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Live updates: Stanford 56, UCLA 35 (final)

UCLA will try to contain quarterback Kevin Hogan and Stanford in a key Pac-12 game tonight at Stanford Stadium.

UCLA will try to contain quarterback Kevin Hogan and Stanford in a key Pac-12 game tonight at Stanford Stadium.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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The UCLA drought against Stanford continues. Christian McCaffrey rushed for a school-record 243 yards on 25 carries and four touchdowns and added 122 yards in kickoff returns to lead the 15th-ranked Cardinal to a 56-35 blowout of the 18th-ranked Bruins in Stanford Stadium Thursday night.

Stanford (5-1, 4-0 in Pac-12 conference play) ran its win streak over UCLA (4-2, 1-2) to eight games—the last time the Bruins beat the Cardinal was in 2008. The eight-game losing streak is UCLA’s longest against any team, surpassing the seven-year drought against USC from 1999-2005.

McCaffrey, the son of former NFL great Ed McCaffrey, and the Cardinal manhandled an injury-depleted Bruins defense, racking up 441 total yards, 310 of them on the ground.

McCaffrey ran for touchdowns of 9, 28, 70 and 6 yards, and his 96-yard kickoff return in the first quarter set up another touchdown. His 369 all-purpose yards vaulted him to No. 1 in the nation in that category.

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The Bruins fell behind, 35-10, in the second quarter but looked like they might make a run at the Cardinal by driving 80 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown to trim the deficit to 35-17 with 11 seconds left in the first half.

But they went three-and-out after receiving the second-half kickoff, and Stanford outscored UCLA, 21-3, in the third quarter to pull away.

The Bruins rolled up 506 total yards, with freshman quarterback Josh Rosen completing 22 of 42 passes for 325 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, and Paul Perkins rushing for 104 yards on 14 carries. But UCLA dropped several passes and was penalized 10 times for 93 yards.

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Stanford 56, UCLA 35 (2:35 left in fourth quarter)

UCLA gained some ground in the battle for respectability, as Josh Rosen, on a fourth-down play, found Jordan Payton in the left flat for an 18-yard touchdown pass to trim Stanford’s lead to 21 points. Rosen has completed 22 of 42 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns.

Stanford 56, UCLA 28 (11:00 left in fourth quarter)

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Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen made a pin-point pass between two defenders to Thomas Duarte for a 38-yard touchdown pass and then threw to Nate Starks for a two-point conversion. The freshman has completed 19 of 34 passes for 271 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the game.

Stanford 56, UCLA 20 (1:07 left in third quarter)

OK, this is officially getting out of hand. Stanford stuffed Paul Perkins for no gain on a fourth down at the Bruins 34-yard line and needed only five plays to reach the end zone again, Christian McCaffrey scoring on a six-yard run. McCaffrey has rushed for a school-record 243 yards---and we’re still in the third quarter—and four touchdowns.

Stanford 49, UCLA 20 (5:35 left in third quarter)

Have a night, Christian McCaffrey. The son of former NFL great Ed McCaffrey took a snap out of the wildcat formation, drifted toward the left side, then bolted through a gaping hole on the right side of the line for a 70-yard touchdown run. The Stanford running back has 209 yards rushing and three touchdowns, as well as 122 yards in kickoff returns.

Stanford 42, UCLA 20 (6:35 left in third quarter)

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The Bruins settled for Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 33-yard field goal after tailback Soso Jamabo dropped a potential touchdown pass at the 3-yard line. UCLA, which gained possession after a Randall Goforth interception, were going to go for it on fourth-and-seven from the 10-yard line but opted for a field goal after a false-start penalty pushed the Bruins back to the 15.

Stanford 42, UCLA 17 (12:48 left in third quarter)

As former broadcasting great Jack Buck said after Kirk Gibson’s famous 1988 World Series home run, “I can’t believe what I just saw.” In what could go down as one of the greatest catches in recent Stanford history, Cardinal receiver Francis Owusu, with UCLA safety Jaleel Wadood right up in his face, leaped in the end zone for Kevin Hogan’s 44-yard pass and made the catch by draping his arms around Wadood and pinning the ball to Wadood’s back while he fell down for a touchdown. Wadood was flagged for pass interference on the play.

