The Oregon Ducks fell 17-15 at home to UCLA on Saturday, and the Bruins didn't even need their starting quarterback in the second half to pull off the upset.
Unfortunately, UCLA might be without quarterback Nico Iamaleava for some time, potentially the rest of the season. Late in the first half, Iamaleava carried the ball for a short gain and was tackled by Oregon linebacker Jerry Mixon and defensive lineman Bear Alexander. As Iamaleava went to the ground, Mixon fell on his legs and seemingly injured Iamaleava's right knee.
The injury was not intentional; rather, it was football players making a physical play and tackling a big runner. However, Alexander's role in the play is less defensible. After Iamaleava was tackled, Alexander swung his right
arm and punched Iamaleava in the helmet. UCLA head coach Bob Chesney was incensed that a penalty was not called for unnecessary roughness on a play where his quarterback had to leave the game.
Chesney, speaking to the local media on Monday, called Alexander's actions "egregious" and said it was "a shame it was missed."
UCLA head coach Bob Chesney says Oregon DL Bear Alexander's punch of QB Nico Iamaleava "egregious."
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) October 12, 2026
Continued that "it's a shame that it was missed." pic.twitter.com/BBqyOLtp7D
Iamaleava did jog off the field and returned after missing only one play. He threw an interception in the end zone to Oregon safety Koi Perich, and that ended up being Iamaleava's last play of the day. UCLA backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach played the entire second half, and Iamaleava emerged from the locker room in street clothes.
As the clip of Alexander's hit on Iamaleava has gone viral on social media, many fans have called for Alexander to be suspended. USC notably suspended linebacker Desman Stephens II for a late hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, who is still recovering from a concussion. Following Oregon's win over USC, Dan Lanning said he believed the Ducks know better than to play like that.
"Our guys respect the game," Lanning said after beating USC. "I don't think you'd ever see that from our players. I don't think you'd ever see that from our coaches."
Chesney said Iamaleava's knee injury is "serious," but declined to rule him out for the remainder of the season until he receives more clarity on the situation.
Lanning is scheduled to speak to the media on Monday night. Neither the Big Ten nor Oregon has announced any disciplinary action against Alexander. We will keep an eye on any potential reaction or comment moving forward.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: UCLA's Bob Chesney calls out Oregon DT Bear Alexander for 'egregious' punch
