First quarter: UCLA 17, OSU 10 *Key number: 1:56: the amount of
time it took for UCLA to regain the lead after falling behind
10-0.
*Key play: With five minutes left in the first quarter, after a
play action fake, Cory Paus threw a 41-yard rainbow to Craig Bragg
for UCLA’s first passing touchdown of the season. The strike
came with UCLA behind, 10-0, and was a much-needed momentum
changer.
*What’s not in the box score: the composure and poise with which
UCLA bounced back from its 10-0 deficit for the second consecutive
week. The momentum swung in UCLA’s favor as a result. Paus,
who had been struggling after incompletions on his first three
passes, finally got into a rhythm and set the tone, with his
41-yard toss to Bragg, that it would be a game of long passing
plays.
Second quarter: UCLA 24, OSU 10 *Key number: 4: number of
turnovers that UCLA forced in the first half. Three were
interceptions, and UCLA scored 14 points off those turnovers.
*Key play: With 2:30 left in the half and UCLA holding onto a
17-10 lead, Paus found tight end Mike Seidman, giving UCLA a
comfortable two-touchdown cushion heading into the half. The pass
continues a change from last season, as both Paus and head coach
Bob Toledo have expressed a desire to pass more to the tight ends
this season.
*What’s not in the box score: Blown calls by the referees. With
13:03 left in the second quarter, freshman quarterback Drew Olson
came into the game at the UCLA 4-yard line. The ball slipped out of
his hands, but the referee called it an incomplete pass. Replays
showed otherwise, and had the Cowboys been able to recover the
fumble, they would have tied up the score at 17. As it was, UCLA
was able to hold onto its tenuous 17-10 lead. Later, the officials
ruled that Oklahoma State’s Vern Morency had a fumble that
was recovered by UCLA, but replays showed that his knee was down.
As a result, Oklahoma State, which had driven all the way from the
Cowboy 15 to the Bruin 18, came away with no points on the drive
and, as it turned out, the Cowboys were shut out for the entire
quarter.
Third quarter: UCLA 38, OSU 17 *Key number: 63: number of
rushing yards on UCLA’s final scoring drive of the third
quarter. It came after UCLA had only 48 rushing yards to this
point. The drive culminated in, of all things, a Paus rushing
touchdown.
*Key play: With 5:13 left in the third quarter, Cowboy receiver
Rashaun Woods finally made an impact play, scoring on a 7-yard fade
to complete a seven play, 82-yard drive. The play called for a jump
ball, and Woods, at 6 feet, 2 inches, easily out jumped the
5-foot-9-inch Ricky Manning. The score pulled the Cowboys back
within two touchdowns, to 31-17.
*What’s not in the box score: Despite being down 21 points, the
Cowboys continued to push forward. The Cowboys could have just
mailed it in, but they continued to get productive yards. More
disturbing was how easily Oklahoma State gained passing yards. The
Cowboy receiving corps racked up 114 passing yards in the third
quarter ““ more than UCLA had allowed during the entire
Colorado State game.
Fouth quarter: UCLA 38, OSU 24 *Key number: 444: the total
number of yards allowed by the UCLA defense, including 350 passing
yards. This after allowing a stingy 98 passing yards against
Colorado State.
*Key play: With the Cowboys trailing by 14 and 3:37 left in the
game, Ben Emanuel, for the second straight week, came up with a key
defensive turnover, his second interception of the game. Oklahoma
State never touched the ball again after that point.
*What’s not in the box score: UCLA always seemed to be in
control. They were able to open up holes for the running game, and
controlled the ball for 10:24 of the 15-minute quarter. As a
result, the Cowboys never had many opportunities to get back into
the game.