Stanford 35, UCLA 17 (11 seconds left in the second quarter)

The Bruins gained some much-needed momentum heading into the locker room for halftime, driving 80 yards in 11 plays in just 1 minute 55 seconds to trim Stanford’s lead. Quarterback Josh Rosen hit Darren Andrews for 15 yards on a key third-down play and connected with Andrews again on a 14-yard slant pattern to the Cardinal three-yard line. From there, Paul Perkins covered the final three yards for the touchdown.

Stanford 35, UCLA 10 (2:13 left in second quarter

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With a big lead, Stanford went to its ground-control game, running the ball on eight of nine plays during a 71-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard touchdown run by Christian McCaffrey, who took a handoff from Kevin Hogan, broke through a huge opening on the left side and raced untouched to the end zone. McCaffrey has 118 yards rushing and two touchdowns, and with his 122 yards in kickoff returns, he has 1,293 all-purpose yards, the most in the nation.

Stanford 28, UCLA 10 (8:00 left in second quarter)

A short UCLA punt gave the Cardinal a first down at the Bruins 42-yard line. From there, it took Stanford only three plays to reach the end zone, with Kevin Hogan passing 28 yards to Greg Taboada for a first down at the 14 and Christian McCaffrey, from the wild-cat formation, taking a snap and running nine yards for a touchdown.

(Injury update)

UCLA left tackle Conor McDermott left the game with what appeared to be a right-knee injury. He was replaced by Kolton Miller.

Stanford 21, UCLA 10 (14:17 left in second quarter)

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Kevin Hogan capped a 14-play, 74-yard drive that consumed 7 minutes, 24 seconds of the clock, with a nine-yard touchdown to Davon Cajuste on an inside route. Hogan completed passes for two huge third-down conversions, finding Austin Hooper with a thread-the-needle pass over the middle for 16 yards to the UCLA 49-yard line and Austin Hooper over the middle for 22 yards to the UCLA 29-yard line.

Stanford 14, UCLA 10 (6:46 left in first quarter)

At some point tonight, a little defense will be played, but the Bruins and Cardinal haven’t quite got to that point yet. UCLA responded to Stanford’s two early touchdowns when quarterback Josh Rosen, from his own 30-yard line, hit a wide-open Darren Andrews over the middle. Andrews caught the pass in stride and continued untouched into the end zone to trim Stanford’s lead to four points.

Stanford 14, UCLA 3 (7:04 left in the first quarter)

Christian McCaffrey fielded a UCLA kickoff two yards deep in the end zone, found a hole through the middle near the 20-yard line and raced down the left sideline for a 96-yard kickoff return before being dragged down at the Bruins 4-yard line. Quarterback Kevin Hogan wasted no time, lofting a pass into the left corner of the end zone to Austin Hooper for a touchdown.

Stanford 7, UCLA 3 (7:22 left in first quarter)

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An acrobatic and athletic 43-yard run by Paul Perkins, who leaped over his own tackle, Caleb Benenoch, at the line of scrimmage, found an opening up the middle and raced all the way to the Stanford 10-yard line, gave UCLA a first-and-goal. But illegal formation and holding penalties pushed the Bruins back to the 23. After two short runs, Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked a 36-yard field goal.

Stanford 7, UCLA 0 (10:54 left in first quarter)

A pass-interefernce call on UCLA receiver Jordan Payton nullified a first-down reception and forced a third-and-15 play from the Bruins 15-yard line.

Quarterback Josh Rosen underthrew Davin Fuller on the left sideline and was picked off by defensive back Alijah Holder, who did well to stay in bounds.

Holder then weaved his way through several defenders toward midfield and returned the interception 31 yards for a touchdown.

Pregame

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UCLA linebacker Jayon Brown and cornerback Marcus Rios are both suited up and ready to play against Stanford tonight, which is a relief to defensive coordinator Tom Bradley.

Brown missed the Arizona State game because of back injury. He had been the replacement for the multi-talented Myles Jack, who suffered a season-ending knee injury. Rios, a starter all season, missed the Arizona State game after spending three days in the hospital because of an illness.

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UCLA players might have to wear the parkas tonight when the Bruins face Stanford.

The temperature in Palo Alto 30 minutes before game time was 66 degrees and was expected to drop to 59 later in the evening. Even at 7 a.m., when the Bruins hold practice, temperatures in Westwood were in the mid-80s with high humidity this last week.

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