Bruin Ground Force Deflates Aztecs : College football: After planning to pass, UCLA finds a different way to success<i> .</i> Brown rushes for 175 yards in a 45-31 victory over San Diego State.

Any team that gets involved with the San Diego Aztecs is caught up in a high-scoring game.

UCLA wasn’t any exception Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins held off quarterback Dan McGwire’s pass-minded team to win, 45-31, before 41,025 and improved their record to 3-3. The Aztecs are 2-4.

The 6-foot-8 McGwire completed 23 of 46 passes for 343 yards and three touchdowns. He threw an interception on the last play of the game, breaking a string of 178 passes without being intercepted.

UCLA countered with tailback Brian Brown, who rushed for 175 yards in 22 carries, an eight-yard average, and scored two touchdowns. It was the most yards rushing by a Bruin since Gaston Green gained 220 against California in 1987.

The Bruins had six rushing touchdowns, equaling their total through their first five games.

“We went into the game convinced that we had to throw the ball a high number of times,” UCLA Coach Terry Donahue said. “We absolutely thought we couldn’t run the ball. We did feel one way to run the ball was to get the option going. Our best bet was to get the ball outside and generate yards.”

Said Brown: “There was a lot of running room for me--a lot of yards to be made. I didn’t have to make a lot of moves or take a lot of hits.”

UCLA quarterback Tommy Maddox completed 12 of 18 passes for 139 yards without a touchdown. The Bruins had 515 total yards. San Diego State had been allowing an average of 508 going into the game, ranking the Aztecs 105th among 106 Division I-A teams in total defense.

“Our defense found another way to self-destruct,” San Diego State Coach Al Luginbill said. “We just didn’t get it done. We didn’t adjust in the first half. In the second half, our defense was aggressive, but we went in the tank offensively.

“UCLA won and deserved to win. We dropped too many balls in crucial situations. We made too many miscues and our running game came in spurts.”

San Diego State wide receiver Patrick Rowe caught 11 passes for 224 yards and one touchdown.

UCLA led, 42-24, after three quarters before San Diego State closed to 42-31 early in the fourth quarter. Brad Daluiso then gave UCLA more breathing room with a 27-yard field goal later in the game.

The Aztecs kept surging behind McGwire after UCLA had moved to what seemed to be comfortable leads.

San Diego State more than held its own against the Bruins in the first quarter, in which the score was tied, 14-14.

UCLA scored first after Stacey Argo recovered Dennis Arey’s fumble at the San Diego 28-yard line. The Bruins got the touchdown from the 13-yard line when Maddox rolled out to the right for seven yards then pitched to Brown, who went the rest of the way. The Aztecs quickly retaliated when Patrick Rowe took the next kickoff 42 yards to the Bruin 43.

After Larry Maxey gained 17 yards, McGwire teamed with Arey on a 28-yard gain, Arey beating Michael Williams on a sideline route.

Two plays later McGwire and Arey teamed for a touchdown from the 10-yard line.

The Bruins regained the lead, 14-7, on an 80-yard drive that was highlighted by a 25-yard pass from Maddox to Shawn Wills, who was open in the middle of the Aztec defense.

Maddox got the touchdown on a one-yard dive with 6:22 left in the first quarter.

San Diego State soon tied the score, 14-14.

McGwire, on first down from the Aztec 38, teamed with Rowe on a 49-yard pass play. Williams, who was filling for injured cornerback Carlton Gray, again was beaten on the play.

The pass play carried to the UCLA 12. On second down, McGwire threw a 10-yard pass to Jim Hanawalt for a touchdown.

The quarter soon ended with the score tied, but the Bruins were on the move.

UCLA was using the option more than any time during the season. Brown took a pitch out from Maddox and ran 28 yards to the Aztec seven, the key play of the 80-yard advance.

Then, fullback Kevin Smith scored on first down through a huge hole in the middle of San Diego defense.

After Daluiso’s extra point, the Bruins went ahead again, 21-14.

The Bruins drove 69 yards to a touchdown that stretched their lead to 28-14 later in the quarter. Maddox threw a 21-yard pass to flanker Scott Miller and ran 13 yards for a first down at the San Diego State 10-yard line.

Maury Toy, a former fullback now playing tailback, scored the touchdown from the two-yard line. UCLA expanded its lead to 28-14 on Daluiso’s extra point.

The Aztec offense was stalling by then and, after a 29-yard punt, the Bruins were in good field position at the San Diego 48-yard line.

UCLA increased its lead to 35-14 when Wills raced 25 yards through a sizable hole in the middle of the Aztec defense.

With time running out in the first half, McGwire threw a 38-yard rainbow pass to Rowe in the end zone.

McGwire had completed 13 of 22 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns by halftime. Maddox’s statistics were more modest. He completed only six of nine passes for 86 yards.

On UCLA’s first possession in the third quarter, the Bruins tried for a first down on fourth and one from their 45-yard line. But Kevin Smith failed to get the yardage.

The Aztecs then drove to the first field goal of the game. Andy Trakas kicked the three-pointer after San Diego’s drive stalled at the Bruin seven-yard line. That closed the score to 35-24.

On UCLA’s next possession, Brown broke a tackle and raced 37 yards down the sideline to a touchdown.

With Daluiso’s extra point, UCLA led, 42-24, with 5:51 left in the third quarter.