PASADENA, Calif. -- UCLA freshman Tommy Maddox brought a strong right arm -- and a little bit of luck -- into the second half of Saturday's game with Stanford. The result was the Bruins' first victory in almost a year.
Maddox threw for two touchdowns and a bizarre two-point conversion after halftime, then marched the Bruins to Brad Daluiso's 21-yard field goal with one second remaining to rally UCLA to a 32-31 triumph over the Cardinal.
Maddox replaced the slumping Jim Bonds to start the third quarter. UCLA had equaled a school record first set in 1943 by not winning in its previous seven games dating to last October 7.
'Our team desperately needed this win,' UCLA Coach Terry Donahue said.
UCLA evened its record at 1-1 while the Cardinal fell to 0-2 in the Pacific-10 opener for both schools.
John Hopkins' 49-yard field goal had given Stanford a 31-29 edge with 74 seconds left. But Maddox brought the Bruins back, finding Reggie Moore five times in an 80-yard, 9-play drive that set up Daluiso, a walk-on, for the game-winning kick.
Stanford lost its season-opener when Colorado scored a touchdown with 12 seconds left.
'We just came up short two weeks in a row,' said Coach Dennis Green, whose team has lost seven of its last eight Pac-10 openers. 'We played two fine teams. But we will be ready to play the rest of them.'
Maddox, who made his college debut in a loss to Oklahoma last week, completed 13 of 20 passes for 244 yards and no interceptions. He tossed TD passes of 34 yards to Moore -- who had 8 catches for 133 yards -- and 36 yards to Bryan Adams.
However, his most remarkable play came with 5:51 left.
After Maddox and Adams brought UCLA to within 28-27, the extra point was blocked. But Maddox, serving as the holder, picked up the loose ball and passed to Rick Daly for the stunning 2-point conversion that gave the Bruins the lead.
'I just saw it and reacted,' Maddox said. 'I didn't even know we could do it and have it count. I threw it and waited to see what they would call it.'
Donahue said: 'It was obviosuly a very lucky play. But we had had a lot of bad luck too, so I'm not going to apologize.'
Jason Palumbis and Ed McCaffrey combined on two touchdowns passes and Tommy Vardell scored twice for the Cardinal. Palumbis finished 21 of 32 for 231 yards and two interceptions.
After Daluiso missed a 42-yarder on the first drive of the second half, the Cardinal used a 14-play, 76-yard drive en route to a 21-7 lead. McCaffrey, who caught 9 passes for 123 yards, ended the march by getting one foot inside the back of the end zone to complete an 18-yard scoring play.
The Bruins retaliated when Maddox -- on 4th-and-4 -- combined with Moore on the 34-yard TD strike with 56 seconds left in the third quarter.
Two plays later, linebacker Roman Phifer picked off Palumbis at the Stanford 11. Maddox was sacked, but then sidearmed an 18-yard pass to Michael Moore on 3rd-and-18 to the 1. Kevin Williams scored his second touchdown seconds later to tie it 21-21 with 13:07 to play.
However, Stanford took a 28-21 lead when Vardell scored from 5 yards out on a draw play with 7:07 remaining.
McCaffrey, who missed the loss at Colorado because of back spasms, had grabbed Palumbis' 7-yard pass in the back of the end zone to tie it 7-7 with 56 seconds left in the first quarter.
Hopkins missed a 49-yard field goal, but Stanford went ahead on Vardell's 8-yard burst with 3:08 left in the half.
Bonds, who completed just 2 of 8 passes for 15 yards, then fumbled a snap, and Stanford took over on the UCLA 35 with two minutes remaining before intermission. But Palumbis was intercepted by EricTurner in the end zone.
Maddox replaced Bonds to start the second half and on his first play found Reggie Moore for 15 yards -- equaling the Bruins' passing yardage in the first half. He moved UCLA to the Stanford 23, but Daluiso missed a 42-yarder.
The Bruins had driven 49 yards on their first drive to Williams' 3- yard run and a 7-0 lead.
