Maddox-to-LaChapelle Bedevils Arizona State : College football: Two touchdown passes help UCLA run up a lead, and it withstands a comeback for a 21-16 victory.

If UCLA was handicapped by the loss of tailbacks Shawn Wills and Kevin Williams Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium, it wasn’t evident.

The Bruins still had the Tommy Maddox-to-Sean LaChapelle connection, and that was enough in a 21-16 victory over Arizona State.

Moreover, other running backs, notably Ricky Davis, filled in commendably for Wills and Williams on a mild, clear day in the desert.

UCLA was breezing with a 21-3 lead after three quarters, but Arizona State quarterback Bret Powers rallied his team to make it close.

And the game wasn’t secure until UCLA tackle Matt Werner recovered a fumble at the Bruin 31-yard line with 2 1/2 minutes remaining.

It was UCLA’s third consecutive victory, its longest streak since the 1988 season. The Bruins improved their overall record to 5-2, 3-1 in the Pacific 10 Conference.

Arizona State dropped to 4-3 and 2-2 and virtually fell from the Rose Bowl race. The Bruins continued to dominate Arizona State, improving their series lead to 9-1-1, 5-0 at Tempe.

The Sun Devils simply couldn’t contain LaChapelle, a 6-foot-4, 207-pound split end.

LaChapelle made acrobatic catches of two eight-yard scoring passes and set records in the process.

He has caught 11 touchdown passes this season, breaking the school record of 10 held by Jojo Townsell (1982) and Bob Wilkinson (1949).

LaChapelle caught 11 passes Saturday for 135 yards, his receptions tying the single-game record by Rick Wilkes against USC in 1970.

LaChapelle has caught at least two touchdown passes in the last four games, yet he seldom draws double coverage.

“I just try to think about winning, and I don’t worry about individual statistics,” LaChapelle said.

Even though it was LaChapelle’s day, he was concerned--as were most of the Bruins--in the fourth quarter.

“The clock couldn’t go fast enough then,” LaChapelle said.

Even though Maddox threw three interceptions, one leading to an Arizona State touchdown in the fourth quarter, he had a productive afternoon.

He completed 18 of 24 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns and was afforded excellent protection by his line, being sacked only once.

As for his inclination to throw to LaChapelle, even when the split end seems covered, Maddox said:

“He’s 6-4 and a great athlete. You put it up and he comes down with it.”

On LaChapelle’s first touchdown catch, in the third quarter, he was closely covered by cornerback Kevin Miniefield in a corner of the end zone. LaChapelle managed to stretch and catch a perfectly thrown ball while staying in bounds.

That touchdown increased UCLA’s lead to 14-3 with six minutes remaining in the quarter.

Then, with time running out in the third quarter, LaChapelle went to another corner of the end zone, stretched out horizontally and beat strong safety Jean Boyd.

UCLA, which led, 7-0, at halftime had apparently put the game out of reach, 21-3.

However, the Sun Devils made it close on scoring drives of 63 and 55 yards, culminating with Powers passing seven yards to tight end Marquis Tucker and fullback Parnell Charles scoring from the one-yard line.

Powers had been inactive for a month because of a shoulder injury, and it was evident that he was rusty in the first half.

He settled into a good rhythm in the second half and wound up completing 28 of 48 passes for 295 yards with one interception.

UCLA was protecting its five-point lead with 3 1/2 minutes left when Maddox threw his third interception while trying to reach LaChapelle.

Cornerback Phillippi Sparks made a diving lunge for the ball and came up with it at the Arizona State 41-yard line.

Powers’ passes moved the Sun Devils to a first down at the UCLA 31-yard line. Charles then fumbled to Werner.

“We ran a stunt and (linebacker) Rod Smalley forced Charles to change direction,” Werner said. “Their quarterback put the ball on his (Charles’) hip and the ball came out.”

UCLA then ran out the clock.

Wills and Williams, the Bruins’ most effective running backs, were unable to play because of knee and ankle injuries, respectively.

“I told our players in a team meeting Friday that even though the two guys we lost were very productive, there were still a lot of great football players on this team,” UCLA Coach Terry Donahue said.

“I simply challenged them to respond, which they did.”

Donahue added that the injuries hurt UCLA psychologically, but were a rallying point for the team as well.

Maury Toy, a third-string fullback, was used at tailback in the first half. He responded with 42 yards in 11 carries overall but fumbled into the end zone, the Sun Devils recovering for a touchback in the first quarter when the game was scoreless.

Davis, who had alternated at tailback with Wills and Williams earlier in the season but fell out of the rotation because of a hamstring injury, was used extensively at tailback in the second half.

The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Davis gained a career-high 124 yards in 26 carries and scored the Bruins’ first touchdown on a one-yard run in the second quarter.

“They just wanted me to ease into the game because of my injury,” Davis said, adding thathe was challenged to succeed by the absence of Wills and Williams.

But LaChapelle was the key Saturday.

“He is clearly the difference maker,” Donahue said. “He has a tremendous effect on our team. He’s a big-play man, and he’s difficult to cover.

“The pass he caught for 21 points, I kept saying, ‘Did he catch it, did he catch it?’ I couldn’t believe that he caught it.”

Neither could the Sun Devils.

* OPEN END: Sean LaChapelle takes advantage of Arizona State’s defensive scheme to catch 11 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns. C7