No. 7 Penn State’s woes continue in a road loss to previously winless UCLA

A poor start turned into a nightmare result for No. 7 Penn State in a 42-37 upset loss to previously winless UCLA on Saturday at Rose Bowl Stadium.

The Bruins (1-4, 1-1 Big Ten) dominated the first half to take a 27-7 lead. And despite a ferocious Penn State comeback, Nico Iamaleava’s third rushing touchdown proved the game-winner.

Penn State coach James Franklin said Monday that one loss can’t turn into two. But against an interim head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator, his fears became reality, as the Nittany Lions fell to 3-2, 0-2.

“We did not come out with the right energy to start the game,” Franklin said. “That is my responsibility, and I did not get it done.”

UCLA’s victory marked the first time a 0-4 team defeated an Associated Press Top 10 team since 1985, according to the CBS broadcast. It also snapped Penn State’s streak of 34 consecutive wins against unranked opponents.

Penn State’s defense allowed just 13.7 points per game through four contests. UCLA’s offense averaged 14.7 points across that same span.

But under new offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel, the Bruins doubled their average point total in the first half. They scored on all five on their first-half drives, including two 75-yard marches that resulted in touchdowns, and finished the game with 42 points.

Jim Knowles’ defense forced just one punt and allowed 446 yards of total offense. UCLA converted on 10 of its 16 third downs, outperforming its previous 31% mark entering Saturday.

“It was just a bad day for our defense,” Dani Dennis-Sutton said.

Iamaleava completed 17 of his 24 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns. The Bruins’ offense possessed the ball for more than 39 minutes and scored on all six of its red-zone chances.

UCLA averaged 124.3 rushing yards through its first four games. Iamaleava surpassed that number by himself on Saturday.

The Tennessee transfer rushed 16 times for 128 yards and three touchdowns. His 52-yard sprint in the third quarter, which set up his second rushing touchdown, was the longest of his career. He finished with three carries of 20 or more yards.

On third-and-goal in the fourth quarter, Iamaleava added a 7-yard rushing touchdown, his third of the afternoon.

Penn State’s defense missed the speed of Tony Rojas, a standout linebacker who is out with a long-term injury. Rojas had served as Penn State’s QB spy in the past. His presence was missed on Saturday.

UCLA entered Saturday with the nation’s 128th-ranked run defense, and Drew Allar took advantage. The senior quarterback rushed 11 times for 78 yards, turning well-defended pass plays into positive yardage.

On Penn State’s fourth scoring drive, Allar rushed for 57 yards, including a career-long 27-yard burst on a third down that looked dead until he emerged from three would-be tacklers to set up a Kaytron Allen touchdown.

Allar regained his accuracy in the air. He completed 19 of his 26 pass attempts for 200 yards and two touchdowns.

But with a chance to tie the game late, Allar missed his wide-open tight end Luke Reynolds in the end zone on what would have been the tying score.

Three plays later on fourth-and-2 from the UCLA 9-yard line, Allar’s QB keeper was stuffed to end Penn State’s comeback bid.

“It hasn’t been fun,” Allar said of the last two weeks. “I promise I’ll do everything in my power to right the wrongs.”

Penn State returns to Beaver Stadium to host Northwestern (3-2, 1-1) next Saturday (3:30 p.m., FS1).