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No. 7 Stanford beats UCLA, 22-13, with last-minute heroics from Ryan Burns

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The Bruins (2-2, 0-1 in Pac-12 play) give up a last-minute touchdown pass before the Cardinal (3-0, 2-0) capitalize on a last-play fumble for a defensive score to provide the final margin.

UCLA falls in the end to No. 7 Stanford, 22-13

Stanford receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside (19) catches the game-winning touchdown against UCLA defensive back Nate Meadors (22) during a game at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 24.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

UCLA was fully committed to stopping Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, who was largely unheralded the last time they met when he torched the Bruins for 369 total yards.

Where the Bruins were successful in stopping McCaffrey from being the star of Saturday’s matchup at the Rose Bowl, they didn’t do enough to keep Stanford quarterback Ryan Burns from tossing the game-winning touchdown in the final minute of the game.

An eight-yard touchdown to receiver J.J. Aroega-Whiteside was the edge the Cardinal needed, but defensive end Solomon Thomas’ 42-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown with no time left was the final stunner as UCLA fell to Stanford, 22-13.

UCLA (2-2, 0-1 in Pac-12 play) had led No. 7 Stanford (3-0, 2-0) since the first quarter.

The Bruins did their best to keep McCaffrey and his Heisman Trophy campaign in check, “limiting” him to 138 yards rushing, but his biggest carry of the game went just four yards as he converted a third-and-three with 29 seconds left in the game.

Burns connected with Arcega-Whiteside on the go-ahead touchdown pass two plays later. He finished 13-of-25 passing for 127 yards with one touchdown and had a pass intercepted.

All night, UCLA had played it mostly safe with the explosive play-maker McCaffrey to avoid giving up the big play.

When McCaffrey was handed the ball, there was no where to go. When he lined up in the wildcat, UCLA called a timeout.When Burns went for the big pass to him, and couldn’t connect with the back while drawing a penalty flag for an illegal formation. No matter.

Stanford scored first with a 37-yard field goal after a pair of penalties stalled their opening drive.

Cornerback Kenny Young intercepted a pass from Burns on Stanford’s second possession which set the Bruins up for a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Nate Iese.

UCLA forced another turnover in the first half, though not without some controversy. Stanford receiver Francis Owusu was blasted by defensive back Tahaan Goodman, knocking the ball loose and the receiver out of the game.

Stanford Coach David Shaw lobbied for a targeting penalty. The play was reviewed by officials and deemed legal.

After a long drive, UCLA settled for a 27-yard field goal.

Stanford pecked at UCLA’s lead with two unanswered field goals to make the game, 10-9, before Rosen led a nine-play drive deep into Cardinal territory for a Bruins field goal.

With UCLA ahead, 13-9, and less than two minutes left the Bruins needed a stop to win. They didn’t get it.

Rosen finished 18-of-27 passing for 248 with one touchdown.

UCLA plays Arizona at the Rose Bowl next week.

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Stanford recovers fumble on last play to beat UCLA, 22-13

With just seconds left in the game, UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen begins the Bruins’ final drive from the UCLA 23-yard line.

His first pass goes to Darren Andrews for a 24 yard gain. His next, a deep ball to Kenneth Walker III goes deep over the middle but is broken up by Stanford defensive back Justin Reid.

Rosen takes the final snap of the game with four seconds left on the clock and scrambles to give his receivers time to get downfield.

He held on to the ball until Stanford’s Joey Alfieri hit him from behind, knocking the ball loose to his Cardinal teammate Solomon Thomas, who took it 42 yards to the house.

Stanford beats UCLA, 22-13.

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Stanford takes lead over UCLA, 16-13, with 24 seconds left

UCLA’s Marcus Rios gave Stanford a shorter field after running into return-man Christian McCaffrey after he called for a fair catch.

Stanford quarterback Ryan Burns picked up a big first down with a 23-yard pass to Trenton Irwin. His next pass went incomplete to J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, but he made up for it with a 13-yarder to the same receiver on the next pass.

Burns, now playing the role of gunslinger, threw another incompletion to Arcega-Whiteside before catching Irwin again for 14 yards, edging ever deeper into UCLA territory.

Another incompletion. Then a seven-yard pass to Irwin to set up a third-and-three. McCaffrey’s number is called and he picks up the first down with 29 seconds left in the game.

Burns goes incomplete then hits Arcega-Whiteside for a touchdown on an eight-yard route to the end-zone boundary.

