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A win is a win, but it came at a cost for Stanford

Stanford wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside catches the game-winning touchdown in Stanford's 22-13 win over UCLA. (Getty Images)

The list of what went wrong for Stanford against UCLA was extensive Saturday night at the Rose Bowl, so much so that the final score of 22-13 in favor of the Cardinal over the Bruins warrants a double take.

As Solomon Thomas rumbled into the end zone for a scoop-and-score with no time left on the clock, there undoubtedly were many people in the Rose Bowl still wondering, "What just happened?"

That question could have been repeated often throughout a game that seemed unwilling to develop a rhythm. Both offenses couldn't fully solve the opposing defense and each side piled up mistakes.

The Cardinal offense stalled for most of the game in the face of a fierce Bruins defense unlike anything Stanford saw in last season's matchup. And the self-inflicted errors -- such as the penalties on the opening drive and Ryan Burns' interception -- didn't help.

The Bruins led the game for almost exactly three quarters of game time -- from 18 seconds left in the first quarter until 24 seconds left in the fourth -- when freshman J.J. Arcega-Whiteside hauled in the game-winning score.

It was a remarkable turn of events after the Cardinal experienced possibly their most disheartening stretch of play within a game in a more than a year.

The second quarter saw Alijah Holder, Quenton Meeks and Francis Owusu each leave the game because of injuries.

The Owusu hit was a disturbing repeat of a nightmare Stanford fans and the Owusu family have experienced before. And just like six years ago in Autzen, the play resulted in a fumble that the opposing team recovered while the receiver lay motionless on the field.

The hit sparked a fierce debate on Twitter about targeting, with many confused by the lack of consistency in enforcing the rule while others clung to the old idea of, "That's football."

Once the shock wore off of the replay review allowing the play to stand, the Bruins were held to a field goal in a critical moment of the game.

But the 10-3 halftime lead seemed destined to expand with UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen facing backup corner backs Alamenn Murphy and Terrence Alexander for the rest of the game. Instead, the Bruins' longest touchdown drive of the night was 26 yards in the first quarter after Kenny Young returned Burns' interception 40 yards.

The Stanford defense, bolstered by the return of Harrison Phillips at nose tackle, kept UCLA out of the end zone for the final three quarters. UCLA was held to 77 yards rushing as the Bruins leaned heavily on Rosen to win the game.

Again, it was a strategy that seemed wise considering the injuries Stanford suffered in the first half.

But, despite several times taking advantage of UCLA tight ends on Stanford linebackers, Rosen and the Bruins offense couldn't put the game away. The Stanford defense's effort and Conrad Ukropina's trusted right foot kept the Cardinal close enough for Burns to lead the winning drive.

Before the final 1:41 left of the game, the Cardinal had 77 passing yards. But Burns rallied with the help of Trenton Irwin and Arcega-Whiteside, who each made difficult catches on the drive.

And ultimately it was a fade route to the high school All-American, who didn't receive in-state offers from South Carolina or Clemson, that won a game in the Rose Bowl.

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