PASADENA — With just 30 minutes left to play against Arizona State, UCLA is starting to see its Pac-12 South title hopes slip away.
One half is in the books at the Rose Bowl, and the No. 17 Sun Devils lead the No. 14 Bruins 35-13.
The Sun Devils struck first with a steady stream of runs from redshirt junior quarterback Taylor Kelly and senior running back Marion Grice, who, along with sophomore wide receiver Richard Smith, combined to run the ball six consecutive times to close the drive, which ended with a three-yard touchdown scamper by Kelly.
It didn’t take long for the Bruins to respond. After a 58-yard kickoff return from sophomore cornerback Ishmael Adams, redshirt sophomore quarterback Brett Hundley stepped up and connected with redshirt sophomore wide receiver Devin Lucien on the very next play, evening the tally at a touchdown apiece. The Bruins took the lead on their next drive thanks to a 48-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn.
Arizona State stayed patient and once again worked the length of the field on its next drive. Picking on freshman cornerback Priest Willis for much of the offensive sequence, Kelly and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jaelen Strong connected for 49 yards. Sophomore running back D.J. Foster finished the 84-yard drive off with a three-yard score of his own.
Just seconds later, the Sun Devils visited the endzone again. Hundley tried to find redshirt senior Y receiver Darius Bell for a short swing pass, but instead found Arizona State linebacker Carl Bradford, who returned the intercepted ball 18 yards to give the Sun Devils an 11-point lead.
Fairbairn missed his next try from 39 yards and Arizona State once again charged down the field on a 13-play, 69-yard drive that extended the lead.
With UCLA against the wall, Adams took his final kick return of the half for 69 yards, igniting a six-play, 29-yard drive that ended with Fairbairn’s second field goal of the game.
Any and all UCLA confidence was erased, however, with a last-second 18-yard touchdown pass from Kelly to Strong.
At the half, Hundley is just 3-of-9 through the air for 65 yards. Redshirt junior safety Anthony Jefferson leads all tacklers with eight.
Compiled by Andrew Erickson, Bruin Sports senior staff.