It’s the first victory for Nico Iamaleava’s UCLA. After a lopsided 0-4 streak into the season, which saw the firing of head coach DeShaun Foster, the Bruins ached for a comeback. After getting punched for over four weeks, Nico punched right and found his footing once again. The roster made its redemption arc as they defeated the Nittany Lions 42-37. However, offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel’s in-game blunder was the unexpected hurdle that led Nico to his next move.

“We’ve been coming from behind those past four games, and it felt great to go out there and get a lead,” Nico told the media post-game. But during the game, Neuheisel faced an issue with his headset, having trouble with the buttons. “I hate to say this, but I had never practised with a headset, in terms of like the button, to talk to the quarterback,” he said. He admitted that on several occasions, he’d forget to use the call button to communicate with Nico. Naturally, the play-calling aspect was affected because of that.

But Nico found his own way, unable to reach out to the OC, he made his own plays. “Yeah, a couple times I just had to call my own play, man, cuz  Coach Jerry would forget to push the button and you know, I’m out there like there’s no communication,” he added. The victory was grand in nature, not just because a 0-4 team beat No. 7 Penn State, but also, the Bruins became the first program to do so (beating a top 10 opponent) in 40 years. Coach Jerry’s reaction? “How can you not love college football when you have days like this? Special.”

Overall, it was a great game, and Nico has no qualms about the blunders, as it was Coach Jerry’s first game call. After the unfortunate 2025 start, offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri parted ways with the program. So, the responsibility lay on the then tight end coach, Coach Jerry Neuheisel. He had barely two days to ramp up the game plan before the roster faced James Franklin’s roster. “I think what we were trying to do was try to get a game plan together where the guys could feel confident,” he said. “We know with how special they are on defense, and as a team, we were going to have to do different things to try to be able to throw them off.”

Jerry Neuheisel’s play-calling edged out Penn State

Under his play-calling, the offense recorded 446 total yards, and Nico threw two touchdowns with a QBR of 97.4. A cheery roster lifted him up, followed by a Gatorade splash. Although it was Neuheisel’s first time as play-caller. It was a deja vu moment for him. 

Having played quarterback for the Bruins, he had the spotlight on him back in 2014. Against Texas, he chipped in for an injured Brett Hundley, scoring two touchdowns, one of which was a game-winning 33-yard TD pass. The roster burst into celebration as they hoisted him up. “I [had] this big blue mouthguard in the entire time [after Texas win],” he smiled. “This time, I did not have a mouthguard. So, I put this one just a little bit above the other one.”

Coach Jerry is the son of the former Bruins head coach and broadcaster Rick Neuheisel, who beamed over his son’s achievement. From CBS Sports’ Studium, he cried, “Get him down..get him down,” followed by a joyful exclamation.

With the latest victory, the depleted confidence of the Bruins’ faithful has been replenished plenty. Coming up next, UCLA will face off against Michigan State. “It’s just one of those days, and hopefully we got more of these days coming,” Coach Jerry concluded. And Nico? “He (Coach Jerry)just has to remember to push that button.”