Record Means Little to Drew

PALO ALTO —  UCLA running back Maurice Drew had 175 all-purpose yards in Saturday’s 30-27 overtime victory over Stanford, moving him into first place in school history with 4,299 yards.

Drew broke Gaston Green’s mark of 4,283 yards with a 10-yard punt return in the fourth quarter.

After the game, rather than talk about the record book, Drew wanted to talk about the Bruins’ latest come-from-behind victory and quarterback Drew Olson.

“There was never any doubt, and Drew just came in the huddle and told us to relax,” said Drew, who rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns and caught six passes for 87 yards.

“Once we got into our two-minute offense, things just started clicking and Drew did a great job of finding the open receiver. We were able to make plays and find the end zone.”

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When UCLA offensive coordinator Tom Cable realized Thursday that senior center Mike McCloskey was probably not going to be able to play against Stanford because of a sprained right shoulder, he decided to shuffle the Bruins’ offensive line.

Cable moved junior guard Robert Chai from guard to center, a position Chai had played in several games last season, in an effort to bolster the line against touted Cardinal nose guard Babatunde Oshinowo.

“As good as that nose guard is,” Cable said, “I thought, hey, let’s go with experience.”

Chai supplanted redshirt freshman Aaron Meyer, who had replaced McCloskey last week after McCloskey injured his shoulder in the first quarter against Oregon State.

After an uneven start Saturday against Stanford, Chai helped protect Olson in the crucial moments as the Bruins rallied from a 21-point, fourth-quarter deficit.

“I think I started out kind of slow because I was nervous, but as the game went on I got more used to it,” said Chai, who helped limit Oshinowo to five tackles.

Chai said McCloskey was “just a little sore” and should be able to return next Saturday against Arizona.

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Sophomore wide receiver Marcus Everett had a six catches for 61 yards, but he almost cost UCLA a win.

Everett fumbled after making a catch early in the fourth quarter, setting up Stanford’s final touchdown, which gave the Cardinal a 24-3 lead with 8:26 remaining.

“I was trying to pick up the first down and the Stanford player didn’t even hit the ball,” Everett said. “I was trying to reach out with it and just dropped it. I felt bad and knew I had to do something to help us win.”

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Mark Bradford, Stanford’s leading receiver, left early in the first quarter because of an apparent leg injury and did not return to the game. The school does not disclose the specifics of player injuries.

Bradford, a former Los Angeles Fremont High standout, caught two passes for 21 yards.