No. 7 Penn State walked into the Rose Bowl on Saturday as massive 24.5 point favorites against a winless UCLA team that had just fired its head coach and both coordinators. Things did not go according to plan. They left Pasadena with one of the most shocking upsets of the season. The Bruins defeated the Nittany Lions 42-37, ending Penn State’s 34-game winning streak against unranked opponents and marking the first time since 1985 that a team with an 0-4 record or worse had beaten an AP top-10 opponent. UCLA outgained Penn State 435-357 in total yards and dominated on the ground with 280 rushing yards. They alos controlled possession for over 39 minutes. But who was the catalyst for this sudden change?

The UCLA offense looked completely different from the unit that had averaged just 14.3 points per game through four losses, and that transformation had everything to do with the 33-year-old calling the plays. Jerry Neuheisel, the son of former UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel and a former Bruins quarterback himself. He was handed the offensive coordinator role and playcalling duties by interim head coach Tim Skipper just days before the Penn State game after Tino Sunseri’s departure. This was Jerry’s first time ever calling plays at this level, and he eased into the role by having the Bruins score 3 touchdowns and 2 field goals, taking the team to a 27-7 halftime lead. 

CBS Sports captured the beautiful moment when UCLA finally won the game, in their tweet: “This is just awesome. Rick Neuheisel reacts to the final play of UCLA’s win, with his son calling the plays for the Bruins”. The video showed players splashing Jerry with Gatorade on the sideline after UCLA sealed the victory with a huge defensive stop on fourth down in the final minute. And in the CBS studio, Rick was absolutely losing his mind, screaming, “Get him down! Get him down! Get him down!” as the celebration unfolded.

Rick, who was in the network’s college football studio working as an analyst, became visibly emotional discussing his son’s achievement and even apologized to Penn State fans, saying, “I had my dad goggles on big time today, but all parents can relate to that”. The elder Neuheisel, who played at UCLA before coaching Colorado, Washington, and eventually the Bruins, couldn’t hide his pride as he watched his son orchestrate an all time upset against the Nittany Lions.

The offensive numbers UCLA posted were absolutely bonkers for a team that hadn’t led in a single game all season until Saturday’s opening drive. The Bruins went 10-of-16 on third down conversions, completely controlling the tempo and keeping Penn State’s offense on the sideline for long stretches. Iamaleava’s 52-yard scramble in the third quarter was the longest run of his career and helped to later set up his 1-yard touchdown plunge that extended the lead to 34-21. This shows just how confident the offense had become under Neuheisel’s playcalling. 

Maybe this would be the moment when the tide turns for the Bruins and they finally get back to their old selves. No one thought UCLA’s first win against a top-10 team since 2010 would come in one of their most tumultuous seasons ever. Jerry Neuheisel showed on his debut that he’s got the creativity, energy, and command to be a legitimate offensive coordinator in the Big Ten, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him officially promoted to that role full-time if he can sustain this level of performance.

Franklin takes full blame for historic collapse

James Franklin didn’t hide after one of the most embarrassing losses of his Penn State tenure. While some coaches might deflect or make excuses after losing to a winless team as 24.5-point favorites, Franklin stood at that podium and took it all on his shoulders. The Nittany Lions had just become the first top-10 team to lose to a team with a 0-4 record or worse since 1985. Franklin knew exactly what this meant for his program and his reputation, and he wasn’t about to pass the buck to his players or coordinators. He looked like a coach who understood that this loss might define his entire season, if not his entire tenure at Penn State.

The head coach pointed directly to the emotional hangover from the previous week’s double-overtime loss to Oregon as the root of the problem. “We did not handle last week’s loss well. We also lost some players in that game during the week,” Franklin admitted in his postgame presser. That Oregon defeat clearly lingered in the locker room, and whatever preparation Penn State did during the week wasn’t nearly enough to get them mentally ready for a UCLA team that had nothing to lose and everything to prove. 

“And then everything else, everything else. Travel, everything else. Did not come out with the right energy to start the game,” he continued, listing off all the factors that contributed to Penn State looking completely flat from the opening kickoff. “And before you know it, obviously, they get a touchdown drive and an onside kick. And now you’re fighting. They gain confidence, and we’re fighting for the next three quarters. So, that’s my responsibility, and I didn’t get it done”. UCLA scored on its opening drive to take its first lead of the entire season, then recovered an onside kick to immediately put Penn State on its heels, and the Nittany Lions spent the rest of the afternoon playing catch-up.