PULLMAN, Wash. _ The secondary was sunk. The season was in ruins. The coach was outmatched.
The story was all but written midway through the third quarter Saturday night at Martin Stadium, UCLA on its way to another low while getting blown out by a superior opponent.
Then a gutty breed of Bruins materialized against No. 19 Washington State, forcing turnovers and scoring touchdowns, a blur of 29 consecutive points turning a runaway into an unexpectedly breathless Pac-12 Conference opener.
All UCLA needed after turning a 32-point laugher into a three-point white-knuckler was another score from its suddenly humming offense.
Demetric Felton provided it, catching a short pass and weaving through defenders for a 15-yard touchdown with 67 seconds left that lifted the Bruins to a wild 67-63 victory that felt like more than a singular triumph.
UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson spun in triumph, arms raised over his head after he completed a performance that completely rewrote the narrative on his season. He threw for a career-high 507 yards and five touchdowns while running for two more touchdowns.
Bruins linebacker Keisean Lucier-South made the lead hold up a few moments later when he blindsided Washington State quarterback Anthony Gordon, forcing a fumble that linebacker Josh Woods recovered.
UCLA players poured onto the field in celebration of a victory that seemed unlikely when it had trailed 49-17 midway through the third quarter.
UCLA looked like it was headed for disappointment with 2{ minutes left in the game when Thompson-Robinson's fourth-down pass was broken up.
But Washington State couldn't run out the clock. Receiver Easop Winston Jr. fumbled after making a catch on the Cougars' next drive, giving the ball back to the Bruins.
The improbable seemed possible when punt returner Kyle Philips had given the Bruins a 60-56 lead midway through the fourth quarter when he broke a tackle, cut back and weaved through would-be tackers for a 69-yard touchdown.
The score gave UCLA a 60-56 lead and put the onus on the Bruins' defense. That wasn't a good place for the Bruins to be.
Gordon, who had continually shredded UCLA's secondary, did it again, throwing a 65-yard touchdown pass to running back Max Borghi, who benefited from a defender slipping as he skirted the sideline.
Gordon finished with a school-record nine touchdown passes to go with 570 passing yards. None of it mattered on a night Thompson-Robinson made the plays that mattered most.
One of his touchdown runs was a three-yard scamper into the corner of the end zone that pulled the Bruins to within 56-53 with 8:10 left.
There were many other UCLA highlights.
The Bruins easily topped the 42 points they had scored through the season's first three games. Felton zigzagged his way to a 100-yard kickoff return and stiff-armed his way to a 94-yard touchdown catch. The defense forced six turnovers, tripling the two takeaways it had generated in the season's first three games.
UCLA nearly added another score when Chase Cota caught a tipped Hail Mary pass on the final play of the first half, planting his hand on the turf to keep his balance before being brought down just short of the goal line.
But the Bruins found themselves trailing because of some ongoing problems. There were more missed tackles as Borghi spun and sprinted his way to a 56-yard run. Thompson-Robinson had a pass intercepted one play after cornerback Darnay Holmes came up with one of his own.
Holmes was beaten on the play, but the ball found its way into his arms after Washington State's Dezmon Patmon bobbled it.
Thompson-Robinson gave the ball right back to the Cougars, however, when his next pass was intercepted. Gordon parlayed it into a 10-yard touchdown pass to Travell Harris.
After Felton's kickoff return pulled the Bruins to within 21-17, the Cougars found some more breathing room after converting on third and goal. UCLA cornerback Elijah Gates slipped on the play, leaving Winston open for an easy three-yard touchdown catch.
It was exactly the kind of mistake UCLA had pledged to avoid after Thompson-Robinson said midweek that coaches had developed an increased intolerance for sloppy play in practice in hopes of shaking the team from its early season funk.
"The coaches really picked up their intensity in terms of wanting stuff right and pushing us more," Thompson-Robinson said. " ... They want everything perfect now instead of letting things slide."
After it all, the Bruins found the perfect ending.
