Blitz Points: College Football Top Performers From Week 3
3. Jerry Neuheisel, Quarterback, UCLA Bruins (Defeated Texas Longhorns 20-17)
23 of 30 for 178 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions
As the back-up quarterback going to Arlington to play the Texas Longhorns at Jerry-World, Jerry Neuheisel turned it into Jerry-World in a completely different context. The quarterback had to fill in for Brett Hundley after he got hurt in the early going, and UCLA looked in trouble. The Longhorns may not be great, but Charlie Strong is a defensive genius, and with the way UCLA had struggled the previous two games, he looked as if he would be able to pick apart an inexperienced starter.
It didn’t happen.
Neuheisel completed more than 70 percent of his passes, and although he only had 178 yards, he had 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. Every time Texas did something, Neuheisel responded, and he capped it all off with a 33-yard touchdown pass with 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter to win the game for UCLA 20-17.
Obviously, Neuheisel wasn’t perfect and Brett Hundley will be the starter when he comes back. But in a very tough environment, he did step up when called upon and was very reliable. All UCLA fans should be happy.