UCLA outscores Northwestern to capture Sun Bowl

Brandon Breazell returned two onside kicks for touchdowns and Drew Olson recovered from an awful first quarter by throwing three TD passes to lead No. 17 UCLA to a 50-38 win over Northwestern in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, on Friday.

With star tailback Maurice Drew limited to punt returns after a first-half shoulder injury, Chris Markey finished with 150 yards rushing and Kahlil Bell added 136 yards. The Bruins (10-2) gave coach Karl Dorrell his first bowl victory in three tries.

The Wildcats (7-5) pulled within 36-31 with 2:29 to play when Brett Basanez threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Mark Philmore, but Breazell -- a receiver lined up to make sure the Bruins kept the ball -- returned the ensuing onside kick 43 yards.

After Basanez added a 5-yard TD pass to Shaun Herbert with 23 seconds remaining, Breazell struck again by taking the next onside kick for a 41-yard score, punctuating the highest-scoring Sun Bowl ever.

It figured to be a wild afternoon, as both teams came in ranked among the national leaders in offense but among the nation's worst defenses.

Sure enough, the Wildcats set a Sun Bowl record with 584 total yards and the teams combined for another record with 1,037 yards.

Northwestern reached a bowl for a school-record third time under coach Randy Walker, but the Wildcats will need at least another year to win in the postseason for the first time since beating California in the 1948 Rose Bowl.

Olson had only three interceptions all season while tossing a school-record 31 touchdown passes, but he was picked off three times in the first quarter alone as the Wildcats built an early 22-0 lead.

But that was hardly the end.

Olson regrouped, guiding the Bruins to 29 unanswered points. He threw a 58-yard TD strike to Ryan Moya and Bell scored on runs of 5 and 6 yards. Then Olson added an 8-yard TD pass to Marcus Everett late in the first half as the Bruins took a 29-22 lead.

Olson started 2-of-8 for 15 yards with three interceptions. From there, he completed 8-of-16 passes for 127 yards with three TDs.

Basanez was 38-of-70 for 416 yards passing with two TDs and two interceptions for Northwestern, while freshman Tyrell Sutton, who averaged 126 yards rushing per game this season, had 84 yards.

Music City Bowl Virginia 34, Minnesota 31

Connor Hughes kicked a 39-yard field goal with 1:08 left, and quarterback Marques Hagans helped Virginia overcome a 14-point deficit to beat Minnesota 34-31 Friday in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn.

Minnesota (7-5) once led 21-7, but the nation's fifth-best offense bogged down after taking a 31-24 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Virginia (7-5) outgained Minnesota 468-461 in total offense.

-- The Associated Press