UCLA upsets No. 7 Penn State 42-37 as Neuheisel debuts as playcaller

UCLA stunned No. 7 Penn State 42-37 on Saturday at the Rose Bowl, handing the Nittany Lions a surprising loss and delivering the Bruins their first win of the season. The upset came after a tumultuous week in which UCLA promoted tight ends coach Jerry Neuheisel to offensive playcaller following the mutual departure of offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri. Neuheisel had only days to install a new game plan before the matchup.

The Bruins raced to a 27-7 halftime lead, scoring on each of their first five drives and outgaining Penn State 285 to 92 in the first half. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava produced the game’s signature performance, completing 17 of 24 passes for 166 yards and rushing 16 times for 128 yards, finishing with five total touchdowns, three rushing and two passing. UCLA totaled 446 yards of offense and converted 10 of 16 third downs.

Neuheisel, a former UCLA quarterback and son of former Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel, said the quick turnaround required buy-in from players. “We had two days to practice a new game plan, and all they did was believe,” he said. “We came out and played as hard as we could for 60 minutes. How can you not love college football when you have days...