Tennessee Volunteers: "Death, taxes & Nico Iamaleava overthrowing a WR": CFB fans trash UCLA QB after massive mistake during Bruins' vs. Utah Utes showdown

Nico Iamaleava quickly became the center of attention in the UCLA Bruins’ season opener against the Utah Utes at the Rose Bowl. Just six minutes into the first quarter, the quarterback overthrew a wide-open Mikey Matthews on what could’ve been an early touchdown.

Fans were merciless. One fan said,

“Death, taxes and Nico overthrowing a receiver.”

Another wrote, "He did it again and the commentators blamed "stiffness.'"

One X user tweeted sarcastically, "Nico imaoverthrowya."

"Same song, second verse," tweeted one more.

"Joey Aguilar wouldnt miss that lol," one Tennessee Volunteers fan tweeted.

One user joked, "He’s at least getting closer 😂 "

"Classic Nico," commented another.

Despite the rocky beginning, Iamaleava remains UCLA’s starter under coach DeShaun Foster, who kept practices tightly under wraps this summer, giving fans and analysts little to anticipate the Vols. quarterback's potential with the Bruins.

Also read: “Nico Iamaleava could never”: Tennessee fans take jab at ex-Vols QB as Joey Aguilar crushes Syracuse in Week 1

Colin Cowherd still not over Nico Iamaleava's Tennessee transfer

Four months on, Colin Cowherd still isn’t letting Nico Iamaleava’s transfer to UCLA rest. In April, the former Tennessee quarterback left the Volunteers over a $4 million NIL dispute.

“He shouldn’t have left Tennessee,” Cowherd said on the Joel Klatt Show.

“They have better players. You’re going to face more NFL bodies… compared to UCLA this year. But he is good, and he is what the NFL is looking for.”

Cowherd didn't deny Iamaleava’s talent. In 18 games with the Volunteers, he completed 63.6% of his passes, throwing for 2,930 yards, 21 touchdowns and five interceptions. The quarterback moves well, but Cowherd warns that chasing NIL money might make him a cautionary tale.

"If this kid pops, I mean, keep your eye on UCLA's quarterback—will he become the cautionary tale of NIL? Will he be the, 'Oh, don't do that.' Will he be the example of—don't chase. Because he didn't chase the dollars at UCLA. He said it was family," Cowherd said. "But in the end, basically, the family offended Tennessee. Tennessee said, 'Stop sign, out.'"

Iamaleava’s UCLA contract reportedly prioritized family over dollars, but Cowherd raised red flags: less talent and fewer opportunities to prepare for the NFL.

The 2025 season will be a litmus test, and if Iamaleava can replicate his Tennessee production at UCLA, he could silence skeptics.

Also read: "Pageant mom has become quarterback dad": Colin Cowherd questions Nico Iamaleava's decision to choose UCLA over Tennessee

About the author

Prasen is an NFL/College Sports analyst at Sportskeeda. A B.Tech/Civil Engineering graduate, he has two years of experience writing content.

For Prasen, providing historical angles relevant to the story is important, as it can give the reader useful information and help them relate it to the present. He thinks this keeps the content unique rather than just a bland reporting of facts. Prasen believes in fact-checking and researching relevant information as per the headline and context. He hates clickbait or misleading the reader.

A fan of the Colorado Buffaloes since Deion Sanders took over as coach, Prasen expects Coach Prime to make the Buffs a national championship contender. Nick Saban is his favorite all-time coach, while Baker Mayfield and Caitlin Clark are his favorite players. Prasen considers Vince Young coming up clutch for the Texas Longhorns in the dying seconds of the 2017 national championship game against the USC Trojans as the most iconic moment of all time.

Per Prasen, College Sports is competitive and garners attention but it is just the beginning, where a student-athlete can show their skills and potential to make it to the big leagues. When he is not researching and writing, Prasen’s hobbies include pursuing higher studies and playing sports.

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Edited by Prasen