"By midweek, as a handful of reporters watched his every move, Nico Iamaleava looked like someone on the verge of the offseason, not a rivalry game. In the early stages of practice Wednesday, the UCLA quarterback threw one pass softly before shifting into observer mode for the rest of the open viewing period. Three days later, as thousands of probing eyes watched his every move, Iamaleava was slinging passes with considerably more zip."
""It was a great learning year for me," Iamaleava said after completing 27 of 38 passes for 200 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions against the Trojans. "You know, a lot of firsts for me throughout the season. Just the way we started off, and then dealing with little, minor injuries, there's a lot. And I think, man, it just showed that I'm willing to go out there and put my life on the line for my teammates, man, whatever is needed.""
Nico Iamaleava regained confidence by game day and completed 27 of 38 passes for 200 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions against No. 17 USC. His accuracy helped UCLA take a halftime lead and quiet the Coliseum crowd. The Bruins' offense faltered in the second half as Iamaleava was sacked four times and the team failed on several third- and fourth-down attempts, producing a 29-10 loss. The season followed a high-profile transfer from Tennessee, included intermittent minor injuries, offered substantial learning experiences, and concluded with uncertainty about Iamaleava's immediate future.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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