UCLA football’s decade-long losing streak to Stanford continues with shootout loss

This post was updated Nov. 24 at 6:04 p.m.

Freshman running back Martell Irby raced into the end zone untouched for his first career touchdown, and UCLA tied Stanford less than three minutes into the second half.

The Bruins’ 10-year losing streak against the Cardinal was teetering on the edge of existence.

With nine minutes left in the game, UCLA went up a point after graduate transfer quarterback Wilton Speight’s one-yard touchdown run.

But the offense couldn’t break through again after a 52-yard touchdown pass from Stanford quarterback KJ Costello to receiver Osiris St. Brown. The Bruins (3-9, 3-6 Pac-12) fell 49-42 to the Cardinal (7-4, 5-3) on Saturday afternoon.

“I thought Costello played a really good game for them and I thought (Speight) played a really good game for us,” said coach Chip Kelly. “It was a game where I don’t think either team was going to let either (Stanford running back Bryce) Love or (UCLA redshirt junior running back Joshua) Kelley beat them. They took ours away, we took theirs away, so it turned into a throwing game.”

The two quarterbacks combined for 84 pass attempts and 410 passing yards, but Speight couldn’t overcome his mistakes.

He was responsible for two turnovers and was sacked twice on UCLA’s penultimate possession after having the ball in the red zone.

“That’s hard, when you got that opportunity there and you can’t capitalize,” Speight said. “Our defense made three great stops and we got the ball back. We’re moving the ball again and just came up short.”

Costello threw touchdown passes to receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside on back-to-back possessions sandwiching a fumble by Speight.

On UCLA’s next possession, the graduate transfer gunslinger threw a red-zone interception to give Stanford the ball at its three-yard line.

Down 14 points, the Bruin defense and special teams stepped up.

Sophomore defensive end Martin Andrus Jr. blew past the Cardinal offensive line and tackled Love in the end zone for a safety. On the ensuing kickoff, sophomore cornerback Darnay Holmes wove through Stanford’s coverage team for a 93-yard touchdown.

“I gave up a touchdown so I feel like I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to make sure we get on the board,” Holmes said. “So each and every time I got to touch the rock, I just want to make sure that (Kelly) doesn’t have to call another play.”

It was UCLA’s first safety since 2012 and its first kick return touchdown since 2014.

The offense couldn’t return the favor.

UCLA reached Stanford’s 29-yard line following St. Brown’s touchdown, but Kelley ran backward for nine yards. After a short gain on third down, junior kicker JJ Molson’s 53-yard field goal attempt was well short.

UCLA’s next drive featured a 66-yard completion to redshirt junior tight end Caleb Wilson to get into the red zone.

But four plays later, Speight was sacked on fourth down to end that scoring opportunity.

“Just not a very heads-up play by me,” Speight said. “I thought I crossed (the line of scrimmage) and I was like, ‘Well, now I can’t throw it.’ I’ve got to try to run for the first down and I got stuck in the heat of the moment.”

The Bruins’ last-minute desperation drive ended when Speight’s fourth-down pass floated over freshman wide receiver Chase Cota’s head and fell incomplete.

Speight finished the game 29-of-47 for a career-high 466 yards. Kelley added 55 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.

He scored a touchdown in the eighth consecutive game, but Stanford held him to his lowest rushing output since the second game of the season.

“(Stanford’s defenders) were great,” Kelley said. “They have a great defensive line – they’re tremendous. They’re a great tackling team. They’ve always been that way ever since coach (David) Shaw has been there.”