Column: College football was full of unscripted drama Saturday

The reason people love breaking-news car chases on television is simple: no one knows how they’re going to end.

Unscripted drama is one of the few surprises left in a world of formulaic, packaged product fed to us, intravenously, through a boob tube.

Unscripted sports drama is why coaching salaries keep escalating and ESPN executives drive Escalades.

What unfolded in college football on Saturday could never be predicted, or duplicated.

You can only sit there with the remote and pray you don’t get carpal tunnel syndrome.

UCLA at Texas ranks right up there with “Angels in the Outfield” or “Heaven Can Wait,” except those were fiction.

Jerry Neuheisel, son of former UCLA player and coach, Rick, came off the bench to lead the Bruins to a 20-17 win over Texas.

Rick brought Jerry with him to UCLA in the hopes of coaching his son through dramatic situations. Rick also recruited talented Brett Hundley and redshirted him to the detriment of Rick’s job security.

The rest you know. Rick got fired three years ago, was replaced by Jim Mora, who inserted Hundley into the lineup and designated Jerry for bench duty.

Saturday night, after Hundley injured his left elbow, Jerry Neuheisel was called upon to save UCLA’s season … and he, amazingly, did.

Father Rick, now a TV analyst, watched the drama unfold at Pac-12 Networks headquarters in San Francisco.

Pac-12 Networks was smart enough to film Rick as he nervously observed Jerry through every check-down and pump fake.

The film was hastily edited, produced and distributed late Saturday night by the Pac-12 Networks’ Kirk Reynolds.

Rick Neuheisel was shown prancing around the room like a proud papa, lacking only cigars to hand out.

“How about that,” Rick said. “How about that. How cool was that?”

Unscripted drama, continued …

At the base of the Rocky Mountains, minutes after Saturday night’s tough loss to Arizona State, Colorado Coach Mike MacIntyre walked into the interview room.

According to the transcript, his opening statement was, “First of all, I want to congratulate Jerry Neuheisel on an unbelievable finish. I saw it before I came in here, and knowing the day and knowing the boy and all that, I think that was pretty special.”

MacIntyre then addressed the pain of defeat: “Our game: Wow. It really hurts, it really hurts.”

Earlier, in Boulder, Arizona State quarterback Taylor Kelly injured his right foot on a seemingly innocuous play. He walked to the locker room but returned on crutches, wearing a walking boot.

Kelly, perhaps the Pac-12’s most unheralded superstar, sat solemnly behind the bench with a towel over his head.

No injury updates were provided, but Kelly’s face served as the news bulletin. A week from Thursday, UCLA travels to Arizona State for a key conference showdown.

No one anticipated the quarterback battle might be: Jerry Neuheisel versus Mike Bercovici.

Unscripted drama …

— The USC Trojans, one week after an upset win at Stanford, went to Boston College and gained 20 yards rushing in an upset loss.

Had Paul Revere stopped in Boston after 20 yards, we might all be drinking tea.

The game, of course, was a setup. USC crushed Boston College last year at the Coliseum and lost its top quarterback, running back and receiver.

The USA Today coaches still don’t believe Boston College won because they gave the Eagles only four points in Sunday’s poll and kept USC at No. 21.

Another athletic director was called down to the field Saturday, but it wasn’t Pat Haden.

Brad Bates of Boston College spent the postgame euphoria assisting students over the rails so they could safely “storm” the field.

Who knows, maybe a spot will open some day on the selection committee.

Ah, unscripted drama…

— The Georgia Bulldogs, trailing South Carolina by three, had first and goal at the four-yard line in the late stages of Saturday’s SEC East division game in Columbia.

The stakes were humongous. A second conference loss would probably have eliminated South Carolina from playoff, and SEC, contention.

Georgia Coach Mark Richt had, at his disposal, the nation’s best back in Todd Gurley. Instead of giving the ball to Gurley, a pass was called during which quarterback Hutson Mason was called for intentional grounding.

The Bulldogs were pushed back and forced to settle for a tying field-goal attempt, which Marshall Morgan missed.

“It was interesting they ran that play, I guess,” a relieved South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier said of the pass that led to intentional grounding.

Richt confessed after the game, “If I had to do it again, I’d have hammered it,” a code phrase for handing the ball to Gurley.

A similar decision last year cost Stanford a chance to play for the national title. Down by six with a minute to go at Utah, the Cardinal faced third-and-two at the Utes’ six. Instead of giving the ball to bruising back Tyler Gaffney, Stanford called two pass plays that fell incomplete. Game over.

Georgia fans will remember Saturday if they fail to make the four-team playoff.

Or, maybe it’s just as Spurrier said: “We were meant to win that game and Georgia was not.”

Unscripted drama…

— The exasperated look on Will Muschamp’s face captured the scene as Florida’s coach squatted on the sideline during steamy, overtime drama in Gainesville.

Muschamp’s Gators were headed to triple overtime against Kentucky, a team Florida has defeated 27 straight times.

Muschamp had already been put on notice after going 4-8 last year. A loss at home, to Kentucky, would have sparked a blowback he might not have survived.

When Spurrier coached at Florida, he liked to say “God smiled on the Gators today” after a win.

Muschamp keeps looking up, hoping for a sign.

His immediate misery was spared Saturday, though, when Matt Jones’ touchdown run in the third overtime pushed exhausted Florida to victory.

“I don’t really feel relief after games,” Muschamp said after Saturday’s game.

He enjoyed victory for several minutes before his mind started spinning forward to next Saturday’s bigger challenge at Alabama.

Everyone knows what will happen there. Florida stands no chance unless, of course, things don’t go according to script.

chris.dufresne@latimes.com