Who is Jerry Neuheisel? Meet UCLA's Offensive Playcaller Who Stunned Penn State

In one of the biggest college football upsets in recent memory, unranked UCLA stunned No. 7 Penn State, 42-37, leaving much of the nation asking: Who is Jerry Neuheisel?

The Bruins' offensive coordinator — with sun-bleached blond hair and bounding energy on the sideline — was carried off the field after helping the Bruins tame the Nittany Lions, becoming the first 0-4 team to beat a top-10 opponent in 40 years.

UCLA offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel calls a play late in the game against Penn State. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

"That's a really, really good team, and we had to play our very best to have a chance to win,"  Neuheisel said. "And today, we had our very best."

Considering the Bruins hadn't led in a game all season, describing Saturday's effort as their "very best" might actually be an understatement. 

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava and the Bruins jumped out to a 27-7 halftime lead behind three touchdowns and two field goals on their first five drives. Penn State fought back in the second half, outscoring UCLA 30-15, but the deficit proved too much to overcome.

The improbable win stunned the college football world, and likely even Neuheisel, who admitted his belief in a possible upset didn't fully set in until the night before.

"Last night, I knew we had a chance," he told reporters, after praising the team's meetings on Friday. "It was the most enthusiastic 0-4 team you'd ever seen in your life. And all of a sudden you get this delusional optimism like, 'We might have a chance at this thing.'"

With the buzz growing around UCLA's offensive coordinator, here's a look at a few takeaways on the unlikely hero behind Saturday's win:

Neuheisel, the son of ex-UCLA coach and current CBS