UCLA might have walked out of Autzen Stadium with a win over Oregon, but Bruins head coach Bob Chesney is absolutely fuming over a play that could have just ended his quarterback’s season. Nico Iamaleava went down with a knee injury in the first half, and if that wasn’t bad enough, Oregon defensive tackle Bear Alexander landed a punch on Iamaleava’s neck and helmet area right as the play ended.
Blatant Foul, Zero Flags
Seriously, how do you miss that? Alexander wasn’t called for any penalty on the play, which is just insane when you watch the viral clip. Iamaleava’s reaction was, understandably, all about his knee injury in that moment, not the cheap shot he took to the head. The fact that the officials let Alexander get away with a blatant punch to an injured player is a massive screw-up that could have huge repercussions.
Chesney Calls It ‘Egregious’ As The Big Ten Steps In
Coach Chesney met with reporters on Monday, and he did not hold back. He called the punch “egregious” and said it was a total “shame” that the officials completely missed the blatant penalty. Chesney even believes Alexander “almost certainly would have been ejected” if the foul had been reviewed or called on the field. Good luck arguing against that, especially with how clear the footage is. The Big Ten now has a chance to review the incident, and honestly, they better issue some serious discipline against the Oregon player. This kind of stuff just can’t fly.
As for Iamaleava’s status, Chesney is denying any final decision on his quarterback’s season right now. But the Knoxville News Sentinel has already reported that Iamaleava, who transferred from Tennessee, is expected to miss the remainder of the year. That’s a brutal blow, and it just makes the missed call and Alexander’s punch even harder to swallow. The Big Ten needs to do the right thing here.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply