico Iamaleava and UCLA drop to 03 after blowout loss at home to New Mexico Nick BrombergSeptember 13, 2025 at 9:15 PM 0 UCLA dropped to 03 with a blowout loss to New Mexico on Friday night.
- - Nico Iamaleava and UCLA drop to 0-3 after blowout loss at home to New Mexico
Nick BrombergSeptember 13, 2025 at 9:15 PM
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UCLA dropped to 0-3 with a blowout loss to New Mexico on Friday night. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) (MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images via Getty Images)
It's hard to envision Nico Iamaleava's first season at UCLA getting off to much worse start.
The Bruins were trounced 35-10 at home by New Mexico on Friday night to fall to 0-3 before Big Ten play begins. Iamaleava was 22-of-34 passing with a TD and an interception. UCLA was a 15.5-point favorite at kickoff and it's the first win for New Mexico against a power conference team since a 2008 win over Arizona.
New Mexico led 14-0 when Iamaleava threw a 12-yard TD to Titus Mokiao-Atimalala with 9:02 to go in the second quarter. The TD pass capped off an eight-play, 78-yard drive that appeared to give the Bruins some life.
BRUINS ON THE BOARD! 🙌@nico_iamaleava8 ➡️ @TITUS_ATIMALALA📺: @BigTenNetwork📲: https://t.co/rVIspx5dud#GoBruinspic.twitter.com/MkGTqhj0p9
— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) September 13, 2025
That was some false hope. UCLA cut the lead to four with 3:38 to go in the third quarter on a field goal and it was all New Mexico from there. The Lobos scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
UCLA had the ball six times in the second half. The Bruins punted twice, kicked that field goal, turned the ball over on downs and then Iamaleava threw an interception to seal the game with 3:58 to go and the Lobos leading 28-10.
Tavian with the tip-drill interception!📺: @BigTenNetwork#GoLobos | 🐺🆙 pic.twitter.com/57QCAP96tE
— New Mexico Football (@UNMLoboFB) September 13, 2025
By the time UCLA got the ball back again, it only had enough time to run two plays before the game was over.
Iamaleava left Tennessee in the offseason amid a reported NIL dispute — a dispute his family has denied — to play for his home state Bruins. The Volunteers went 10-2 in the regular season and made the College Football Playoff in 2024 before losing in the first round to eventual national champion Ohio State.
UCLA will be very lucky to win 40% of the games Tennessee did a season ago at this rate. UCLA has given up at least 30 points in each of its first three games and has allowed opposing offenses to run for 244 yards a game. The Lobos had 298 rushing yards on Friday night.
The Bruins are off in Week 4 before beginning Big Ten play with a trip to Northwestern. After the Wildcats, there aren't many winnable games on the schedule. No. 2 Penn State comes to town on Oct. 5 and that visit is followed by a trip to Michigan State. If UCLA doesn't beat Northwestern, a 0-6 start to the season looks very likely.
Source: "AOL Sports"
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