Stanford leads UCLA, 16-13.

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UCLA punts to Stanford with 2:13 left in fourth

Now leading 13-9, UCLA set itself on eating the clock and preventing Stanford from getting another chance.

Running back Bolo Olorunfunmi carried the ball four yards on first down, but then broke off a 23-yard run on second.

UCLA went back to Olorunfunmi for a two-yard gain prompting Stanford to burn a timeout with 2:37 left in the game.

Olorunfunmi carried the ball two more yards on the next play to set up a third-and-six.

Quarterback Josh Rosen threw the ball short of the first down to receiver Eldridge Massington bringing out the punt team with 2:13 left in the fourth quarter after Stanford used its last timeout.

UCLA leads Stanford, 13-9.

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Stanford goes three-and-out, trails UCLA, 13-9, late in fourth

Running back Christian McCaffrey had his first legitimate return attempt of the day late in the fourth quarter, and it went for 14 yards.

Stanford went for the big play on first down and quarterback Ryan Burns failed to connect with receiver Trenton Irwin.

McCaffrey went seven yards on a carry to create a third and short, but Burns couldn’t pick up the first down. With 4:51 left in the fourth, David Shaw called a timeout to give him time to decide his next move. Both teams have two timeouts remaining.

The Cardinal punt, and after calling for a fair catch Ishmael Adams drops the ball nearly turning it over..

UCLA leads Stanford, 13-9.

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UCLA finally answers Stanford with a field goal, leads 13-9

UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen opened the drive with a 20-yard pass over the middle to tight end Nate Iese.

Running back Nate Starks took the ball on back-to-back carries for five and nine yards and then Bolu Olorunfunmi pushed the Stanford defense back four-yard for the first down.

Rosen then went back to Iese up underneath the left side for a 16-yard gain.

Olorunfunmi got another carry for four yards, but on second and six the Bruins were flagged for a false start creating a second and long situation.

UCLA got most of the yardage back with a nine-yard toss to receiver Darren Andrews, putting the Bruins on the Stanford 18. However, Olorunfunmi got stuffed at the line on third prompting another J.J. Molson field goal.

UCLA leads Stanford, 13-9, with 6:32 left in the fourth quarter.

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UCLA leads Stanford, 10-9, with 10:55 left in the game

Stanford inched even closer to UCLA on a 44-yard field goal by Conrad Okropina with 10:55 left in the game. Okropina’s third field goal of the game trims the Bruins lead to 10-9.

The Cardinal again rode Christian McCaffrey into UCLA territory. The running back picked up a third and three out of the Wildcat formation, and then another first down with a nine-yard run to the Bruins 32-yard line.

Two more McCaffrey runs set up third and five on the 27, and Ryan Burns airmailed a pass intended for J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. The nine-play drive was then punctuated by another Okropina field goal.

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UCLA turns the ball over on downs, leads 10-6 after three quarters

UCLA leads Stanford, 10-6, after three quarters. The Bruins were outscored 3-0 in the third, and failed to capitalize on multiple opportunities to build a two-score lead.

Facing third and three on its last drive of the third, and in danger of giving the ball right back to Stanford, Josh Rosen found Caleb Wilson for a 29-yard completion.

The play moved the Bruins into Cardinal territory, and hinted that it could be the moment where UCLA took control of the game.

Then, facing third and five two plays later, Rosen found Ishmael Adams in the middle of the field. But Adams couldn’t haul it in — the second time a UCLA receiver dropped an easy catch on the drive — and Rosen was sacked by Harrison Phillips to turn the ball over on downs.

The Bruins extended their drive, but still gave the ball back to the Cardinal as the fourth quarter begins.

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UCLA leads Stanford, 10-6, in the third quarter

Stanford cut into UCLA’s lead with a 37-yard field goal by Conrad Ukropina with 3:10 left in the third. The Bruins now lead 10-6.

Just the thought of Christian McCaffrey propelled Stanford down the field as the third-quarter clock wound down.

First, Ryan Burns faked an inside handoff to McCaffrey, who drew the defense’s attention while Burns scampered to his right for a nine-yard gain. Then, after a 10-yard gain by McCaffrey, Burns faked to him and flipped a reverse to Bryce Love. Love carried the ball 30 yards and to the UCLA 21-yard line.

The Cardinal couldn’t pick up a first down on the next three plays, and Ukropina came on to inch Stanford closer to the Bruins.

