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UCLA’s JonJon Vaughns (6) sacks Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (15) during the second quarter of their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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UCLA’s JonJon Vaughns (6) sacks Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (15) during the second quarter of their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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PASADENA — Shock? Awe? Disbelief?
Words failed to describe UCLA’s stunning start against No. 7 Penn State.
Twenty-seven points and a 20-point lead at halftime; the Bruins were in fever dream territory as they waltzed into the Rose Bowl locker room with grins on their faces for the first time all season. Happy Valley left with their mouths frozen agape.
“Nobody in the world expected us to win, let’s be honest here,” defensive back Key Lawrence said.
What did the Bruins do to transform what had been slated to be a nationally televised mockery into an upset 42-37 victory Saturday, the first time since 1985 an 0-4 team had defeated a top-10 program?
“Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!”
The name the fans had been shouting hoarse in the stands, Jerry Neuheisel, had been waiting for his moment his entire life. He was just a boy when his father, Rick Neuheisel, became head coach at UCLA. He grew up dreaming of blue and gold – becoming a backup quarterback for his father’s alma mater, a college career that included an against-all-odds comeback victory against Texas in Jerry’s World in Arlington.
More than a decade later, just like when his teammates hoisted the long blonde locks-wearing quarterback after the Bruins’ upset of the Longhorns, it was the UCLA faithful celebrating their man of the hour — once again hoisted on the shoulders of the players, his players — with a wide smile rather than a “big, blue mouth guard” of his quarterbacks’ past.
“To see their excitement and their emotion in that locker room,” Jerry Neuheisel said. “Just a special, special day. I don’t know where it would rank. I don’t know how to really put it into words. I just am glad I’m the one who gets to be in it right now.”
Promoted from tight ends coach to the offensive play-caller, Jerry Neuheisel, four days later (two days with the playbook), turned the Rose Bowl into Jerry’s World. Swaths of students, in Pasadena for the first time this season with school in session, screamed for him.
The unlikeliest of circumstances – a midweek mutual parting of ways with offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri on Tuesday evening – led the do-it-all assistant coach to create a new offense to face one of the best defenses in college football. Jerry Neuheisel said he learned he’d be the play caller Tuesday at 5 p.m. — sleeping just three hours since, he said, using every waking hour to game plan a victory over Penn State.
Former UCLA wide receiver Theo Howard, who Jerry Neuheisel coached when he was the wide receivers coach, said on social media that his former coach had been pleading to one day call plays on offense.
He now had his chance. Jerry Neuheisel’s zippy, high-tempo offense – a group that entered 132nd of 134 teams in points per game – carved up Penn State and its highly touted defense.
UCLA (1-4, 1-1 Big Ten) outgained Penn State 285-92 in the first half alone, 446-357 overall. The Bruins collected 22 first downs and finished 10 of 16 on third down. They were the only FBS team yet to have a lead in a game. UCLA never trailed Saturday.
“Jerry’s a ball coach, man, he is a ball coach,” said UCLA interim head coach Tim Skipper. “I just love the work ethic and the patience he had. And the guys, man, they really respond to him. They really respond to him. You can see true love and belief.”
Nico Iamaleava had his much-awaited star turn. The redshirt sophomore quarterback passed for an 11-yard touchdown to Kwazi Gilmer to make it a 7-0 lead, connecting with Gilmer again for a 43-yard pass, in double coverage, and eventually running the ball in for another score to make it 24-7.
Twenty-seven NFL scouts and executives sat in the press box to see Jim Knowles, whom the Nittany Lions (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) made the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the nation, dominate against the Bruins.
Instead, they watched as Jerry Neuheisel turned UCLA into first-half world-beaters.
Create a running game? He did it. The Bruins averaged 5.5 yards a carry in the first half as Iamaleava used his legs for plays such as 22- and 20-yard keepers, and all three running backs helped extend drives. UCLA recorded a season-high 269 rushing yards, blowing its previous four games out of the water.
When Penn State clamped down on UCLA with a blocked punt touchdown to cut the lead to six, Iamaleava weaved his way through green grass and missed tackles for a 52-yard scamper to set up a one-yard touchdown run of his own to replenish the lead to 34-21 with 2:55 remaining in the third quarter.
On a 3rd-and-7 pass play from the seven-yard line, it was Iamaleava who dove for the end zone to finish a nearly eight-minute drive to push UCLA to a 42-28 lead in the fourth quarter.
“We finally put it together on the offensive side of the ball,” Iamaleava said. “Just proud of these guys.”
Jerry Neuheisel said it was trial and error using the offensive play caller headset, at times missing the button to communicate with Iamaleava.
“It was a mess,” Jerry Nueheisel said. But Iamaleava, who finished the game with 294 yards from scrimmage (166 passing yards and a career-high 128 rushing yards) for five total touchdowns, made do with his coach’s few mishaps on his big day.
“A couple times, I just had to call my own play, man, because coach Jerry would forget to push the button,” Iamaleava said.
Even when Penn State had a chance to tie with just over 30 seconds left, defensive back Scooter Jackson slammed Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, on a 4th-and-2 fake jet sweep, to the ground for a three-yard loss.
The Rose Bowl crowd erupted. UCLA secured its escape from what some predicted would be a winless season.
It was night and day — the tone at the Rose Bowl flipped on its head.
A plane with a banner reading “Fire AD Martin Jarmond” circled the historic stadium before the game. In Friday’s edition of the Daily Bruin, UCLA’s student newspaper, a vaguely threatening full-page advertisement ran in the sports section:
“UCLA fans should NOT be afraid of our athletic department,” the anonymous advertisement read. “Our athletic department should be afraid of UCLA fans.”
For one afternoon at the Rose Bowl, even some of those fans, the naysayers — who chirped and argued across social media all week long — could agree on one thing: there was plenty to cheer about.
Rick Neuheisel, who now serves as a television analyst, joined the CBS broadcast as his son led the Bruins downfield for score after score.
The proud father chuckled. “He looks like he’s having fun,” he said.
He was right, the almost identical shot of his son carried off the field — now as a coach, not a player.
“I love UCLA more than anything,” Jerry Neuheisel said. “How can you not love college football when you have days like this. Special, special, special.”
UCLA was having fun, turning apathetic football into a never-forget moment at the Rose Bowl.
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