There was a massive college football upset before Week 3 even hit the full slate of games on the schedule. One Big Ten team was sent reeling after a blowout loss to a non-power conference squad.
UCLA was a sizable 15.5-point favorite against New Mexico before the teams squared off on Friday, September 12, 2025, per Action Network. New Mexico made short work of UCLA with a 35-10 victory.
It is a statement win for New Mexico head coach Jason Eck who joined the Lobos in 2025 after leading Idaho for three seasons. The Lobos were able to pull away with 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. New Mexico running back Damon Bankston was one of the standouts of the game posting 15 carries for 154 rushing yards and one touchdown.
“There’s a quote that I love, I’m not sure who said it, but fortune favors the bold, so you got to be aggressive to win games like that,” Eck said on September 12, 2025, per ESPN. “We weren’t going to be scared. We don’t play these games to try to keep it close. We come to win these games.”
Here’s what you need to know about the major upset of Week 3.
UCLA Paid New Mexico $1.2 Million to Schedule the College Football Week 3 Game
The Lobos upset the Bruins in Pasadena.
t.co/8dQg1lWI9a
To make matters worse, UCLA paid New Mexico $1.2 million to schedule the game, per On3’s Brett McMurphy. Power conference teams often schedule these early games in an effort to “tune up” for conference play, but New Mexico clearly did not get the memo.
UCLA has now started the season a disappointing 0-3 while New Mexico moved to 2-1. The seat is getting even hotter for UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster amid the Bruins’ dismal start.
“Yeah, it’s pretty low right now,” Foster explained, via ESPN. “I’ve been around this program for a long time, and it’s just unfortunate what’s going on at this moment. Just not executing.”
UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava’s $1.2 Million NIL Deal Has Not Aged Well After Transferring From Tennessee
• 608 Passing yards 3 TDs 3 INTs • 139 Rushing yards 1 TD • Lost 35-10 to New Mexico as 15.5 Point Favorites • Lost 30-23 to UNLV as 2.5 Point Favorites • Lost 43-10 to Utah as 6.5 Point Underdogs
It has been a wild few months for UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who was a late transfer this offseason from Tennessee. Iamaleava has struggled in his first three starts for UCLA.
Add $1.25 Million for paying New Mexico to come into the Rose Bowl & beat you by FOUR SCORES 😮💨
Say a prayer for UCLA fans tonight
The quarterback has thrown for 608 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions through UCLA’s first three games. On3’s Pete Nakos reported that Iamaleava’s NIL deal is in the “$1.2 million range.”
Will There Be Another Major College Football Upset in Week 3?
UCLA is hoping another college football favorite can let the team off the hook in Week 3. Iamaleava’s former No. 15 Tennessee team is a 4.5-point underdog versus No. 6 Georgia, per FanDuel. No. 18 South Florida is a 17.5-point underdog versus No. 5 Miami.
The Bulls are coming off back-to-back upsets against Boise State and Florida. No. 8 Notre Dame is a sizable 6.5-point home favorite against No. 16 Texas A&M. Fresh off the Gators’ surprising loss to USF, Florida is a 7.5-point underdog versus No. 3 LSU.
Meanwhile, the pressure is mounting on both Iamaleava and Foster at UCLA. The Bruins will be looking for their first win of the season when the team takes on Northwestern on September 27.
There Was a Major College Football Upset on Friday Amid $1.2 Million Deal