BRUINS WIN WITH LAST PAUS UCLA 27, ARIZONA 24.

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

TUCSON, Ariz. - It took UCLA nearly two years to win a road game and it took almost as long for Cory Paus to run 13 yards.

But when the Bruins quarterback eluded the grasp of Antonio Pierce and slipped the ball over the goal line with 48 seconds left in the game to give UCLA a 27-24 victory over No. 24 Arizona (5-3, 3-2) on Saturday evening, both clearly were worth the wait.

When defensive tackle Rodney Leisle intercepted Arizona quarterback Ortege Jenkins' pass with 10 seconds left, all they heard from the crowd of 45,540 at Arizona Stadium was the sound of silence.

Or precisely the sound they'll hear from their critics, who as the Bruins slumped to three losses in their past four games, asked why they couldn't win on the road. Or why they played Arena League defense. Or why Paus could play well, but couldn't win games.

The win not only lifted their spirits, but their bowl hopes. UCLA (5-3, 2-3) is one game shy of qualifying for a bowl game and moved to within a game of Arizona for fourth place in the conference.

``I'm proud of them, but I'm more happy for them,'' UCLA coach Bob Toledo said, nodding to a locker room full of happily exhausted players. ``The last two weeks, we lost by six and eight points, but they never quit busting their fannies. They trusted us and believed in what we were doing.''

It was indeed a game for the true believers, no one more so than Paus.

While the sophomore played well since his return from a separated shoulder, the Bruins had lost two of those three games; and in two seasons he was 2-5 in games in which he started and completed.

Paus suffered through a mostly miserable evening on Saturday, having one of his two interceptions returned 36 yards for a touchdown by Arizona tackle Keoni Fraser. He also took a couple of bad sacks, a costly intentional grounding penalty, and midway through the final quarter feared his right shoulder had become separated again.

But when the Bruins got the ball at their own 34 with 2:47 to play, Paus was as good as perfect.

He hit Freddie Mitchell for 23 yards, then tight end Gabe Crecion for 9 more. After two runs by DeShaun Foster were stuffed, Paus dumped a fourth-and-4 pass over the middle to Mitchell, who turned up field for a 19-yard gain.

After two incompletions were sandwiched around an Arizona offside, Paus dropped back on third-and-5 from the Arizona 13-yard line. Mitchell, who had gone in motion to the right, ran a crossing route with Brian Poli-Dixon in the right corner. Tight end Brian Fletcher, lined up on the right, ran straight up the field.

Paus began to throw to Mitchell, but pulled the ball down when Mitchell stumbled.

Feeling pressure, he rolled to his left, then headed down field. He cut back at about 5-yard line and slipped past through the arms of linebacker Pierce just enough to lunge and reach the ball over the goal line.

``I was just trying to find an open receiver,'' Paus said. ``I'm not a running back, I'm a quarterback. I'm supposed to throw the ball. I'm sure I surprised Arizona. Anyone who watched tape said there's no way I'm going to beat you running the ball.''

When offensive coordinator Al Borges saw Paus take off, his first thought was: ``Run, Cory, run.''

``He's never going to break any land speed records. But his speed is deceptive - he's slower than he looks,'' Borges said. ``He had a difficult time tonight, but when push comes to shove, he made plays. The great quarterbacks battle through adversity and find a way to help their teams win and he did that tonight.''

In a season in which nothing has gone to form, it is only fitting that in addition to Paus' not-so-fleet feet the Bruins' other heroes were the leaky, creaky defense that had allowed an average of 37.5 points over the past three games and surrendered 604 yards in total offense to Oregon State last week.

Instead, they made Arizona look like Error-zona.

They intercepted four Jenkins passes, including Leisle's game-clincher, and held the Wildcats to 316 yards in total offense.

The only time they struggled was trying to catch Jenkins, who rushed 11 times for 104 yards. The Bruins defense helped set the offense up in Arizona territory twice in the third quarter, but the Bruins could manage just 12 yards in 11 plays and settled for a pair of 33-yard field goals by Chris Griffith.

Even down the stretch, they excelled. After the Bruins, trailing 24-20, turned the ball over at the Arizona 36 with 4:57 to play, the defense forced a three-and-out to set up the winning drive.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo: (1 -- color) UCLA running back De Shaun Foster dives into the end zone duting the Bruins' 27-24 victory over Arizona last Saturday.

John Miller/Associated Press

(2) UCLA running back DeShaun Foster eludes Arizona tackle Adrian Koch and runs for daylight in the first quarter Saturday.

John Miller/Associated Press