Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl delivered the kind of cathartic, edge-of-your-seat college football experience that UCLA fans hadn’t felt in years. In a game that will be remembered for its wild swings, emotional highs, and a dash of Bruin magic, the UCLA Bruins, previously winless and seemingly adrift, stunned the college football world by toppling No. 7 Penn State, 42-37. If you spent those three hours laughing, gasping, and maybe even pinching yourself to check if it was real, you weren’t alone. For many, it was the most fun they’d had watching UCLA football since the legendary 45-44 comeback over Texas A&M in 2017 or the 2014 upset in Texas, where a backup quarterback became an instant hero. But this time, the story belonged to a different Bruin—and his family legacy.
Heading into the matchup, not even the most optimistic UCLA supporter could have scripted what unfolded. The Bruins entered the game 0-4, hadn’t led for a single second all season, and were without a permanent head coach or either coordinator. The outlook? Bleak. Yet, under the interim leadership of Tim Skipper and the inspired play-calling debut of Jerry Neuheisel—son of former UCLA player, coach, and broadcaster Rick Neuheisel—the Bruins lit a fuse that turned a season’s worth of frustration into an afternoon of pure exhilaration.
Neuheisel, a Bruin through and through, was handed the offensive reins just four days before facing one of the nation’s top defenses. The former walk-on quarterback, who famously rallied UCLA to a win over Texas in 2014 and was carried off the field by his teammates, had spent years working his way up the coaching ladder. After a stint at Texas A&M and roles as a graduate assistant, receivers coach, and tight ends coach back at his alma mater, Neuheisel finally got his shot to call plays on the biggest stage. According to his colleagues, he barely slept in the days leading up to the game—"He snoozed three hours in four days, lost in the hunt for a perfect script," interim head coach Tim Skipper said. "He went straight to work. We used every single hour and second and minute you can possibly use all the way up to kickoff. I just love the work ethic and the patience he had. And the guys, man, they really respond to him. …You can see true love and belief."
That belief was contagious. For a program that had averaged just 14.25 points per game and ranked 112th nationally in offense, the transformation was nothing short of miraculous. The same roster that had plodded through four games suddenly played with a looseness and joy that had been missing for years. The sideline buzzed with energy, and the offense moved with a rhythm that left Penn State’s vaunted defense scrambling.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava was the embodiment of that newfound freedom. The much-maligned signal-caller, who’d faced criticism and pressure all season, erupted for three rushing touchdowns—making him the first UCLA quarterback to achieve that feat since 1978. Former Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin, who once hired Neuheisel, watched the game unfold on the Rose Bowl Jumbotron and was struck by the change. "Look at how (Iamaleava) played," Sumlin said. "He was lights out, like a totally different guy. He was free for whatever reason. He looked like the quarterback that everybody thought he was back in high school."
The game itself was a rollercoaster, with Penn State jumping out to an early lead and UCLA refusing to back down. The Bruins’ offense, unshackled and aggressive, matched the Nittany Lions blow for blow. Each time Penn State threatened to pull away, UCLA answered—culminating in a fourth quarter that saw the Bruins surge ahead and hold on as the clock wound down. The CBS broadcast captured the drama, and in the network’s college football studio, Rick Neuheisel looked on with pride as his son orchestrated the upset of the season. "It was a pretty special day for the Neuheisel family on Saturday," Yahoo Sports reported. The elder Neuheisel, a legend in his own right, had to be beaming as Jerry’s offense kept Penn State’s defense guessing all afternoon.
Former Bruins wide receiver Theo Howard, who was mentored by Neuheisel, posted during the game that his old coach had spent years lobbying for a shot to call plays at the Rose Bowl. When the headset finally belonged to him, Neuheisel made the most of it. "Last night, I knew we had a chance," he said after the game. "It was the most enthusiastic 0-4 team you’d ever seen in your life. Then, all of a sudden, you get this delusional optimism, like, ‘We might have a chance at this thing.’"
The impact of the win was felt far beyond the Rose Bowl. College football fans across the nation tuned in as word spread of the unfolding shocker. Jeff Faris, head coach at Austin Peay and a former coaching colleague of Neuheisel’s, recalled being told the news mid-game: "I was shocked when he told me UCLA won. I said, ‘That is so awesome!’ And to score 42 against them (Penn State) … wow." Even Jimmie Dougherty, now Washington’s offensive coordinator and another former UCLA staffer, was astonished when he heard about the Bruins’ miracle on the team bus after his own comeback win at Maryland. "Still, pretty wild calling plays for your very first time against a defense like Penn State," Dougherty said.
With the victory, the Bruins improved to 1-4 (1-1 Big Ten), and suddenly the season’s outlook changed dramatically. Next up is a road trip to face the Michigan State Spartans, who are reeling from back-to-back losses and will host UCLA at the earliest kickoff time of the Bruins’ season—9 a.m. PT. The Big Ten schedule remains daunting, with matchups looming against Maryland, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio State, Washington, and crosstown rival USC. But for the first time all year, there’s genuine hope in Westwood.
As the dust settled on Saturday’s unforgettable win, the sense of joy and possibility was palpable. Jerry Neuheisel’s play-calling debut didn’t just spark a single upset—it reignited belief in a program and a fanbase hungry for magic. The Rose Bowl, once again, felt like home to Bruin football. And as UCLA prepares for the battles ahead, you can bet the college football world will be watching to see if the Bruins—and their new offensive maestro—can keep the magic going.
