The UCLA Bruins have started this season in the worst possible way. A 0-3 record led to the firing of DeShaun Foster as head coach, whose overall record stood at a dismal 5-10. The worst part: their star QB, Nico Iamaleava, who transferred from Tennessee in a high-profile move, has struggled to leave his mark this season. Having started in all of their 4 losses, he has thrown for 788 yards (about 197 a game), but has only four touchdowns and three interceptions. Despite this, the interim head coach is surprisingly confident in their starting QB.

It has not all been bad for Nico. Against Northwestern, he was UCLA’s best rusher. But he had to do a lot of it on his own. He often had to scramble out of his pocket just because his protection folded. But there is a sense of optimism in that gameplay, as Nico seems to like that. Interim head coach Tim Skipper, who took over after Foster got fired, spoke bluntly and gave a true verdict on the Tennessee transfer’s knack for getting hit. “I think he likes to get hit. It makes him feel more comfortable. He gets into the rhythm more. He feels a part of the game,” Skipper said on the Bruins’ insider show on Thursday.

“I really do believe that. So, he got better and better as the game went on. He got a lot stronger. His reads were on point. We didn’t turn the ball over. He was lowering the shoulder on guys like he was excited and ready to go running. I think we identified some areas where we knew the quarterback run game would be good, and he exploited that a little bit, and he saw it on film all week. So I think that excited him too.” The game against Northwestern is the best example. Sure, the Bruins lost 17-14, but Nico showed some real guts. The fact is, the offense around Nico Iamaleava is crumbling. The O-Line allowed the eighth-most sacks per game among Power Four teams.

And that in turn caused Iamaleava to be sacked nine times by Week 4 of the season. Additionally, the offensive line has contributed 13 penalties resulting in lost yardage, killing offensive momentum repeatedly. Secondly, penalties have been a persistent problem for UCLA, with the team accumulating 36 penalties for 335 yards through the first four games, showing a lack of discipline and stalling drives. This made it difficult for Iamaleava to make accurate reads, scramble under pressure, or make throws into tight coverage. But despite these hardships, Iamaleava finished the day with 180 passing yards and a score (completing 19 of 27).

He also had a team-best 65 rushing yards on 14 gritty runs where he regularly lowered his shoulder, refusing to go down easily. And that final drive saw every bit of sweat Nico could give. A four-yard rush, a nine-yard pass, but then got mugged by a sack and a killer penalty that sealed Northwestern’s win. So if we see it as an individualistic performance, Nico did everything he could. The Bruins are getting ready to face the Nittany Lions, but surprisingly, Nico is grabbing more attention than Penn State’s QB Drew Allar. Chris Hummer of 247sports echoes the same feeling when he talks about Nico.

“Nico is the better quarterback right now,” continued Hummer. “Nico’s been better this year than Drew Allar. Look at the advanced stats, Nico is making more confident throws than Allar.” UCLA’s issues don’t really lie with Nico Iamaleava at this point. With Nico’s future being subject to a lot of speculation, the team needs to address its O-Line issues soon before more damage becomes irreparable.

Who is going to be UCLA’s RB face?

Tim Skipper didn’t shy away after making his stance clear on Nico Iamaleava. He also addressed some of the costly mistakes that led to the Bruins’ having a slow start this season. “In some of the times, when you’re calling RPOS’s it’s reading what the defense is giving you, and they’re taking away the run, so we’re throwing it more than what the actual we were hoping to give the ball off, you know,” Skipper said. “But I agree with you, though you want to get in there and get your rhythm, you get established in the game, get hit a little bit, and all that, and you get stronger as the games go. Just something we’re going to keep on working, trying to figure out, get the right magic for it.”

UCLA hasn’t had a single running back step up and claim the starting spot. Now that’s a massive worrying factor. The carries are all over the place, forcing Iamaleava to lead the charge on the ground with 204 rushing yards so far. Yeah, the QB is carrying the team’s legs, but that’s a scary sign about the backfield’s struggles. Anthony Woods has been the main guy for now. He had 25 carries for 127 yards and a touchdown through four games, averaging a respectable 5.1 yards per carry.

Javian Thomas isn’t far behind with 23 carries for 117 yards, also sitting at 5.1 yards per attempt. The problem? UCLA keeps tinkering with the backfield, cutting Woods’ carries dramatically after a strong 64-yard outing against New Mexico. It dropped to just four carries the next week. And guess what? Nico has had 19 more carries than Woods. But things really can’t go on this way. Skipper needs to make a major call before the week 6 game, as the Penn State defense is not a walk in the park.