UCLA stuns No. 7 Penn State for first win over top-10 team since 2010

A team in need of a savior found one in the unlikeliest of places and most familiar of faces.

Jerry Neuheisel, the UCLA tight ends coach who was elevated to playcaller only four days before his winless team faced a top-10 opponent, dialed up an offensive plan that produced points on each of the Bruins’ first five drives.

UCLA 42, No. 7 Penn State 37, end of the game

UCLA started on its 12 after the turnover on downs.

Jaivian Thomas ran no gain.

Penn State called timeout to stop the clock at 34 seconds.

Jaivian Thomas ran for a one-yard loss.

Penn State called timeout to stop the clock at 30 seconds

Thomas ran for no gain.

Penn State called timeout with 25 seconds left.

On fourth-and-11 at the UCLA 11, Bruins punter Will Karoll burned eight seconds off the clock before taking a safety.

Penn State was awarded two points and UCLA took the ensuing free kick.

Penn State returned it to the Penn State 37 with 12 seconds left.

Drew Allar passed for no gain with eight seconds left. Allar passed it out of bounds with two seconds left.

A hook-and-ladder attempt failed and UCLA pulled off a stunning upset.

UCLA defeated a top-10 team for the first time since 2010 and the Bruins became the first team 0-4 or worse to beat a top-10 team since 1985.

The Bruins carried new offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel off the sideline after calling a dramatically improved offense.

UCLA 42, No. 7 Penn State 35, 37 seconds left in the fourth quarter

Penn State stared on UCLA’s 32 after stuffing the Bruins on fourth down.

The Nittany Lions were called offsides. On first-and-15, Drew Allar ran for five yards. Allar passed to Nick Singleton for 15 yards. Allar tossed an incomplete pass. On second-and-10 at the UCLA 17, Singleton ran for a one-yard loss. On third-and-11 at the UCLA 18, Allar passed for nine yards. On fourth-and-two at the UCLA 9, the Bruins called timeout with 39 seconds left.

UCLA’s Scooter Jackson wrapped up Allar and dropped him for a loss of three yards, forcing the turnover on downs.

Penn State has timeouts it can use to stop the clock and try to get the ball back.

UCLA 42, No. 7 Penn State 35, 2:00 left in the fourth quarter

UCLA started on its 15 after a fair catch.

Jaivian Thomas ran for six yards. Thomas ran for three yards. Nico Iamaleava passed to Anthony Woods for no gain.

On fourth-and-one at the UCLA 34, Iamaleava was dropped for a loss of two yards and Penn State took over at the Bruins’ 32.

UCLA 42, No. 7 Penn State 35, 4:11 left in the fourth quarter

Penn State started on its 25.

Drew Allar ran for 11 yards. Allar passed to Kaytron Allen for eight yards. UCLA had too many men on the field, but Penn State snapped the ball too fast and was called for false start.

On second-and-seven at the Penn State 39, Allar passed for 17 yards. Allar scrambled for eight yards. Allar passed for three yards. Allen ran for six yards to the UCLA 27. Allar tossed an incomplete pass. On third-and-four at the UCLA 27, Allar passed for 12 yards.

On first down at the UCLA 15, Allar tossed an incomplete pass toward the end zone. Allar passed to Kyron Hudson for a 15-yard touchdown. Penn State hit the extra point.

UCLA 42, No. 7 Penn State 28, 6:41 left in the fourth quarter

UCLA started on its 25.

Nico Iamaleava ran for a loss of one yard. Iamaleava ran for 26 yards. Jaivian Thomas ran for six yards. Iamaleava ran for no gain. Iamaleava passed to Mikey Matthews for five yards and the first down.

Jalen Berger ran for four yards. Iamaleava tossed an incomplete pass. On third-and-six, Anthony Woods ran for five yards. Iamaleava’s clap change drew Penn State offsides, giving UCLA a big first down at the Penn State 25.

Woods took a direct snap for 17 yards. Thomas ran for a loss of two yards. Thomas ran for three yards. On third-and-goal, Iamaleava took off for a seven-yard touchdown.

UCLA went for two. Iamaleava evaded pressure and tossed to Kwazi Gilmer for the conversion.

UCLA 34, No. 7 Penn State 28, 14:26 left in the fourth quarter

Penn State stared on its 25.

Drew Allar scrambled for 20 yards. Nick Singleton ran for three yards, two yards and four yards. On fourth-and-one at the UCLA 46, Singleton ran for six yards.

Allar kept the ball for 10 yards. Singleton ran for one yard to the UCLA 29 as time expired in the third quarter.

Allar tossed an incomplete pass. On third-and-nine at the UCLA 29, Allar scrambled out of a collapsing pocket and runs it for 27 yards.

Kaytron Allen ran for a two-yard touchdown and Penn State hit the extra point.

UCLA 34, No. 7 Penn State 21, 2:55 left in the third quarter

UCLA started on its 35.

Jaivian Thomas ran for no gain. Nico Iamaleava passed to Rico Flores Jr. for three yards. On third-and-seven, Iamaleava ducked out of the pocket and ran for 52 yards.

Jalen Berger powered his way to a nine-yard gain, moving the ball to the Penn State 11. Anthony Woods ran for six yards. On first and-goal at the Penn State 5, Iamaleava tossed an incomplete pass but the quarterback’s claps confused the Nittany Lions and drew them offsides.

On first-and-goal at the Penn State 2, Woods ran for one yard. Iamaleava plunged forward for a one-yard touchdown.

The Bruins planned to go for two, but UCLA was called for a false start. After the UCLA was moved backward, Mateen Bhaghani hit the extra point.

UCLA 27, No. 7 Penn State 21, 7:19 left in the third quarter

Penn State kicked off from its 20-yard line after the Nittany Lions’ unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

UCLA started on its 25 after a 13-yard return.

Anthony Woods ran for 12 yards. Woods ran for no gain. Nico Iamaleava ran up the middle for 11 yards. Jaivian Thomas ran for two yards. Iamaleava was sacked for a loss of 11 yards and for a loss of six yards.

Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton blocked Will Karoll’s punt from the UCLA 33-yard line and Audavion Collins returned it for a six-yard Nittany Lions touchdown. Penn State hit the extra point to pull within one score of the Bruins.

UCLA 27, No. 7 Penn State 14, 11:28 left in the third quarter

Penn State started on its 38.

Kaytron Allen ran for six yards. Drew Allar passed for three yards. On third-and-one, Allen ran for 13 yards. Allar ran for 10 yards, but Penn State was called for holding.

Allar passed to Khalil Dinkins for a 40-yard touchdown. Dinkins was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after the score. Penn State hit the extra point.

UCLA 27, No. 7 Penn State 7, 13:12 left in the third quarter

Penn State started on its 25 after the touchback.

Drew Allar passed for a loss of four yards. Allar passed to Luke Reynolds for 17 yards, but UCLA’s Key Lawrence forced a fumble and Rodrick Pleasant recovered for the Bruins.

UCLA started on the Penn State 38.

The Bruins were called for false start before Jaivian Thomas ran for five yards. Nico Iamaleava tossed two incomplete passes before Mateen Bhaghani missed a 56-yard field wide right.

UCLA 27, No. 7 Penn State 7, end of second quarter

Penn State started on its 25 after the touchback.

UCLA’s Key Lawrence dropped Penn State’s Trebor Pena for a loss of 10 yards. Drew Allar passed for 20 yards. Allar ran for no gain. Allar tossed a deep incomplete pass, but UCLA was called for pass interference.

Nicholas Singleton ran for one yard and then five yards. Allar ran and fumbled before recovering for a two-yard gain short of the first down marker. After a UCLA timeout, Penn State went for it on fourth-and-two before Allar was sacked for a loss of 11 yards.

With 22 seconds, UCLA took over at its 47.

Nico Iamaleava passed to Titus Mokia-Atimalala, who caught the ball low and then evaded tacklers for an overall gain of 11 yards.

UCLA called timeout with 15 seconds remaining.

Iamaleava passed to Hudson Habermehl for six yards.

Mateen Bhaghani hit a 54-yard field goal to complete a dream first half for UCLA.

UCLA 24, No. 7 Penn State 7, 4:47 left in the second quarter

Nico Iamaleava is finally living up to the hype surrounding his transfer to UCLA, directing the Bruins’ offense during a strong first half.

UCLA started its latest possession on its 32 after the punt.

Jalen Berger ran for five yards. Iamaleava passed to Kwazi Gilmer for six yards. Berger ran for six yards. Iamaleava passed into double coverage to Gilmer for a 43-yard gain. Berger ran for five yards. Iamaleava faked a handoff and ran for a three-yard touchdown.

Mateen Bhaghani hit the extra point.

UCLA 17, No. 7 Penn State 7, 7:54 left in the second quarter

Penn State started on its 25 after the touchback.

Kaytron Allen ran for four yards. Drew Allar tossed an incomplete pass. Allar tossed a pass that was broken up by Rodrick Pleasant.

Penn State punted to the UCLA 25 and Mikey Matthews returned it seven yards to the Bruins’ 32.

UCLA 17, No. 7 Penn State 7, 8:50 left in the second quarter

New UCLA offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel has helped the Bruins score on every possession so far during this game, a massive change for the program.

The Bruins started their latest drive on their 25.

Nico Iamaleava ran for six yards before passing for four yards to Rico Flores Jr. Javaian Thomas ran for five yards to the UCLA 46 before time expired in the first quarter.

Iamaleava passed to Flores for eight yards, with UCLA declining a Penn State offsides penalty. Anthony Woods ran for five yards. Iamaleava was sacked for a loss of five yards at the Penn State 46. Thomas then ran for 11 yards to the Penn State 35.

Iamaleava ran for five yards. After an incomplete pass, Iamaleava passed to Flores for 10 yards. Iamaleava tossed an incomplete pass. Jalen Berger ran for no gain. On third-and-10 at the Penn State 20, Iamaleava was trying to pause play at the line before the snap and the offensive line jumped offsides. On third-and-15 at the Penn State 25, Iamaleava ran for 19 yards.

Woods ran for a loss of one yard. Woods ran for no gain. Iamaleava passed to Titus Mokiao-Atimalala for a six-yard touchdown. Mateen Bhaghani hit the extra point.

UCLA 10, No. 7 Penn State 7, 2:06 left in the first quarter

Penn State started on its 25 after the touchback.

Nicolas Singleton ran for seven yards. Drew Allar passed for five yards. Allar passed to Trebor Pena for seven yards, fumbled and recovered the ball.

Kaytron Allen ran for four yards for the Penn State 48. Singleton ran for 13 yards. Allar passed for 15 yards to the UCLA 24.

Singleton ran for a loss of two yards. Allar passed for 11 yards. On third-and-one at the UCLA 15, Allen ran for two yards. Allen then ran for a 13-yard touchdown and Ryan Barker hit the extra point to cap the 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive.

UCLA 10, No. 7 Penn State 0, 7:20 left in the first quarter

UCLA pulled off an onside kickoff, allowing the ball to clear 10 yards and then pouncing on it to regain possession.

Jaivian Thomas ran for four yards. Nico Iamaleava passed to Kwazi Gilmer for seven yards. Iamaleava passed to Titus Mokiao-Atimalala for 24 yards, moving the ball to the Penn State 11.

Anthony Woods ran for three yards and another two yards. On third-and-five at the Penn State 6. Iamaleava tossed an incomplete pass toward the end zone.

