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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- UCLA let substantial leads slip away to
Arizona State in each of their three previous games.
This time, the Bruins (No. 17 USA Today/ESPN, No. 15 AP) used a second-half comeback to win.
|  | | UCLA's Jason Zdenek celebrates a fumble recovery with teammate Steve Morgan in the late stages of the Bruins' 38-31 victory over Arizona State on Saturday. |
Cory Paus threw two scoring passes to Freddie Mitchell in a
28-point third quarter as the No. 15 Bruins rallied from a
three-touchdown deficit to beat the Sun Devils 38-31 on Saturday
night.
"Nice comeback, nice comeback by our football team," UCLA
coach Bob Toledo said. "We spotted them 21 points. If we hadn't
turned it over, it would have been one heck of a football game. As
it was, it got pretty exciting at the end."
Arizona State (3-1, 0-1 Pacific-10 Conference) had won five of the last six
games between the teams including the last three, despite trailing
by 14, 21 and 17 points at halftime. This time, the Sun Devils had the big halftime lead that didn't stand up.
"I want to compliment UCLA on the way they came back," Arizona
State coach Bruce Snyder said. "They're very talented. The third
quarter was like an avalanche, and it was a real tribute to UCLA."
Paus and Mitchell teamed up on an 80-yard pass play with 1:31
left in the third quarter to snap a 28-all tie and put the Bruins
(4-1, 1-1) ahead for good.
"I felt like I had to change the momentum of the game," said
Mitchell, who caught four passes for 125 yards. "I told Cory to
throw me the ball, because I saw the safeties were biting on the
runs."
Arizona State's Mike Barth kicked a 49-yard field goal in the
opening minute of the fourth period, and UCLA's Chris Griffith
kicked a 46-yarder with 7:02 remaining to complete the scoring.
Tom Pace fumbled and Jason Zdenek recovered at the UCLA 33 with
3:31 remaining to snuff out the final Arizona State threat. The Sun
Devils got the ball back with 35 seconds left, but were at the UCLA
49 when time expired.
The Bruins played a miserable first half, committing four
turnovers and failing on a fake punt to help Arizona State take a
21-0 lead. In addition, they lost leading rusher DeShaun Foster in
the second quarter with a broken right hand.
Paus completed 17 of 30 passes for 267 yards. Jermaine Lewis and
Akil Harris filled in nicely for Foster. Lewis gained 104 yards on
17 carries and scored one touchdown, and Harris gained 100 yards on
13 carries and scored two TDs.
"We had guys who had to fill in," Toledo said. "Jermaine and
Akil both did an outstanding job, and Cory threw the ball real
well."
UCLA finally got it going late in the second period, driving 95
yards on seven plays to cut Arizona State's lead to 21-7. Harris, a
freshman carrying for just the second time in his career, ran 23
yards to cap the drive.
UCLA scored three touchdowns in the first 10 1/2 minutes of the
third period to take its first lead.
Lewis ran 57 yards for a touchdown on the first scrimmage play,
and after an exchange of punts, Joe Hunter intercepted a pass by
Ryan Kealy at the Arizona State 21, leading to a 7-yard scoring run
by Harris.
Paus, playing for the first time since separating his throwing
shoulder in the first series of the season-opener, threw an 8-yard
TD pass to Mitchell to give UCLA a 28-21 lead. However, Arizona
State tied it on the next play when Griffin Goodman, playing in
relief of the injured Kealy, threw a 60-yard scoring pass to
Richard Williams.
"I felt good right off the bat," Paus said. "I felt my
separated shoulder a little bit when I got hit. The run by Jermaine
put us back in the ballgame, and Akil ran real hard tonight."
The Bruins drove into Arizona State territory on their first
possession, but Foster, who gained 30 yards on nine carries before
being injured, fumbled and Alfred Williams recovered, setting up a
69-yard, eight-play drive capped by a 39-yard run by Mike Williams.
That made it five straight games in which UCLA's opponent has
scored first.
The Sun Devils made it 14-0 less than two minutes later on a
2-yard pass from Kealy to Richard Williams, completing a 77-yard,
five-play march following a punt.
UCLA tried a fake punt on fourth-and-22 early in the second
period, but Nate Fikse's pass fell incomplete. The Sun Devils then
moved 52 yards on seven plays, scoring on a 5-yard run by Mike
Williams on fourth-and-inches.
Toledo said he apologized to the team at halftime for the fake
punt, which he admitted was a bad call.
"At the beginning, we were making the plays they weren't," ASU
linebacker Adam Archuleta said. "I just don't know what happened
after that."
Kealy, who started at quarterback for Arizona State because Jeff
Krohn has mononucleosis, left with a sprained right knee early in
the third quarter. Kealy, who has had five operations on his knees,
completed 13 of 25 passes for 199 yards and one touchdown.
Goodman completed 11 of 23 passes for 166 yards, and Mike
Williams gained 97 yards on 10 carries.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Arizona State Clubhouse
UCLA Clubhouse
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