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BOX SCORE
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- UCLA coach Bob Toledo said he wasn't
about to yank Ryan McCann again, no matter what happened.
|  | | UCLA's Ricky Manning Jr. (9) and Freddie Mitchell (3) celebrate their upset of third-ranked Michigan. |
It proved to be the right decision as the Bruins (No. 17 ESPN/USA Today, No. 14 AP) beat the No. 3
team in the country for the second time in three games.
Pulled after a sub-par first half last weekend, McCann overcome
a difficult opening 30 minutes to lead the No. 14 Bruins to a 23-20
comeback victory over Michigan on Saturday.
McCann passed for 236 yards and two second-half touchdowns
including a 2-yarder to Ed Ieremia-Stansbury with 6:30 remaining to
put the Bruins ahead for the first time.
"I think we proved we were the No. 1 team in the nation," said
McCann, a third-year sophomore who completed 21 of 40 passes. "I
don't know who else we can beat, or what else we can do.
"The first half, we were so close. The second half, we executed
and showed everybody what we could do."
Toledo said he told McCann he was going to play until the
outcome was decided.
"I told him, `This is your game to win, don't look behind you,'
" Toledo said. "This game was for the program. If we were going
to be among the elite teams in the country, we had to make a
statement today. I think we made it."
The Bruins (3-0), who opened the season with a 35-24 victory
over then-No. 3 Alabama on Sept. 2, moved 85 yards on seven plays
to go ahead for the first time.
Holder Drew Bennett bobbled a low snap from center on the
extra-point try, leaving UCLA with a three-point lead and opening
the door for the Wolverines (2-1) to tie with a field goal.
However, Hayden Epstein, who had a tough time kicking all day, was
wide left on a 24-yarder with 3:27 left.
Then, with 1:28 remaining and Michigan at the UCLA 25, John
Navarre's pass over the middle was intercepted by Jason Stephens.
The Bruins then ran out the clock.
"I was just playing my normal zone, and when I saw the ball
coming, I was in disbelief," Stephens said. "The closer it got,
the bigger it got. The minute I caught the ball, I started to
cry."
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said the Wolverines had no excuses.
"We had the opportunities," Carr said. "They came up with the
turnover at the end. I think McCann played extremely well."
That's more than could be said for Navarre, a redshirt freshman
filling in for the injured Drew Henson. Navarre entered the game
leading the nation in passing efficiency, but had a horrible time
against UCLA, completing 8 of 28 passes for 111 yards and going
1-for-10 for 37 yards in the second half.
"It's a learning experience, and it's not the way you want to
learn," Navarre said.
McCann, 6-of-19 for 76 yards in the first half, was 15-of-21 for
150 yards after halftime. He was yanked after going 12-of-23 for
106 yards in the first half of a 24-21 victory over Fresno State.
"He made a couple bad decisions in the beginning, but he proved
he was a good enough quarterback to beat us," cornerback James
Whitley said.
The Bruins dominated the second half, taking advantage of the
hot, smoggy weather at the Rose Bowl, where a crowd of 88,044
cheered them on. It was 100 degrees at kickoff time, and 110 at the
beginning of the second half.
"This is one of the hottest games that I've ever been in, and
it got hotter as the score got closer," Toledo said. "We were
both wearing down."
UCLA gained 266 yards in the final 30 minutes to 180 for
Michigan, and outscored the Wolverines 20-7 after halftime.
UCLA's DeShaun Foster, held to 12 yards on eight carries in the
first half, finished with 95 yards on 24 carries. Freddie Mitchell
caught seven passes in the second half and 10 overall for 137
yards.
Michigan's Anthony Thomas gained 182 yards on 24 carries to
surpass the 100-yard mark for the 11th time in 12 games and move up
to fifth on the Wolverine's career rushing list.
Thomas burst 68 yards up the middle on a third-and-inches play
to give the Wolverines a 6-0 lead midway through the first quarter,
making it 11 straight games in which the 6-foot-2, 223-pound senior
has scored a touchdown. Epstein missed the conversion.
UCLA's Chris Griffith kicked a 29-yard field goal eight seconds
into the second quarter. However, the Wolverines made it 13-3 less
than 2½ minutes later on a 29-yard pass from Navarre to David
Terrell on the first play after Justin Fargas stripped the ball
from punt returner Ricky Manning and Dan Rumishek recovered.
A 5-yard run by Foster capped an 80-yard, 14-play UCLA drive
following the second-half kickoff. The Bruins converted three
third-down plays in as many chances after going 0-for-8 in the
first half.
After an exchange of punts, Michigan moved 57 yards on five
plays to extend its lead to 20-10. Navarre threw a 37-yard pass to
Terrell to begin the drive -- his only completion of the second half
-- and Chris Perry capped it with a 9-yard sweep of right end.
UCLA responded by driving 80 yards on 10 plays, with McCann
throwing a 20-yard scoring pass to Brian Poli-Dixon to cut
Michigan's lead to 20-17.
Epstein missed a 46-yard field goal with 13:36 remaining, and
the Bruins quickly moved to the Michigan 33, but Ieremia-Stansbury
fumbled, and Norman Boebert recovered for the Wolverines.
Ieremia-Stansbury would later take advantage of an opportunity to
atone.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Michigan Clubhouse
UCLA Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 UCLA's Jason Stephens comes up with a big interception late in the game.
avi: 1198 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Michigan's Anthony Thomas busts up the middle and goes 68 yards for the TD.
avi: 1303 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
The Bruins' Ryan McCann connects with Ed Ieremia-Stansbury for the go-ahead TD.
avi: 722 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Michigan's Chris Perry rounds the corner and scores.
avi: 1359 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
UCLA's DeShaun Foster dives for the 5-yard touchdown.
avi: 711 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Bob Toledo says UCLA made a statement by beating Michigan.
wav: 96 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Marques Anderson says the Bruins played with intensity.
wav: 77 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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