Mateen Bhaghani hit the 24-yard field goal to extend the Bruins’ lead.

UCLA 7, No. 7 Penn State 0, 10:26 left in the first quarter

UCLA’s first possession under the direction of new offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel is off to a strong start.

The Bruins started on their 25 after the touchback.

Anthony Woods ran for six yards. Nico Iamaleava passed to Kwazi Gilmer for 12 yards. Woods ran for another six yards. Jaivian Thomas ran for three yards. Thomas ran for another 15 yards to the Penn State 33.

Iamaleava passed to Jack Pedersen for four yards. Iamaleava passed to Mikey Matthews for three yards before the Bruins were called for illegal formation.

Iamaleava tossed an incomplete pass before he ran for 22 yards. Woods ran for one yard to the Penn State 11. Iamaleava then passed to Gilmer for an 11-yard touchdown.

UCLA’s Mateen Bhaghani hit the extra point.

It is the Bruins’ first lead so far this season.

UCLA 0, No. 7 Penn State 0, start of first quarter

UCLA won the coin toss and received the opening kickoff.

One UCLA football legend sat across from the other, lamenting how far their beloved program had fallen.

On one side was Rick Neuheisel, a onetime Rose Bowl most valuable player and Bruins head coach, wondering aloud whether his alma mater had put itself in position to pick a strong successor to the recently dismissed DeShaun Foster.

“Is there confidence in the current athletic director when there’s been swing-and-misses,” Neuheisel asked, “or do you need to go find somebody else?”

UCLA’s five-member search committee for its next football coach that was revealed Thursday features heavy hitters from various corners of the professional sports world, including two who helped engineer a quick turnaround with the NFL’s Washington Commanders.

Commanders general manager Adam Peters and adviser Bob Myers — who will be joined on the committee by sports executive Casey Wasserman, former NFL star linebacker Eric Kendricks and UCLA executive senior associate athletics director Erin Adkins — were part of the team that hired Washington coach Dan Quinn, who took the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game in his first season.

Martin Jarmond is not a particularly popular figure these days.

Some fans frustrated by UCLA’s winless football team are expected to wear “Fire Jarmond” shirts in blue and gold to Saturday’s game at the Rose Bowl against Penn State. One group has organized an airplane banner to fly over the stadium before the game, with a similar message directed at the beleaguered Bruins athletic director.

The list of grievances is a lengthy one, leading a group of nearly a dozen high-level donors to reach out to The Times about what they allege is a pattern of rampant dysfunction inside the athletic department that goes well beyond the surprise hiring and speedy dismissal of football coach DeShaun Foster on Sept. 14 after only 15 games.

They’re still together … for now.

UCLA’s football team appeared to have a full roster of players at its disposal Monday after the Bruins reached the four-game threshold for redshirting and the halfway point of the 30-day window for entering the transfer portal following the dismissal of coach DeShaun Foster.

Interim coach Tim Skipper said no player had informed him of an intention to redshirt or transfer, though there’s still time to mull those decisions before the Bruins (0-4 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) face No. 7 Penn State (3-1, 0-1) on Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl.

Once a player participates in a fifth game, he can no longer redshirt.

After a disappointing start to the season in which UCLA’s offense ranked among the worst in the nation, the Bruins and offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri mutually parted ways Tuesday evening, a university official told The Times.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the move has not been publicly announced.

Sunseri becomes the second coordinator to depart in the wake of coach DeShaun Foster’s dismissal, after defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe left earlier this month in another mutual parting of ways.

If the jokes don’t write themselves, those following UCLA football are happy to oblige.

Informed that the winless Bruins were holding a “Blue Out” against No. 7 Penn State on Saturday at the Rose Bowl, the trolls from the space formerly known as Twitter made plenty of forays into the punny business.

Feel free to follow their “Blue Out” quips with your own rim shot:

“More like a blowout ...”

“Gonna be a black and blue out for the bruins [sic].”