SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 27, 2012
UCLA 45, Arizona State 43: Freshman Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked a 33-yard game-winning field goal as time expired and the visiting Bruins outlasted the Sun Devils in the pivotal Pac-12 South contest.
Arizona State (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) led 43-42 with 2:13 remaining after Taylor Kelly threw one of his four touchdown passes to D.J. Foster, but the Bruins (6-2, 3-2) answered with a 12-play, 60-yard drive that ended with Fairbairn’s game winner.
Trailing 35-26 at the end of the third quarter, Arizona State promptly opened the fourth quarter with Kelly’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Marion Grice, who had one rushing touchdown and three total. Kelly finished 25-of-35 for 315 yards.
Brett Hundley threw four touchdown passes and Johnathan Franklin rushed for two more for UCLA, which fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter before leading 21-17 at the half.
Franklin had 26 carries for 164 yards for the Bruins, who outgained the Sun Devils 535-486 in total yards. Hundley was 19-of-31 for 274 yards, and his 20-yard touchdown pass to Damien Thigpen put the Bruins ahead 42-33 with 9:43 left.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Arizona State DT Will Sutton, who leads the Pac-12 in sacks with 8.5, sat out the game with a knee injury. …UCLA kicked off to start both halves despite winning the coin toss. Captain Jeff Locke mistakenly elected to kick instead of choosing to defer to Arizona State. … The Sun Devils have outscored opponents 95-17 in the fourth quarter. … Arizona State entered the game with the nation’s top pass defense, allowing an average of 130 yards in the air.