By Kai Forbath’s standards, one for three isn’t good.
But he’ll take it.
After missing two field goals earlier in the game, UCLA’s redshirt senior kicker knocked home a 51-yard field goal as time expired to secure a victory over Oregon State, 17-14. Forbath’s previous two misses were from 49 yards and 46 yards.
The game was originally thought to be headed to overtime after sophomore wide receiver Randall Carroll scampered out of bounds and the clock hit zero. But UCLA challenged the ruling on the field, and one second was added for last year’s Lou Groza Award winner, Forbath, to work his magic.
Sophomore quarterback Richard Brehaut engineered a third-quarter drive that culminated in a 1-yard touchdown run from Johnathan Franklin to tie the game at 14.
Brehaut – making his fourth start of the season – completed 13 passes on 19 attempts for 127 yards. He did throw an interception, but he ran the ball 18 times for 60 yards and a touchdown and managed the game well.
The lone interception came on a ball that was deflected high into the air and was caught by a Beaver defender. On the ensuing UCLA drive, Brehaut was sacked twice to take the Bruins out of field goal range, forcing them to punt the ball away. Forbath’s second miss came on the following Bruin possession, and it looked as though the Bruins would leave the Rose Bowl with their second loss in as many weeks.
The two sides exchanged blows in the third quarter, as the Beavers got a 22-yard touchdown run on a reverse to Markus Wheaton. But the Bruins responded with a remarkable, nine-minute, 28-second drive that was capped by a 1-yard scoring run by running back Johnathan Franklin.
UCLA got on the board first on the opening drive of the game. Brehaut carried the ball four times for 45 yards on the series, including the drive-ending 7-yard scoring scamper. The only other score of the first half came when Ryan Katz found tight end Joe Halahuni for a 28-yard touchdown pass to even things up at seven.