UCLA GAME REPORT

1st QUARTER

UCLA: 14

Arizona: 7

THE SCORING: * Arizona 7, UCLA 0: Keoni Fraser, 36-yard interception return at 11:59.

* UCLA 7, Arizona 7: Foster, one-yard run at 7:08. 77-yard drive, 12 plays. PAT--Griffith (kick).

* UCLA 14, Arizona 7: Poli-Dixon, 18-yard pass from Paus at 1:57. 17-yard drive, six plays. PAT--Griffith (kick).

TURNING POINT: After Fraser’s interception return, UCLA’s first score was a lengthy clock-eating response that showed the Bruins were not going to fall into a deep malaise after their recent travails.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: Maybe Desert Swarm was just a little late, hanging around in the stadium-area lots looking for a parking spot, along with one frenzied latecomer trying to fit a Chevy Malibu rental car in a minuscule space between a tree and a SUV without scratching it.

STAT WATCH: The Bruins had seven first downs to three for the Wildcats. UCLA’s total offense: 111 yards to Arizona’s 59. The Wildcats committed two penalties for 31 yards.

2nd QUARTER

Arizona: 21

UCLA: 14

THE SCORING: * Arizona 14, UCLA 14: Farmer, two-yard run at 8:16. 58-yard drive, eight plays. PAT--Keel (kick).

* Arizona 21, UCLA 14: Farmer, 19-yard run at 1:22. 50-yard drive, six plays. PAT--Keel (kick).

TURNING POINT: Reports of the Swarm’s demise, of course, were early and erroneous.

The posse assembled and picked up the pace. The Wildcats owned this quarter with 14 points. Little seemed to go wrong for Arizona. A prime example came when Wildcat quarterback Ortege Jenkins lost his right cleat and kept running down the left sideline, picking up 17 yards. Shoeless Jenkins? He opted not to toss it into the crowd, so you won’t be seeing his cleat on Ebay.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: The most notable fashion statement of the night came from six of UCLA cheerleaders deep in the right corner of the stadium, blue hair and all, getting ready for Halloween a couple of days early.

STAT WATCH: The Bruins stalled with two first downs and four yards total offense in the quarter.

3rd QUARTER

Arizona: 21

UCLA: 20

THE SCORING: * Arizona 21, UCLA 17: Griffith, 33-yard field goal at 9:04. 15-yard drive, eight plays.

* Arizona 21, UCLA 20: Griffith, 33-yard field goal at 5:55. Minus-three-yard drive, four plays.

TURNING POINT: The Bruins chipped away with the two field goals and the defense managed to make the necessary adjustments at halftime and held the Wildcats in check. Chris Griffith pulled the Bruins within one with his copycat field goals. One thing is certain: The guy is flawless from 33 yards.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: It took the Bruins nearly three quarters to inflict some damage upon Jenkins. There were five seconds remaining in the quarter when UCLA sacked Jenkins for the first time in the game. The honors went to tackle Rodney Leisle. Jenkins threw his third interception of the game in this quarter. He finished with four interceptions, a notable statistic, considering he had never thrown more than two in a game.

STAT WATCH: In all, the Bruins were nine of 19 in third-down conversions. More importantly, the Wildcats were only two of 11. In the third quarter, the Wilcats were 0 for 3 on third-down conversions, which is when the tide truly started to turn. One came on the sack of Jenkins, and another was prevented by the first of Bruin Ricky Manning’s two interceptions in the quarter.

4th QUARTER

UCLA: 27

Arizona: 24

THE SCORING: * Arizona 24, UCLA 20: Keel, 42-yard field goal at 8:24. 32-yard drive, eight plays.

* UCLA 27, Arizona 24: Paus, 13-yard run at :48. 66-yard drive, eight plays. PAT--Griffith (kick).

TURNING POINT: Paus’ game-winning touchdown run ended a two-game losing streak and eight-game road winless drought, but it was a 19-yard fourth-and-four pass to Freddie Mitchell that kept the drive alive. Players on the sideline said Paus’ 13-yard improvisational scamper seemed to take forever. For Bruin defensive coordinator Bob Field, it could have taken a little longer, as he joked about all the time left on the clock. He and the Bruin supporters had to sweat out five more Wildcat plays and 22 yards before Jenkins was hit and intercepted by Leisle with 10 seconds to play.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: Afterward, a relieved Coach Bob Toledo revealed that Paus almost came out of the game early in the fourth quarter because the Bruins feared he had separated his shoulder again.

STAT WATCH: First downs: UCLA (17), Arizona (15). Rushing yards: UCLA (54), Arizona (211). Passing yards: UCLA (230), Arizona (105). Time of possession: UCLA (31:52), Arizona (28:08).