Stanford comes back to top UCLA 22-13 with last-minute TDs
Stanford comes back to top UCLA 22-13 with last-minute TDs
PASADENA — UCLA seemed to have Stanford right where it wanted it Saturday night.
Quarterback Ryan Burns lofted an 8-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman JJ Arcega-Whiteside with 31 seconds left, the key play in the No. 7 Cardinal’s 22-13 win over the Bruins.
Don’t be fooled by the final score.
Stanford (3-0, 2-0 Pac-12) scored on the game’s final play when lineman Solomon Thomas went 42 yards after picking up a fumble by Rosen on a sack by linebacker Joey Alfieri.
“It says a lot about the character of our football team,” head coach David Shaw said.
[...] the youth of our football team showed in the first three quarters — just the fact we were in somebody else’s house. …
Both starting cornerbacks, Quenton Meeks and Alijah Holder, were knocked out of the game, as was starting wide receiver Francis Owusu, the victim of a devastating hit in the second quarter.
Christian McCaffrey, who had 369 all-purpose yards and 243 yards rushing against the Bruins last year, was limited to 165 and 138 this time by a bigger, stronger defense than UCLA used to field.
“We hurt ourselves with a lot of penalties and some turnovers, but we found a way to win,” McCaffrey said.
JJ made a hell of a play.
The 6-foot-3 Arcega-Whiteside, playing in place of Owusu, hadn’t had a college catch until Saturday night.
“Surreal,” Arcega-Whiteside called the catch.
I’m more happy that everybody contributed on that last drive.
[...] that they trusted me to make the final play.
The Cardinal took over on their 30 with 2:05 left, trailing 13-9.
Burns passed to Trent Irwin for 23 yards and Arcega-Whiteside for 14.
[...] Irwin made a leaping catch on the sideline for 14 yards.
On second down at the 8, Arcega-Whiteside ran a fade pattern, and the ball arrived perfectly.
“That guy can jump pretty high,” Burns said.
Arcega-Whiteside’s vertical leap is 31½ inches, as a matter of fact.
“I just put it up for him, and he made a great play,” Burns said.
Burns, making his third start, didn’t see the game as a milestone step for himself.
Before Thomas’ touchdown rumble, the Cardinal needed a fine play by safety Justin Reid to break up Rosen’s deep pass to Kenneth Walker III.
A completion would have set up possibly a game-tying field goal.
The Bruins received 248 yards passing from Rosen (18 for 27), including a 10-yard pass to tight end Nate Iese for the Bruins’ only touchdown.
Stanford kicker Conrad Ukropina, who booted field goals of 37, 37 and 44 in his hometown, said the win “shows our leadership and how we pride ourselves on finishing.”
Tom FitzGerald is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.
Email: tfitzgerald @sfchronicle.com Twitter: @tomgfitzgerald
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