🏈 Penn State vs UCLA Watch Now: James Franklin Explains 4th-Down Call After Stunning 42–37 Upset in Pasadena
“We Knew It Was Coming”: James Franklin Breaks Down Fourth-Down Call After Penn State’s 42–37 UCLA Upset Shock
Sports USA : Penn State’s College Football Playoff dreams took a devastating turn under the bright lights of the Rose Bowl, as No. 7 Penn State fell 42–37 to UCLA in a nail-biting thriller that ended on one defining play.
With less than a minute remaining, and the Nittany Lions staring at a fourth-and-2 from the UCLA 9-yard line, head coach James Franklin made the call that will be debated for the rest of the season — a read-option run that ended in heartbreak.
A touchdown would have given Penn State the chance to take the lead and keep their national title hopes alive. Instead, UCLA’s defense rose to the moment, blowing up Drew Allar’s final play and sealing one of the most dramatic upsets of the 2025 college football season.
🔹 Franklin Explains the Decision: “We Knew It Was Coming”
After the game, Franklin didn’t shy away from explaining the thought process behind the call. The play — a “QB power read” — was designed to exploit UCLA’s aggressive edge defense.
“They brought edge pressure, which we knew it was coming,” Franklin admitted in his postgame interview. “They beat the block, and we weren’t able to get around them.”
On the decisive snap, Allar faked a handoff to Trebor Pena before pulling the ball back, looking for space to run. But UCLA’s defense had the play sniffed out from the start.
Linebacker JuJu Walls crashed down to hit Pena, while defensive back Scooter Jackson shot through the gap and wrapped up Allar for a 3-yard loss — ending the drive, the game, and perhaps Penn State’s national championship aspirations.
🔹 Penn State’s Last Drive Looked Promising
The sequence leading up to that moment showed flashes of Penn State’s resilience. After safety Zakee Wheatley stopped UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava on a crucial fourth-down try at the Bruins’ 32-yard line, the Nittany Lions took over with two minutes to play — and the season on the line.
A false start by center Nick Dawkins pushed them back, but Allar’s short scramble and a clutch checkdown to Nick Singleton for 15 yards quickly moved the ball to the UCLA 17.
Allar’s first pass to the end zone — a rocket to tight end Luke Reynolds — slipped through his hands. Singleton lost yardage on the next play, and on third down, Allar found Reynolds again for a 9-yard gain to set up fourth-and-2.
Then came the call — and the collapse.
🔹 UCLA’s Defense Delivers the Defining Moment
For UCLA, this was the kind of victory that defines a program’s identity. Head coach Chip Kelly’s defense, criticized earlier this season for inconsistent play, produced a goal-line stand that will live in Bruins lore.
Defensive back Key Lawrence revealed after the game that Jackson — a Compton native — had predicted his moment moments before the snap.
“He literally said, ‘I’m about to go make this play,’” Lawrence said. “And then he did.”
As Jackson burst through the edge and brought down Allar, the Rose Bowl erupted. UCLA’s sideline cleared, and blue-and-gold fans roared in celebration as the clock hit zero.
🔹 Allar and Franklin Take Responsibility
Quarterback Drew Allar, who finished the night with 287 passing yards and three touchdowns, didn’t make excuses.
“The kid made a really nice play coming off the edge,” Allar said. “The read told me to pull it, and unfortunately the guy just folded inside.”
Franklin, while defending his decision, acknowledged that the Bruins made the better play.
“We’ve practiced that look many times,” Franklin said. “They made a great defensive call. If it works, it’s genius. If not, you live with the results.”
The defeat marked one of the most emotional postgame scenes of Franklin’s tenure, with several Penn State players visibly distraught on the sideline.
🔹 UCLA’s Offense Shines Behind Iamaleava
While the final play grabbed headlines, UCLA’s offensive performance shouldn’t be overlooked. Freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava was spectacular, throwing for 294 yards and three touchdowns while adding a rushing score.
His poise under pressure and ability to extend plays gave Penn State’s defense fits all night. Running back T.J. Harden added 102 yards on the ground, helping the Bruins control possession and tempo in key moments.
For a UCLA team that entered the game as a double-digit underdog, the offensive efficiency and defensive resilience combined to create one of the biggest college football shocks of 2025.
🔹 What This Means for Penn State
The loss drops Penn State to 5–1, putting their College Football Playoff hopes in jeopardy. With upcoming Big Ten matchups looming, Franklin’s squad will need to regroup quickly to stay in contention for a New Year’s Six bowl.
“It hurts,” Franklin said. “We had a chance to win a tough road game, and we didn’t finish. But there’s a lot of football left. We’ll learn from it.”
The defeat also reignites long-standing questions about Penn State’s late-game decision-making under Franklin, who has faced similar criticism in past high-stakes losses.
🔹 UCLA’s Statement Victory
For UCLA, the 42–37 win marks their biggest home victory since 2017 and reaffirms their progress under Kelly’s leadership.
“This team believes,” Kelly said after the game. “We’ve taken some punches this year, but tonight was about responding. That’s what Bruins football is about.”
Defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe credited the team’s preparation for anticipating Penn State’s final play. “We studied their tendencies. We knew what was coming — and the guys executed perfectly,” Malloe said.
As fans poured onto the field and fireworks lit up the Pasadena night, the moment symbolized UCLA’s return to national relevance — built on grit, timing, and a perfectly executed defensive stand.
🔹 A Night That Changed Everything
For Penn State, it was one play too late. For UCLA, it was the play that changed everything.
As the Rose Bowl crowd chanted “U-C-L-A” into the night sky, one truth stood out — football, at its core, comes down to execution, instinct, and courage under pressure.
