Nico Iamaleava did not run from his issues throwing the ball.

The UCLA quarterback lingered to answer every question about what might have been the worst two-game stretch of his career.

His timing is off, his throws aren’t accurate and he’s often making the wrong reads.

“Obviously, game play from me,” Iamaleava said Saturday after the Bruins finally pulled away for a 28-10 victory over San Diego State, “I think if we want to be able to win these big games, I think I have to play way better.”

The redshirt junior hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in back-to-back games for the first time since October 2024 – when he played for Penn State.

Even more worrisome, he has logged two interceptions in the red zone. His latest came against the Aztecs on Saturday when he threw back across his body trying to connect with tight end Harry Lodge in the end zone but did not put nearly enough zip on the ball.

“Obviously,” Iamaleava said, “I can’t turn the ball over down there on the 2-yard line.”

The numbers tell the troubling story: Iamaleava has completed 28 of 44 passes (63.6%) for 335 yards. His quarterback rating of 118.5 ranks No. 17 among starters in the Big Ten, ahead of only Michigan counterpart Bryce Underwood’s 117.7.

So what’s going on?

Among other things, Iamaleava pinpointed his “comfortability” with new offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy.

“Him learning me,” Iamaleava said of his fourth offensive coordinator in the last three years, “me learning him.”

That’s something new UCLA head coach Bob Chesney suggested would come with more repetitions.

“I think for us right now, making sure that we all see it the same way and we believe in it the same way and we know that we can execute it the same way,” Chesney said Monday, “and that’s just practice throughout the week of making sure we’re seeing those completions made.”

Chesney said he thought Iamaleava showed up when the team needed him the most, extending drives with his legs in the fourth quarter and making two passes “in phenomenal places on time.”

Of course, it would help if that happened with far more regularity.

“Those are the things that we need all the time,” Chesney said, “and I thought by the end of the game we started to hit our stride on that side, we’ve just got to clean it up a little bit more and start a little faster.”

It hasn’t helped that a handful of top wide receivers have been sidelined. Brian Rowe Jr. briefly left the game against San Diego State before returning and Mikey Matthews departed with his own injury, joining Landon Ellis and Aidan Mizell – not to mention tight end Josh Phifer – on the sideline. Their status for UCLA’s game against Purdue on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl will be known once the first Big Ten availability report is released on Wednesday.

On the plus side, Semaj Morgan thrived in their absence, making a career-high six catches for 73 yards – including two catches for 51 yards on the scoring drive that put the Bruins up, 14-3, with less than six minutes to play.

“To make those two hard catches with contact in moments that mattered a lot just speaks volumes of his preparation,” Chesney said, “because I say it all the time but that line’s going to shine on you at some point and time and you’re either going to be exposed or revealed and for him, he was revealed for all the work he does, his mindset that he brings to it every day and just the type of teammate and person that he is, so really proud.”

With Iamaleava struggling, the run game continued to carry the offense, generating 277 yards and four touchdowns. To his credit, Iamaleava contributed to that success with 57 rushing yards in 13 carries.

But UCLA has been fairly one-dimensional through its first two games, with its ballcarriers scoring all 10 touchdowns and topping 200 yards in each game.

“It feels great to have a supporting cast that even if I don’t play the best,” Iamaleava said, “we can still go out and win.”

That’s a formula that might not work much longer unless the Bruins’ quarterback starts looking more like himself.