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The Arizona State Sun Devils tried their best to get back on track Saturday afternoon but ultimately were handed a cold dish of devastation with UCLA getting in range for a late 33-yard field goal to steal a 45-43 victory.
Taylor Kelly had another strong performance in front of the home crowd with 370 total yards and four passing touchdowns against one interception. D.J. Foster also did his part with 168 total yards (107 receiving) and one touchdown but UCLA RB Johnathan Franklin was just as unstoppable with 164 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
The Sun Devils offense stalled early but Steven Manfro misread Josh Hubner's punt, allowing ASU to gain some momentum with a fumble recovery and jump out to a 14-0 lead.
Something clicked for QB Brett Hundley and the Bruins after that though as the offense went on a 21-3 run with RB Johnathan Franklin busting off some impressive scampers. UCLA's final touchdown came in the final 70 seconds of the first half after Kelly's lone interception set them up nicely with ASU's offense trying to move the ball deep in their own territory.
Luckily, the Devils got the luxury of receiving the ball to start both halves as the Bruins accidentally elected to kick on the coin flip instead of defer. With Foster moving the ball 54 yards on a catch-and-run, new kicker Jon Mora was able drain his second field goal of the day.
Clearly upset with the freebies they've given the Devils, the Bruins answered back in one play as Hundley hit Damien Thigpen for a 65-yard touchdown strike. Continuing with the second half fireworks, both teams exchanged two touchdowns each with Marion Grice finding pay dirt twice for ASU on receptions of 20 and eight yards.
Following a 22-yard Mora field goal, the Devils defense had their strongest sequence of plays at the perfect time. Bradon Magee brought down Hundley on third down to force a UCLA three-and-out and give ASU a short field for their comeback.
With the ball on the their 44 and the team down six points, Kelly stepped his game up a notch, sprinting for a 32-yard gain to put the Devils in business. Three plays later, Kelly bought some extra time after the play broke down and located Foster for a seven-yard touchdown to give ASU a 43-42 lead.
Unfortunately, Arizona State's defense wasn't able to work the same magic when UCLA got the ball back with 1:33 remaining. Hundley orchestrated a prolific drive, completing three of his five pass attempts for 45 yards to set Ka'imi Fairbairn with a 33-yard field goal attempt. And despite being 9-of-14 on the season, the Bruins kicker wouldn't fail his offense, easily draining the chip shot to give the Bruins a narrow 45-43 road victory.
Saturday's heartbreaker now extends the Devils losing streak to two as they've allowed a total of 88 points without DT Will Sutton on the field. ASU sets off for a road trip next week but with No. 7 Oregon State and No. 9 USC on tap, this skid could be at four straight losses by the time they return home for the Washington State game.