Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan ruined Oregon's national title chances in 2012. He did the same in 2013 in another upset.
While he wasn't able to complete the trifecta against the Ducks, he did ruin any hope UCLA had of making it to the College Football Playoff in 2014, playing nearly perfect football at the Rose Bowl on Friday afternoon in a 31-10 upset that had wide-ranging implications.
A redshirt junior, Hogan was 16-of-19 passing for 234 yards and two touchdowns. In a sharp contrast to his early-season form, Hogan hit big plays down the field and used his legs to pick up first downs, carrying the ball seven times for 46 yards.
The outing against the Bruins continued a two-week stretch in which the Cardinal offense came to life after being stuck in neutral for most of the year. The team racked 436 yards and averaged nearly 10 yards per play, but its real success came in controlling the clock -- the Cardinal held the ball nearly 16 minutes more than their opponents.
As a result of the ground game from Stanford, UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley was unable to make the most of his limited possessions. The redshirt junior came out before the game to take part in the team's Senior Day ceremony but didn't make the most of what could be his final time at college football's grandest stadium. Hundley went just 17-of-32 for 146 yards and one touchdown.
To make matters worse, he left the field late in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be an injury to his hand and was replaced by Jerry Neuheisel.
Running back Paul Perkins went for 116 yards on the ground but had to fight for every yard against a tough Stanford front seven that was swarming on every snap. Defensive lineman David Perry and Henry Anderson each were disruptive against the shaky UCLA offensive line, meeting Perkins in the backfield several times and sacking Hundley three times between them. Linebacker James Vaughters also grabbed another sack in a performance that was dominant throughout by one of the more underrated defensive units west of the Mississippi.
If there was a bright spot for UCLA, it came at halftime when they retired former great Troy Aikman's number in a ceremony on the field. Linebacker Eric Kendricks also became the school's all-time leading tackler with a stop in the third quarter.
On a beautiful Friday night at the Rose Bowl though, it was Hogan and the Cardinal who rode off playing the role of spoiler once again.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
