Bruins Use Escape Claws

College football’s walking, talking defibrillators were back in action Saturday, courteous enough to at least jump-start Bruin hearts after stopping them.

As if they knew any other way.

This test of UCLA’s credibility, and its collective blood pressure, came against Oregon State and the faithful among the 26,017 in Parker Stadium, some of whom were foolish enough in that fourth quarter to actually think they had the Bruins on the ropes.

Obviously, they haven’t been paying attention. UCLA pulled out of the tailspin again, just in time and right on schedule, going all the way to a tie game in the final minute against a sub-.500 team before rescuing the 41-34 victory when Cade McNown hit a wide-open Brad Melsby for a 61-yard touchdown pass play with 21 seconds left.

The third-ranked Bruins won their 18th game in a row, increasing their school record and the longest active streak in the nation.

They left as survivalists but 8-0 nonetheless (6-0 in the Pacific 10), their best start since 1954, and facing the possibility of a climb up the polls this time, thanks to Ohio State’s loss.

The Beavers (4-6, 1-6) left disappointed, the close loss having come immediately after back-to-back one-point defeats.

The guy from the Fiesta Bowl, in attendance either as a formality or the reminder of what’s on the other side of all the thin ice, probably left wondering if he should just throw a tent over UCLA, needing then only to book the sideshow.

“There’s times when you go, ‘Not again,’ ” defensive end Kenyon Coleman said. “We’re all just 18, 19, 20 years old, and that’s a lot of stress. But we’re winners. We’re 8-0.”

They are, after wasting a 10-0 lead in the second quarter and then coming back from a 24-17 deficit in the third against a team that began the day 4-5 overall and 1-5 in conference and then responding when the same underdogs made it 34-34 with 31 seconds left.

This came one week after they scored twice in the fourth quarter and got the miracle forced fumble as a Stanford player was steps from the end zone for the go-ahead score with 4:20 remaining to salvage victory at the Rose Bowl.

That came one week after they used a trick play--Jermaine Lewis’ tailback option pass to Jon Dubravac--to finally shake California in the fourth quarter.

And there was Oregon State on a cold Saturday night that at least offered the benefit of no rain after the first half, for some reason getting its hopes up. Jose Cortez had supplied the 34-34 tie with a 28-yard field goal with 31 seconds to play. The Beavers were looking at overtime.

It didn’t help when Cortez mis-hit the ensuing kickoff, sending it only to the UCLA 39. But Oregon State still felt comfortable with the circumstances. Coach Mike Riley strategized via headphones with offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, upstairs in the coaches’ box, about the impending extra period. He spoke with quarterback Jonathan Smith on the sidelines about the plans for the first time the Beavers had the ball.

Riley was talking to them, in fact, “as we were losing the game.”

It took McNown only one play.

First and 10 from the 39. Thirty-one seconds left.

Three UCLA receivers headed for the right side, flooding the zone defense. Danny Farmer, who had already caught five passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns, took the intermediate route, between the linebackers and defensive backs. Brian Poli-Dixon, with a career-high nine receptions, went deep.

Melsby--with zero catches on the day and seven for the season in seven games--went even deeper.

“That’s a play we’ve run so many times, and it’s always been to Danny,” he said.

Melsby wasn’t the primary target this time, either. But when Oregon State cornerback Andrae Holland made a move forward to Farmer, making the critical mistake of letting someone get behind him, McNown pounced. Seeing his receiver break free around the 25, McNown lofted the pass.

“Melsby just ran past the guy,” Bruin Coach Bob Toledo said.

All the way to the end zone.

Melsby allowed himself a look back before being mobbed. He wanted to make sure there were no penalties, a key part of UCLA’s focus all week, resulting in only seven flags after 12 each of the previous two games. He wanted to make sure he had time to set his feet “with everybody rushing into me.”

All that remained was for the Bruins to turn back a final Oregon State threat, accomplished when Larry Atkins intercepted Smith’s second-down pass at the Beaver 25. Gone with that throw was the chance for Smith, the lifelong USC fan from Glendora who has emerged from walk-on status and the third string, to beat the Bruins, his contribution to the effort coming with 23 completions in 47 tries for 323 yards.

McNown, meanwhile, was superb, especially in the second half, when he threw for 203 yards on nine-of-18 passing and three touchdowns. In all, he was 23 of 37 for 377 yards and four scores, but the impact went beyond that.

During the drive that got the Bruins even at 24-24 late in the third quarter, he scrambled for a 30-yard gain, two plays later caught an option pass from Lewis for 22 yards that made it first and goal, and two plays after that tossed a seven-yard score to Farmer.

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* NO INSULT: Taunts can’t hurt Bruins, who figure to move up in polls. Page 10

* NOTES: Only one statistic matters to this frustrated 8-0 team. Page 11