UCLA finishes season with victory over ASU
By Daily Bruin Staff
Dec. 2, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 EDWARD LIN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Tailback Akil
Harris, playing in place of suspended DeShaun Foster, ran
for over 100 yards in Saturday’s game against the Sun Devils.
UCLA 52 ASU 42
By Scott Bair
Daily Bruin Reporter
It was like deja vu during the first four minutes of
UCLA’s regular-season finale against Arizona State.
ASU running back Tom Pace broke through the UCLA defense for a
42-yard touchdown run on the fifth play of the game.
Two weeks before, USC had jumped out to an early 7-0 lead that
turned into a 27-0 embarrassment.
After Pace’s run, the crowd fell silent, anticipating an
encore of the Bruins’ performance against USC.
The battered Bruins had been delivered a punch to the gut, but
on this Saturday, UCLA got back up and delivered the knockout
punch.
UCLA running back Akil Harris brought the Bruins back from the
brink with a 50-yard run, followed by a one-yard TD plunge.
“I saw that the line was going with the flow of my run, so
I made a cut between the tackle,” Harris said. “After
that it was just the linebackers between me and the
endzone.”
The Bruin offense never stopped, rolling on its way to a 52-42
victory.
Many of the 23 seniors that ran out of the tunnel for the last
time on Saturday made a lasting impact on the game.
Senior quarterback Scott McEwan, making his first start in the
last game of his five-year career, threw 20 completions for a total
of 280 yards and three touchdowns.
He orchestrated the offense better than any other Bruin
quarterback this season, using both accurate short passes and the
occasional long bomb. McEwan completed passes to seven different
receivers.
“The offensive line played well and the receivers put
forth a great effort,” McEwan said. “Everybody helped
make the passing game as successful as it was today.”
Harris was another Bruin who helped the passing game execute
their game plan. Harris rushed for a career-high 138 yards on 22
carries. Harris ran well between the tackles and outside the hash
marks. His consistent rushing kept the ASU defense honest and
allowed the passing game to function.
The UCLA defense did not play its finest game in the first
meeting between UCLA defensive coordinator Phil Snow and his former
team. ASU’s 42 points represents the most points UCLA had
given up this season.
ASU amassed a total of 184 yards on the ground and 226 through
the air. The UCLA defense saved face with crucial third down
stops.
The Bruins sacked ASU quarterback Andrew Walter six times on
third down, forcing a Sun Devil punt instead of possible
points.
UCLA was successful because the defense could tell from the ASU
formation whether a blitz would go through. The ASU coaches never
caught on to the Bruin strategy, which led to drive-killing fourth
downs.
One of the Bruins who recorded a sack was senior safety Jason
Stephens, who also left a lasting impression on the ASU receivers.
Stephens, who had not played in the last three games because of a
case of turf toe, had seven tackles, one pass deflection, a forced
fumble and a sack.
“There was a lot of emotion before the game, so I tried to
channel it into my game,” Stephens said. “If my toe
started hurting, the emotion just took over and killed the pain.
There was no way that I was coming out of that game.”
After the game, Stephens, despite his injuries and the roller
coaster ride of a season, was grinning from ear to ear.
The rest of the Bruin locker room was doing the same thing. The
Bruins, who have been trying to put the past behind them for the
last month finally succeed on Saturday.
“I think that I can speak for the team in saying that we
had a blast out there today.”