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UCLA and Stanford trade punts to start the second half

UCLA had a chance to take full control of the game out of the break, but punted after a Solomon Thomas sack broke the Bruins’ rhythm.

But a promising Stanford drive quickly fizzled, leaving the score at 10-3 in UCLA’s favor.

Christian McCaffrey rushed three straight times at the start of Stanford’s drive, collecting 21 yards and a first down. The Cardinal kept feeding McCaffrey from there, but the UCLA defense buckled down on third and three to force a punt.

McCaffrey took an inside draw and ran into a pile near the line of scrimmage. The offense hung on the field to see if David Shaw would go for it on fourth and one, but then jogged off the field as the punt team set up around midfield.

After a delay of game penalty, the Cardinal’s punt unit downed the ball at UCLA’s one-yard line. That’s where Josh Rosen and company will take over with 8:37 left in the third quarter.

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Halftime stats for UCLA-Stanford

UCLA jumped out to a 10-3 halftime lead over Stanford at the Rose Bowl. Here are some relevant numbers from the first two quarters:

UCLA

  • Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen finished the half 7 for 11 for 77 yards. He also accounted for the game’s only touchdown, finding tight end Nate Iese on a 10-yard crossing pattern in the first quarter.
  • UCLA ran 16 times for 43 yards, and spread the carries out to three different running backs. Bolu Olorunfunmi carried the ball four times for 15 yards, Soso Jamabo carried it five times for 11 yards and Nate Starks also carried it five times for 11 yards.
  • Iese, who came into the game with three catches for 44 yards on the season, led all receivers with 38 yards in the first half. Ishmael Adams was also involved in the passing game, catching back-to-back first downs on the Bruins’ second scoring drive.
  • In total, UCLA collected 120 first-half yards and seven first downs.

Stanford

  • Cardinal quarterback Ryan Burns was spotty in the first, completing 7 of 12 passes for 63 yards. He also threw a touchdown to UCLA’s Kenny Young, which led to the Bruins’ touchdown.
  • Christian McCaffrey got off to a fast start, rushing for 52 yards on eight carries in the first half. But the star running back stalled in the second, running just twice for seven yards.
  • Trenton Irwin was Burns’ favorite target in the first, catching three passes for 29 yards.
  • In total, Stanford collected 147 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Cardinal was plagued by two turnovers — the interception Burns threw in the first and a fumble by receiver Francis Owusu in the second — and an uncharacteristic four penalties for 25 yards.
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UCLA leads Stanford, 10-3, at halftime

Christian McCaffrey was quick out of the gate, but UCLA ultimately limited his production while building a 10-3 halftime lead.

McCaffrey picked up four first downs on Stanford’s first two possessions, and finished the first quarter with 52 yards on eight carries. But he gained just seven yards on two carries in the second, and was sidelined for a handful of Cardinal third downs.

Stanford, as a whole, was not its normal self in the first 30 minutes. The Cardinal committed to turnovers, both of which led to UCLA scores (a touchdown pass in the first and a field goal in the second). Stanford also committed four penalties for 25 yards.

The lone touchdown of the half came on a 10-yard pass from Josh Rosen to tight end Nate Iese. As the last second ticked off the clock before the break, the Rose Bowl crowd let out a collective roar.

At least for now, they had good reason to be loud.

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UCLA leads Stanford, 10-3, toward the end of the first half

UCLA settled for a 27-yard field goal after forcing its second turnover the game, and J.J. Molson knocked it through to give the Bruins a 10-3 lead with 2:01 left in the first half.

All 10 of UCLA’s points have come directly off Stanford turnovers.

Ishmael Adams emerged as a reliable receiving target on the drive, catching two straight first downs to inch UCLA to the doorstep of Cardinal territory.

Then Bolu Olorunfunmi took his turn, running on three straight plays and picking up 13 yards and a first down. One play later, Rosen put the Bruins in striking distance of the end zone with a 28-yard pass to tight end Nate Iese.

The drive stalled thee plays later, with Obi Eboh breaking up a pass intended for Caleb Wilson to send the UCLA field-goal team onto the field.

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UCLA forces another Stanford turnover

UCLA forced another turnover, forcing Stanford receiver Stanford Owusu to fumble after catching a crossing route.

Owusu was hit by Tahaan Goodman, and Adarius Pickett recovered it at the Bruins 20-yard line. Owusu was shaken up on the play, and walked off the field flanked by members of the Stanford medical staff.

