UCLA shocks Penn State, hands Lions their worst loss of James Franklin’s tenure

PASADENA, Calif. – Winless UCLA handed Penn State the worst loss of James Franklin’s coaching tenure, shocking the seventh-ranked Nittany Lions 42-37 before 39,256 Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

The Bruins (1-1 Big Ten, 1-4) didn’t look like 24-point underdogs, dominating time of possession and total yards and obliterating the Penn State defense. That, despite them changing their head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator in the last several weeks.

The Lions looked nothing like a championship contender and might have seen their College Football Playoff hopes vanish with a poor performance.

The play of Penn State’s defense was especially shocking. UCLA’s offense was stopped just three times all afternoon, on a missed 56-yard field goal, on a blocked punt that Liam Clifford returned 6 yards for a touchdown and when Zakee Wheatley dropped Nico Iamaleava for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-1.

Wheatley’s play gave the Lions a chance to tie with two minutes left. Penn State drove to the UCLA 9, where it faced fourth-and-2. But Drew Allar was stopped for a 3-yard loss after faking a handoff to Trebor Pena on a jet sweep with 37 seconds left.

Iamaleava, the ballyhooed transfer from Tennessee, accounted for five touchdowns, passed for 166 yards and rushed for 128 yards. UCLA was averaging less than 15 points a game.

Allar completed 17-of 23 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns and carried 11 times for 78 yards, but it wasn’t enough.

UCLA outgained Penn State 435-357 and converted 10-of-16 times on third down.

Penn State played its worst first half in quite some time. The Bruins set the tone by taking the opening kickoff and driving 75 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown, an 11-yard pass from Iamaleava to Kwazi Gilmer.

The Bruins caught the Lions napping, recovering an onside kick when Dejuan Lane left his space on the end of the front line. Iamaleava made a great throw to Titus Mokiao-Altimalala for 24 yards to set up Mateen Bhagani’s 24-yard field goal that made it 10-0.

Penn State’s offense finally got on the field and drove 75 yards for a touchdown, a 13-yard run around the left side by Kaytron Allen. Allen and Nick Singleton combined for six carries for 39 yards and Allar was 4-for-4.

The defense, though, couldn’t stop the Bruins, who used 17 plays and converted all five third downs on a 75-yard drive that ended with Iamaleava’s 6-yard pass to Mokiao-Altimalala.

After the Lions went three-and-out on their next series, UCLA scored again. The Bruins drove 68 yards, including a 43-yard strike to Gilmer and went up 24-7 on Iamaleava’s 3-yard run.

Penn State tried to muster something on offense and did move to the UCLA 36, where it had fourth-and-2. But defensive end Jacob Busic sacked Allar for 11 yards with 22 seconds left.

Two passes for 17 yards set up Bhagani’s 54-yard field goal that made it 27-7 as time ran out.

UCLA outgained the Lions 285-92 in the first half and had the ball for 19:25 to 10:35 for Penn State.