UCLA
Arizona State
UCLA Falls to Arizona State, 38-23
October 04, 2015 | Football
PASADENA, Calif. – No. 7 UCLA dropped a 38-23 decision to Arizona State in a Pac-12 game at the Rose Bowl before 80,113 on Saturday evening.
Mike Bercovici led ASU's offensive attack, completing 27 of 44 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns. In all, the visiting Sun Devils (3-2, 1-1) accrued 465 yards – 273 in the air and 192 on the ground.
Saturday's defeat marked the Bruins' first of the season after having won their first four games. UCLA (4-1, 1-1) finished with 342 net offensive yards, including 280 yards from quarterback Josh Rosen, who completed 22 of 40 passes and a pair of touchdown strikes to Thomas Duarte.
Arizona State led throughout the contest, staking a 15-10 cushion by halftime and opening the third quarter with consecutive touchdowns to lead, 29-10. Bercovici ran 34 yards up the middle with 11:05 to play in the third quarter, making the score 22-10. Just over three minutes later, ASU's quarterback connected on an 11-yard touchdown pass with D.J. Foster.
Trailing by 19 points early in the final quarter, UCLA began to reduce its deficit. The Bruins used a six-play, 70-yard drive capped by a one-yard touchdown run from Paul Perkins to cut ASU's margin to 29-16 at the 13:52 mark.
With 10:47 to play, Isaako Savaiinaea intercepted a Bercovici pass on a third down situation. Four plays later, Rosen threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Duarte with 9:19 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Duarte finished with six receptions for 101 yards and two touchdown catches.
UCLA was unable to close the gap any closer than 29-23. The Bruins' offense got the ball back on their own one-yard line with 5:06 to play in the final quarter, and on the ensuing fourth down, the long snap sailed out of the end zone, resulting in a safety.
Arizona State put the game out of reach in the game's final minute, as Kalen Ballage carried the ball 23 yards for a touchdown with 45 seconds to play to give ASU a 38-23 lead.
UCLA returns to action at Stanford on Thursday, Oct. 15. Game time at Stanford Stadium is 7:30 p.m. The contest will be nationally televised on ESPN.
