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In one of the craziest season openers to the college football season, the UCLA Bruins have upset the Tennessee Volunteers (#18 ) by a score of 27 to 24 in overtime. Despite throwing four interceptions in the first half alone, UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft responded in the second half with two 70+ yard drives that resulted in UCLA touchdowns. In overtime, Kai Forbath made a 42-yard field goal, but Daniel Lincoln missed a 34-yard field goal that could have sent the game to double overtime.

UCLA started off with the scoring when Akeem Ayers blocked a punt in the first quarter and Craig Sheppard ran the ball 17 yards for a Bruin touchdown. Tennessee would then score two touchdowns in the second quarter on a Montario Hadesty 11-yard run and a Nevin McKenzie 61-yard interception return for touchdown. At the half, the Volunteers led 14 to 7.

Kai Forbath kicked a 41-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter to bring the Bruins to within 4 points.

In the 4th quarter, Craft led his team on an 80-yard drive, during which he went 6-for-6 for 71 yards. The drive ended with a Raymond Carter 3-yard rushing touchdown, and UCLA led 17 to 14. But Tennessee answered back with 1:54 left in the game when Hardesty ran the ball 20 yards for another Volunteer touchdown. Down 21 to 17, Kevin Craft led his team on another spectacular drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Moya. However, with 27 seconds left for Tennessee to work their magic, the Volunteers made it to the UCLA 30-yard line with 5 seconds left in regulation. This set up a Daniel Lincoln 47-yard field goal. He had missed two 50+-yard field goals prior to this attempt, but he nailed his field goal to send the game to overtime.

In overtime, the Volunteers won the coin toss and elected to go on defense. The Bruins did not gain a single yard on their offensive possession and had to settle for a 42-yard Kai Forbath field goal.  The Volunteers, on the other hand, gained eight yards of offense in three plays to set up a 34-yard Daniel Lincoln field goal, which hooked wide left, giving new Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel his first win as the UCLA head coach.

Craft completed 25 of 43 passes for 259 yards and the one touchdown to Moya. Jonathan Crompton for Tennessee went 19-of-42 for 189 yards, but threw one pass to UCLA junior CB Alterraun Verner.