Who knew James Franklin’s worst nightmare would be a 0-4 team? A UCLA team that hadn’t won a single game, fired its head coach midseason, and was led by a freshman quarterback still learning how to read Big Ten defenses just handed No. 7 Penn State a 42-37 heartbreak. The same Bruins who were 24.5-point underdogs just pulled off the unthinkable. But like a true leader, the Nittany Lions HC didn’t dodge the heat. 

In his postgame presser, James Franklin stood up and took the hit. On October 4, he said via an X post, “We did not handle last week’s loss well. We also lost some players in that game during the week.” He was talking about the Week 4 Oregon loss where they fell 24-30 in double overtime. That emotional hangover lingered and he knew it. 

Still, James Franklin wasn’t done spelling out the chaos. “And then everything else, everything else. Travel, everything else. Did not come out with the right energy to start the game,” the HC added. “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.” 

Meanwhile, UCLA looked reborn under interim head coach Tim Skipper, who took over after Deshaun Foster’s firing. QB Nico Iamaleava torched the script rushing for 128 yards (his career high), throwing two touchdowns, and running for three more. The kid turned into a one-man Big Ten nightmare overnight at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. 

By halftime, UCLA had a 27–7 lead, their first lead of any kind this season. The only early Penn State highlight came from senior rusher Kaytron Allen, who broke loose for a 13-yard score. But the Bruins QB owned the stage, going 14-for-18 for 158 yards and three scores (one rushing) before the break. James Franklin’s team tried to punch back but every jab got countered with a knockout.

James Franklin makes unflattering Penn State history 

Drew Allar’s 40-yard dime to Khalil Dinkins cut the deficit, and a blocked punt touchdown by Liam Clifford sparked hope. But every time Penn State clawed closer, UCLA answered. A late fourth-down sack with 40 seconds to go sealed the Nittany Lions’ fate. Even after an intentional UCLA safety to avoid disaster, it was too late. The clock expired, and with it, James Franklin’s playoff dreams took a gut punch. 

This is an ugly scar in the face of James Franklin’s good record. Per ESPN’s Field Yates, this was a page in college football infamy. For the first time in 40 years, a top-10 team lost to a winless opponent. The last time it happened was in 1985, when 0–6 UTEP stunned No. 7 BYU. Now, calls are mounting for strict action against him. 

James Franklin made history for all the wrong reasons. The Nittany Lions will try to scrub that memory next Saturday when they host Northwestern for Homecoming and a Stripe Out at Beaver Stadium. But this bruise will linger in Happy Valley for a long, long time.