Nico Iamaleava out for season as UCLA holds off Oregon 17-15

Why Nico Iamaleava is trending

UCLA's starting quarterback is done for the year. That's why his name is all over search right now. Per 247Sports, citing CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, Nico Iamaleava is expected to miss the rest of the season with the leg injury he suffered against Oregon.

Here's what's known. Iamaleava went down near the end of the first half after his knee appeared to buckle as he was being tackled. He came back in for one play, then did not return for the second half. Backup Ty Dieffenbach took over and UCLA held on to beat Oregon 17-15, with the Bruins staying unbeaten.

What's not known yet is who starts next. Dieffenbach is considered the frontrunner, but UCLA coach Bob Chesney has described the quarterback room as week to week, and Iamaleava's younger brother Madden is also in the mix. UCLA hasn't named a starter for the Wisconsin game.

How the injury happened

The play has circulated online because of how it looked. In a clip shared on social media, Oregon defensive lineman Bear Alexander appeared to twist Iamaleava's helmet and land a punch to it during the tackle, according to Yahoo Sports. No penalty was called.

Fans online drew a comparison to the hit that gave Oregon's own quarterback, Dante Moore, a concussion in Week 4, when he was tackled by USC's Desman Stephens II. That's commentary from the online reaction, not a ruling on the play itself.

In the game itself, Iamaleava finished 10-of-17 passing for 162 yards with two interceptions before leaving. Oregon pushed back late on a 26-yard field goal from Gage Hurych and a 44-yard touchdown pass from Brock Thomas, but UCLA's two-point edge held up.

The season Iamaleava leaves behind

Iamaleava closes his year with 982 passing yards on 62.1 percent completion, four touchdown passes, four interceptions and a rushing score. His best outing came in UCLA's 52-38 Week 3 win over Purdue, when he went 19-of-31 for 276 yards and three touchdowns with no picks.

Outside of that game, the former five-star recruit didn't take the step up that UCLA fans were hoping for this season. He does have one year of college eligibility left, so a return to UCLA next season is possible.

What happens next for UCLA

Dieffenbach, who spent his first two seasons at Pittsburgh before starting last year at Cal Poly, went 3-of-6 for 43 yards in relief against Oregon and found running back Wayne Knight for a nine-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Chesney credited the moment after the win: "you're either exposed or revealed," he said of Dieffenbach stepping in. On the broader quarterback picture, Chesney said, "we're really on a week to week basis here," adding that Madden Iamaleava will keep competing for the job alongside Dieffenbach.

UCLA has not yet played its next game. The Bruins are scheduled to face Wisconsin on Oct. 17, and a starting quarterback had not been announced as of this writing.

Facts per 247Sports, Yahoo Sports. Opinion is the taproom's.