Oct. 2, 1999
By MEL REISNER
AP Sports Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - Given J.R. Redmond's heroics, it was no wonder UCLA overlooked Delvon Flowers.
Redmond's backup took a screen pass 49 yards for the decisive touchdown with 23 seconds left as Arizona State continued its recent dominance of the Bruins with a 28-27 victory Saturday. Arizona State has won six of the last seven meetings.
Flowers, who had touched the ball only three times in the game until then, broke outside to score untouched, and Stephen Baker, who missed a chance to tie it earlier with a field goal, split the uprights with the extra point to complete the comeback.
UCLA had the final chance in an action-filled final minute that saw 10 points scored.
Cory Paus threw a short pass to Brad Melsby, who tried to lateral to Keith Brown. The pitch went awry, and Arizona State's Nijrell Eason covered the fumble to preserve the win.
Redmond had 185 yards on 23 carries and scored on runs of 32 and 80 yards and a 1-yard reception for the Sun Devils (2-2, 1-1 Pac-10), who broke a two-game losing streak and sent the Bruins (2-3, 0-2) to their second straight loss.
Brown gained 182 yards on 24 attempts and scored on 50- and 2-yard runs, Paus hooked up with Danny Farmer for an 85-yard TD, and Chris Griffith had field goals of 20 and 46 yards for the Bruins - the second with 53 seconds remaining..
Griffin, a third-stringer, came on after UCLA sacked Arizona State's Ryan Kealy twice, forcing him from the game, and replacement John Leonard proved ineffective. Kealy, who has bruised ribs, was unable to finish for the fifth time in his last six starts dating back to last year.
Griffin threw a costly interception on his first attempt.
Ryan Nece returned it 11 yards to the Arizona State 31-yard line, and Griffith's first field goal sent UCLA into a 24-14 lead 1:25 into the fourth quarter.
But Goodman took advantage when the Sun Devils got a break - safety Alfred Williams knocked the ball loose from Jermaine Lewis, and Solomon Bates recovered on the UCLA 14-yard line. Four plays later, Goodman threw to Redmond in the flat, and he scored easily with 8:13 remaining.
The Sun Devils got the ball back on an interception by Adam Archuleta. But Baker pushed a 44-yard field goal attempt left with 4:34 left, and Griffith capped UCLA's next possession with his second field goal.
The Sun Devils went 80 yards to victory in four plays - an 11-yard Goodman pass to Tariq McDonald, a 20-yard throw to Todd Heap, an incompletion and the screen to Flowers.
Farmer moved past Kevin Jordan into first on UCLA's career receiving-yardage list. He finished the game with six grabs for 148 yards and a career total of 2,651. His scoring catch was the sixth-longest in UCLA history.