Pasadena, Calif. — In a season that had already spiraled into chaos — a fired head coach, two coordinators gone, and four straight losses without ever holding a lead — few believed UCLA had a chance against No. 7 Penn State.
Except, maybe, the Bruins themselves.
“Nobody in the world expected us to win,” safety Key Lawrence said.
Against all odds, the Bruins did just that — stunning the Nittany Lions 42–37 on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. It marked the first time in 40 years that a team 0–4 or worse defeated a top-10 opponent, according to Sportradar.
A New Voice, A New Energy
Interim head coach Tim Skipper, promoted after DeShaun Foster’s firing, had only days to prepare his reshuffled staff and locker room. Tight ends coach Jerry Neuheisel called offensive plays for the first time, replacing departed coordinator Tino Sunseri, and his aggressive approach paid off early.
“You’d think it was Mardi Gras,” Skipper said of the postgame celebration. “There was water flying everywhere, music blasting, and guys who can’t dance trying to dance. Coaches too. It was electric.”
The Bruins (1–4, 1–1 Big Ten) scored touchdowns on their first five possessions — a complete reversal from their sluggish starts earlier in the year.
Iamaleava Ignites the Offense
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava delivered his best performance since transferring from Tennessee, accounting for five total touchdowns — three rushing and two passing. He completed 17 of 24 passes for 166 yards and ran for 128 yards on 16 carries, including a 52-yard scramble that set up one of his scores.
“It feels great, man,” Iamaleava said. “We finally put it all together on offense. I’m just proud of these guys.”
His third rushing touchdown, a 7-yard run midway through the fourth quarter, capped a 75-yard drive. Iamaleava then found Kwazi Gilmer on a two-point conversion to make it 42–28 with 6:41 remaining.
Penn State Pushes Back
The Nittany Lions (3–2, 0–2) had their chances late. Kaytron Allen scored from 2 yards out to cut the deficit to 34–28, and quarterback Drew Allar later connected with Kyron Hudson for a 15-yard touchdown that made it 42–35 with just over four minutes to play.
But UCLA’s defense made the stand of the season when Scooter Jackson stuffed Allar on 4th-and-2 with 37 seconds left, forcing a turnover on downs. To run out the clock safely, punter Will Karoll took an intentional safety, creating the final score.
“We were going to be super aggressive, but not reckless,” Skipper said. “Once we got that first touchdown, I knew these guys believed.”
Bruins Make History
UCLA became only the fifth program ever to beat a top-10 opponent after starting 0–4 or worse. The last to do it was UTEP, which shocked No. 7 BYU in 1985.
It was also the Bruins’ first home win over a top-10 team since 2007, when they blanked No. 9 Oregon, 16–0.
“This was about heart,” Neuheisel said. “They had two days to learn a new game plan and they just believed. It was special.”
Stats and Storylines
UCLA’s offense rolled up 446 total yards, outgaining Penn State’s 357. The Bruins dominated the ground game, outrushing the Nittany Lions 280–127, and converted 10 of 16 third downs.
Allar threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns but was limited by an inconsistent start and a costly late stop. Penn State’s streak of 34 consecutive wins against unranked opponents came to an end.
“Obviously, we didn’t handle last week’s loss well,” Penn State coach James Franklin said, referring to their double-overtime defeat to Oregon. “We didn’t come out with the right energy. They got momentum early, and we never really got it back.”
Looking Ahead:
Penn State will try to regroup when it hosts Northwestern next weekend before visiting top-ranked Ohio State on November 1.
UCLA, meanwhile, avoids the first winless season in program history and looks to build on the upset when it travels to Michigan State next Saturday.
“This one’s for everybody who counted us out,” Iamaleava said. “We’re just getting started.”