The Cardinal was driving after a wide receiver-reverse pass, which forced UCLA linebacker Jayon Brown into a pass interference penalty. Then Jacob Tuioti-Mariner sacked Stanford quarterback Ryan Burns, and Owusu fumbled away a first down one play later.

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Josh Rosen just misses on a deep ball, and UCLA punts

UCLA’s offense has stayed conservative in the early going against Stanford, and Josh Rosen’s first deep attempt was just a bit overthrown.

Facing third and long with just over 10 minutes left in the second quarter, Rosen lofted a pass to a streaking Jordan Lasley, who reached two hands out but couldn’t touch the ball.

A rolling punt started the drive on the Bruins’ own five-yard line, but a 12-yard run by Soso Jamabo dug the Bruins out of the hole.

But Jamabo lost four yards on his next carry, setting up third and 12. Rosen went for it all on the next play, and his pass attempt fell a few inches beyond Lasley’s fingertips.

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First quarter stats for UCLA-Stanford

UCLA leads No. 7 Stanford, 7-3, at the end of the first quarter in Pasadena. Here are some numbers from the first 15 minutes of action:

UCLA

  • Josh Rosen finished the first quarter 3 for 3 for 18 yards and a touchdown pass to tight end Nate Iese.
  • The Bruins didn’t have much success on the ground, rushing six times for 13 yards.
  • Three different receivers caught Rosen’s three completions. That included Eldridge Massington, running back Soso Jamabo and Iese for the touchdown.
  • As a team, UCLA collected just 31 yards on nine plays.

Stanford

  • Cardinal quarterback Ryan Burns completed 4 of 7 passes for 28 yards. He also threw an interception to set up the Bruins’ lone score.
  • Christian McCaffrey was as good as advertised in the first, running eight times for 52 yards. He also collected four first downs in the quarter.
  • Trenton Irwin was the Cardinal’s leading receiver in the first, catching two passes for 18 yards.
  • As a team, Stanford collected 102 yards on 17 plays.
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UCLA leads Stanford, 7-3, late in the first quarter

Josh Rosen missed a wide-open Nate Iese on the first play of the drive, but then punctuated it with a 10-yard touchdown pass to the tight end to give UCLA a 7-3 lead over Stanford.

It is the first time this year that the Cardinal has trailed.

Rosen sat in the pocket and scanned the field on third down, and hit Iese on a crossing route before he stumbled a few yards into the end zone. It was only Iese’s fourth catch of the season, and his first score.

The touchdown finished a six-play, 26-yard drive that was setup by a Kenny Young interception.

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Kenny Young’s interception gives UCLA a short field

After extending Stanford’s drive with a penalty, UCLA linebacker Kenny Young stole possession by intercepting Ryan Burns. He then carried the ball 40 yards to set up the Bruins offense at the Cardinal’s 26-yard line.

While Deon Hollins was celebrating a third-down sack of Ryan Burns, which seemed to have led to a Stanford three-and-out, a flag floated to the Rose Bowl grass at midfield.

It signified a holding penalty on Young, extending Stanford’s second drive of the game.

The Cardinal picked up a first down and another nine-yard gain after Young’s miscue, and then he redeemed himself with the momentum-shifting interception.

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UCLA runs just three plays before giving the ball back to Stanford

Two short runs and a three-yard pass later, and UCLA gave the ball right back to Stanford.

The Bruins’ quick three-and-out came after the Cardinal pushed ahead 3-0 with a 37-yard field goal on its opening drive. UCLA tried to runs to Soso Jamabo, the second of which lost two yards and set up a third and nine.

Rosen found Eldridge Massington on a crossing route, but there was never much of a chance that the receiver could reach the first-down marker.

And with that, a defense that was sliced open by Christian McCaffrey to start the game jogged right back onto the field.

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UCLA trails Stanford, 3-0, after Cardinal scores on its first drive

Stanford struck first, nudging ahead 3-0 on a 37-yard field goal by Conrad Urkopina.

UCLA made its intentions clear on the opening kickoff: Avoid running back Christian McCaffrey at all costs.

J.J. Molson floated a short kick in the opposite direction of McCaffrey, setting Stanford up at its own 35-yard line for the first drive of the game.

But the Bruins couldn’t keep the ball out of McCaffrey’s hands much longer, as he caught a pass in the flat to help the Cardinal pick up its second first down of the drive. On the next play, he ran for 13 yards to push the team deeper into UCLA territory. Then he gashed the Bruins defense for 13 more yards as Stanford moved to the 20.

