October 31, 1998

Final Stats

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - UCLA's national championship hopes almost went up in smoke Saturday. And against upstart Stanford, of all teams.

Cade McNown passed for 254 yards and one touchdown, and Keith Brown and DeShaun Foster scored fourth-quarter TDs as the second-ranked Bruins rallied for a 28-24 victory over the Cardinal.

The Bruins (7-0, 5-0 Pac-10) extended their school-record winning streak to 17 games, longest in the country, but not without an unexpected struggle and a big break in the late going.

Stanford (1-7, 0-5) just missed taking the lead with 4:19 remaining. With the ball at the UCLA 27, Todd Husak, who was 25-of-45 for 419 yards and one touchdown, connected with Jeff Allen over the middle.

Allen caught the ball in full stride at about the 10, was hit near the goal line by Marques Anderson, and fumbled. UCLA's Larry Atkins recovered at the back of the end zone for a touchback.

Stanford had one final chance, getting to the UCLA 35 with 13 seconds left, but Travor Turner sacked Husak for a 10-yard loss on the final play - Turner's first sack of the season.

Stanford, a winner just once this season and loser of 12 of its last 14 games, led 24-14 entering the final period.

UCLA drew within three points on a 2-yard run by Brown with 13:48 remaining - his second touchdown of the game - and went ahead for the first time on an 8-yard run by Foster with 8:05 left.

Foster, a freshman who suffered a knee injury Oct. 17 that was supposed to keep him out of action at least three weeks, rushed for 51 yards on nine carries, all in the second half.

Brown gained 94 yards on 15 carries, and McNown completed 19-of-31 with two interceptions.

UCLA moved 62 yards in seven plays for the go-ahead touchdown after an 18-yard punt return by Ryan Roques. The big play of the drive was a 32-yard run by flanker Danny Farmer on a reverse.

It was nearly an upset of monumental proportions. UCLA was ranked No. 1 in the first Bowl Championship Series poll, released last Monday, and was a 28 1/2-point favorite in its homecoming game.

Stanford took a 17-14 lead on Kevin Miller's 36-yard field goal early in the third quarter.

UCLA's Chris Sailer attempted a 50-yard field goal almost four minutes later, but it was blocked by Dave Davis, and the Cardinal extended its lead to 10 points five plays later on a 3-yard pass from backup quarterback Randy Fasani to Russell Stewart - Fasani's only pass of the game.

Stanford took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard run by Juan-Carlos Lacey the first time it had the ball.

The Bruins tied it on a 33-yard run by Brown late in the first period, one play after Tod McBride blocked Kevin Miller's punt. It was McBride's second blocked punt of the year and UCLA's fourth.

Stanford went ahead 14-7 four minutes before halftime on a 49-yard pass from Husak to Davis, but the Bruins needed just 1:14 to tie the game again on a 53-yard pass from McNown to Brian Poli-Dixon.

By JOHN NADEL
AP Sports Writer