PASADENA, Calif. -- Jerry Neuheisel said he's barely slept this week.
The long time offensive coach at UCLA has worn several hats over his time with the Bruins. He has been a, assistant head coach and tight ends coach since 2024 and was a wide receivers coach before that. After the news that UCLA offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri would be leaving the team came earlier in the week, Neuheisel put on another hat: offensive play-caller.
Neuheusel found out on Tuesday that he would be taking the reigns of a Bruins offense that had been at the bottom or near it in all passing, rushing and total points, with the Bruins' toughest opponents yet in no. 7 Penn State waiting for them on Saturday. But when the fateful day arrived UCLA pulled off the upset of the season and toppled Penn State 42-37 for their first win of 2025.
"He's [Neuheisel] a coach's kid. You move around the country when you're young... so he's dealt with having to be ready to go at any time," head coach Tim Skipper said. "He had a short week to get ready, did a great job of using stuff we've been doing before and adding new to it."
Darwin Walker - The Sporting Tribune
#2 Titus Mokiao-Atimalala of UCLA celebrates a touchdown with teammates during an NCAA football game against Penn State on October 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
UCLA scored their most points of the season by a wide margin while setting a season-high in rushing with 269 yards on 53 carries. Facing one of the toughest defenses in college football, the usually ineffective UCLA offense carved up and down the field since the very first drive.
"I think what we were trying to do was get a game plan together where the guys could feel confident. That no matter what look they gave us we would know exactly who we were blocking and what we were doing at all times," Neuheisel said.
Aggressiveness and urgency defined the new Bruin offense. They received to open the game and converted it into a touchdown in a 75-yard opening drive.
That opened up a series of firsts for the Bruins this season: first lead, first points in the first quarter and the first time they scored with an opening drive.
"We were going to be super aggressive, but not do dumb things." interim head coach Tim Skipper said. "We're going to always be aggressive. That's just my nature and that's the nature of the team now."
The Bruins scored four more times and went into halftime with more points than they had scored all season, leading 27-17.
Neuheisel continued to conduct from the sideline, even if he was so new to the role that he forgot to turn on his headset a time or two while calling plays, leaving quarterback Nico Iamaleava to ad-lib some calls of his own.
Iamaleava has been the bright spot on a struggling UCLA team in 2025, and it was his leadership among the players that helped Neuheisel's transition go as smoothly as it did.
"Nico brought those guys together. His understanding, his willingness to do the extra work to learn the game plan and then go coach the guys when he wasn't in the practice the other day, he is special," Neuheisel said.
Iamaleava led the Bruins in rushing once again, breaking across the field more than once for massive gains. He was able to show his arm off in a renewed pocket as well, including his longest pass of the season, a 43 yard pass that sent the Rose Bowl roaring.
"I've got a good feel for Coach Jerry and man, he puts that belief in us that we can go out there and execute," Iamaleava said.
Darwin Walker - The Sporting Tribune
#6 Anthony Woods of UCLA celebrates a touchdown during an NCAA football game against Penn State on October 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Even as the game came down to the wire with Penn State threatening, UCLA held strong and came away with a triumphant win. Chants of "Jerry" rang around the Rose Bowl for the play-caller that saved the UCLA season and when the clock hit zero, Neuheisel was lifted up onto the shoulders and his players while his father, longtime football coach and current broadcaster Rick Neuheisel, went crazy from the CBS studio where he was watching the game.
The Jerry Neuheisel Era has arrived in Los Angeles, and it just might be enough to turn the season around.
"I love UCLA more than anything. The kind of kids you see that played on that field today is exactly why you love a place like this," Neuheisel said. "We had two days to practice a new game plan and all they did was believe. We came out and played as hard as we could for 60 full minutes... How can you not love college football when you have days like this? Special."
