A Defensive Victory for UCLA : Hancock Bowl: The signature on this one is dull, as Bruins beat Illinois, 6-3.

EL PASO —  In a contest that was a throwback to leather helmets and the tug of wars of the 1930s, UCLA won the John Hancock Bowl game Tuesday without scoring a touchdown.

The Bruins beat Illinois, 6-3, on two field goals by Louis Perez in a game that could be called an epic defensive struggle, or just plain dull.

To put the afternoon in perspective, it was the first time since 1940 that no touchdowns were scored in this event, formerly called the Sun Bowl.

For trivia buffs, that was the classic encounter between Arizona State and Catholic University, a scoreless tie.

Also, this was the first time UCLA has won a game without scoring a touchdown since it beat San Diego State, 18-15, in 1984.

Regardless, it improved UCLA’s season-ending record to 9-3, while Illinois dropped to 6-6. Moreover, Coach Terry Donahue’s teams have won in their last eight bowl appearances.

“It was a game dominated by defense and the kicking game,” said Donahue, who added that he didn’t expect a high-scoring game.

Nor, it can be assumed, did he anticipate a game in which neither team was able to score a touchdown.

With the score tied, 3-3, early in the fourth quarter, Perez kicked his second field goal, a 19-yarder, for the margin of victory.

Perez’s game-winning kick was set up when Illinois’ Filmel Johnson fumbled Darren Schager’s towering punt at his own 11-yard line. Linebacker Randy Cole recovered the ball to set up Perez.

On a mild day in Sun Bowl Stadium, the wind nevertheless swirled in confusing gusts for the quarterbacks, UCLA’s Tommy Maddox and Illinois’ Jason Verduzco.

“The wind kept changing,” Maddox said. “Sometimes the wind was behind you and then at other times, it was in front of you.”

Maddox completed 17 of 28 passes for 176 yards with one interception.

Verduzco, the strong-throwing, 5-foot-9 athlete from Antioch, Calif., completed 17 of 38 for 189 yards with three interceptions. His turnovers were the key in this defensive-oriented game.

Linebacker Arnold Ale got the first interception when the Illini were threatening at the Bruin seven. “I just read the eyes of the quarterback,” said Ale, who returned the interception 43 yards.

Cornerback Carlton Gray got an interception in the third quarter, and then linebacker Stacy Argo came up with another when Illinois was threatening from the UCLA 29 in the fourth quarter.

Argo tipped the ball, then caught it, and that was the last time Illinois had possession until the closing seconds of the game.

UCLA went on a time-consuming drive that ended at the Illinois six-yard-line.

Verduzco’s passes, including one with a cross-field lateral, managed to get the Illini to its own 42 before time ran out.

“We’ve won bowl games in a lot of different ways,” said Donahue, whose string began in 1983 with a victory over Illinois in the Rose Bowl.

Donahue was concerned that Illinois would have a psychological advantage because it was playing for a new coach, Lou Tepper, who recently replaced John Mackovic, the new Texas coach.

The UCLA coach credited Illinois’ defense with stifling his team’s offense.

“Their two-deep zone took away our long passing game, and when we went underneath, they plugged that gap,” he said. “They also took away our option play.”

Tepper said he was proud of his team, adding that the Illini played valiantly against “a great UCLA offense” for four quarters.

With his offense stymied, Donahue had to rely on his special teams and defense to position Perez for his field goals.

Perez provided UCLA with a 3-0 lead in the first quarter with a 32-yard kick.

Free safety Michael Williams set up the field goal by blocking Forry Wells’ punt.

“A gap opened up, and no one touched me,” Williams said. It was the first blocked punt by the Bruins since the 1987 Aloha Bowl game.

That margin held up until the third quarter when Illinois’ Chris Richardson kicked a 27-yard field goal for a 3-3 tie.

Strong safety Mike Hopkins intercepted a Maddox pass at the UCLA 40, and the Illini drove to the Bruin 10 to set up its field goal.

UCLA had some modest drives during the game. A Maddox-to-Sean LaChapelle pass carried to the Illini 16 in the first quarter, but the long gain was nullified by a clipping penalty.

Early in the fourth quarter, after Cole recovered Johnson’s fumble, the Bruins had a third-and-one situation at the Illinois two.

Instead of trying to run for a first down, or a touchdown, UCLA called a pass play. Maddox threw to LaChapelle, who caught the ball out of the end zone.

Maddox said he tried to loft his pass over a covering linebacker, but the ball went too far.

Then Perez kicked what turned out to be the game-winning field goal.

UCLA Notes

It was UCLA Coach Terry Donahue’s eighth nine-victory season in 16 years. . . . Illinois gained 308 total net yards to UCLA’s 268. The Bruins were previously averaging 456.3 yards a game in total offense. . . . UCLA tailback Kevin Williams, who was averaging 6.5 yards a carry, was restricted to 52 yards in 23 carries. . . . Bruin linebacker Arnold Ale was voted the game’s most valuable player.