The Cardinal drive stalled from there, and back-to-back penalties — a holding and a false start — led to Ukropina’s field goal.

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UCLA’s ground game will be fully loaded for first time this season

UCLA doesn’t have a feature running back, and has said it will compensate for that with a full stable of options.

But in the first three weeks of the season, the Bruins haven’t had all five of its options active in the same game. That will change against Stanford on Saturday, as Soso Jamabo, Nate Starks, Bolu Olorunfunmi, Brandon Stephens and Jalen Starks are all warming up in uniform.

Starks was sidelined for the first two games of UCLA’s season for undisclosed reasons. Jamabo was then inactive at Brigham Young last week, and Bruins Coach Jim Mora did not specify as to why the sophomore watched the game in street clothes.

Jamabo is UCLA’s leading rusher on the season with 181 rushing yards in two games. The last time the Bruins played in the Rose Bowl, he ran for three first-half touchdowns.

Now the rushing attack could fire on five different cylinders on Saturday, which was part of the plan all along.

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UCLA looks to avoid a ninth straight loss to Stanford

UCLA’s last win over Stanford was on Oct. 18, 2008.

Kevin Craft was the Bruins quarterback. Toby Gerhart was still burning defenses out of the Cardinal’s backfield. Hip-hop artist T.I. had the top two songs on Billboard’s Hop 100 list. Snapchat wouldn’t be invented for another three years.

It was, by many estimations, a different time. Stanford has won the eight meetings since.

“All I worry about is this team right now,” UCLA Coach Jim Mora said earlier this week. “They have not beaten us and we have not beaten them and that’s why we’re playing Saturday.”

Stanford (2-0) comes into the matchup ranked seventh in the country and coming off a 27-10 win over USC last week. The Bruins (2-1) are opening their Pac-12 schedule against the Cardinal, and have been up-and-down in wins over Nevada-Las Vegas and Brigham Young.

If UCLA wants to snap its near-decade long losing streak to Stanford, it will have to somehow slow multi-threat running back Christian McCaffrey.

McCaffrey has 298 rushing yards through two games this season, including three touchdowns on the ground. He’s also an integral part of Stanford’s passing and return games. Against the Bruins last season, he ran for 243 yards and four touchdowns.

“I don’t think anybody does all the things he does all-purpose — catch it, block, run, ‘Wildcat’ it, punt returns, kickoffs,” UCLA defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said Tuesday. “He’s such an explosive runner.”

The Cardinal’s star running back isn’t the only reason it is considered the class of the Pac-12. But he does provide the biggest obstacle for the Bruins, a team that wants to squash what’s become an annual tradition over the last eight years.

“Well they haven’t beaten this team eight in a row,” said Mora in a way that only a football coach can. “They’ve never beaten this team.”

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UCLA looks to get the ground game going

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

UCLA redesigned its offense in part so that its ballcarriers could thrive even in obvious running situations.

At this rate, they might settle for selective success.

The Bruins gained a season-low 50 yards rushing against Brigham Young last week, making it a failed test run for their Pac-12 Conference opener against No. 7 Stanford on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

The Cougars have a physical, attacking defense similar to that of the Cardinal, but aren’t as imposing in terms of size or power. Call them Stanford Lite.

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What to expect when the Bruins and Cardinal play

(Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)

Was it worth it?

It’s time to find out whether UCLA’s off-season makeover, intended to beat the likes of Stanford, amounted to more than a little gloss and lots of toil.

The most telling indicator could come along the offensive and defensive lines, where the Bruins hope to generate more push against a physically punishing team.

UCLA’s conference opener should also reveal whether the Bruins have a realistic chance of their first conference title since 1998.

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The Bruins have a big challenge when taking on McCaffrey and the Cardinal

(Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)

It’s a rivalry that’s become the wrong kind of noisy UCLA tradition, the eight-slap.

Eight consecutive defeats to Stanford. Eight straight lost opportunities to become a Pac-12 Conference power. Eight successive bouts of disappointment, each more infuriating than the last.

The Cardinal’s dominance of the Bruins goes back eight games, seven years and two coaches, though UCLA Coach Jim Mora isn’t keeping count.

“Well, they haven’t beaten this team eight in a row,” Mora said this week as the Bruins (2-1) prepared to play their Pac-12 Conference opener against No. 7 Stanford (2-0, 1-0) on Saturday evening at the Rose Bowl. “They’ve never beaten this team.”

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