UCLA loses Nico Iamaleava to a leg injury but stays unbeaten with win at Oregon

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava left Saturday's game at No. 13 Oregon with a lower leg injury and did not return, and the No. 21 Bruins won 17-15 without him to move to 5-0, ESPN reported.

Iamaleava got hurt in the second quarter when he landed awkwardly on his leg while being tackled on a scramble. He jogged off, missed one snap, came back and threw an interception on his next play, his third turnover of the half. When UCLA came out for the third quarter, senior Ty Dieffenbach was under center and Iamaleava was on the sideline without pads. The team called him doubtful to return. There was no word on the severity of the injury in ESPN's reporting Saturday evening.

Iamaleava, the Tennessee transfer who has started every game since arriving in Westwood, finished 10 of 17 for 162 yards with two interceptions. He also lost a fumble at his own 1-yard line that set up Oregon's first touchdown.

The backup who had not played

Dieffenbach is listed as UCLA's third-string quarterback, behind Iamaleava's brother, Madden. He transferred from Cal Poly, where he threw for 1,305 yards and nine touchdowns last season, and he had not taken a snap for UCLA before Saturday.

He did not have to do much. He completed 3 of 6 passes for 43 yards, and one of them was the decisive play: a 9-yard touchdown to running back Wayne Knight early in the fourth quarter for a 17-6 lead. Knight carried the rest of the load with 103 yards on 22 carries, including a 35-yard touchdown run, his 10th rushing score of the season. The defense forced seven Oregon turnovers and stopped a two-point try from the half-yard line with 2:16 left.

The result keeps the Bruins perfect in Bob Chesney's first season, with Big Ten wins over Purdue, Maryland and now Oregon. It is a sharp turn for a program that started 0-3 last year and fired its head coach.

What it means for Saturday

UCLA hosts Wisconsin at the Rose Bowl on Oct. 17. The Badgers (4-1) are coming off a bye and have won four straight since a season-opening loss at Notre Dame, including a 24-20 win at Penn State.

The Big Ten availability report, released midweek, will say whether Iamaleava can play. If he cannot, Chesney must choose between Madden Iamaleava, the listed backup, and Dieffenbach, who got the call on Saturday. Whoever starts, the formula that won in Eugene did not lean on the passing game: Knight on the ground and a defense that takes the ball away.

Kickoff time and network had not been listed by ESPN as of Saturday night. Prices will be on the weekly board and the UCLA and Wisconsin team pages.