Nico Iamaleava Is ‘Having Enjoyable Once more’ with Jerry Neuheisel Calling Performs

While college football fans might have been introduced to UCLA assistant coach Jerry Neuheisel for the first time last Saturday, quarterback Nico Iamaleava saw this stardom coming. 

“I first met coach Jerry on my recruitment trip when I was a senior in high school still,” Iamaleava said in an interview with FOX Sports’ Matt Leinart. “I was familiar with coach Jerry and his coaching style.”

That familiarity made a seemingly impossible act rather feasible. 

Last week, Neuheisel was given play-calling responsibilities on the Tuesday evening prior to a Saturday showdown with Penn State. Therefore, he had two practice days to prepare Iamaleava and the Bruins for a matchup with a Nittany Lions’ defense that had conceded just 13.7 points per game over their first four games.

“It was a lot different, man,” Iamaleava said.

Neuheisel and Iamaleava handled the abnormal situation smoothly. 

Iamaleava threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the Bruins on the ground with 128 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He executed Neuheisel’s uptempo offense against a stout defense, riding it to a 42-37 upset victory over Penn State. Iamaleava’s performance earned him recognition as Leinart’s Power Player of the Week.

But the changes Neuheisel made to the offense brought more than just UCLA’s first victory of the season.

“We were just out there having fun again,” Iamaleava said. 

That was something the Bruins had lost amid their 0-4 start that saw the team part ways with head coach DeShaun Foster, offensive coordinator Tony Sunseri and defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe. But Neuheisel, under interim head coach Tim Skipper, has reignited UCLA. 

Now the Bruins have to sustain that enjoyment and success.

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