ARLINGTON, Texas — Billed as the Cowboys Showdown, the Texas-UCLA matchup played out like an old-fashioned Western shootout.
Both teams played it close to the vest, eyeing their opponent for three quarters. Then when they finally drew in the fourth quarter, UCLA had the better aim to claim a 20-17 victory at AT&T Stadium.
UCLA backup quarterback Jerry Neuheisel threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Jordan Payton as the Bruins took back the lead with three minutes left.
Earlier in the fourth, sophomore quarterback Tyrone Swoopes led the Longhorns (1-2) on a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. Swoopes threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to John Harris to give Texas a 17-13 lead.
Swoopes had the ball in his hands again with 2:55 to go, but the Bruins (3-0) stopped Texas from even gaining a first down. Swoopes threw incomplete on fourth-and-7 from his 26-yard line.
Neuheisel, who played the final three quarters in place of injured starter Brett Hundley, finished with 178 passing yards and two touchdowns. Teammates lifted Neuheisel on their shoulders after the win.
Hundley left the game after running 11 yards for a first down with 4:29 left in the first quarter.
Neuheisel took UCLA the rest of the way on a drive that reached the Texas 29 before Bruins kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn booted a 47-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
Hundley remained on the sideline with his helmet off until UCLA went back on the field for its next possession. But Neuheisel returned to the game and Hundley went to the locker room.
Meanwhile, Swoopes completed his first 11 passes and looked more confident running the offense as the first half progressed. He finished the half completing 13 of 15 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown.
Swoopes completed two passes and running back Malcolm Brown ran for 22 yards as Texas drove to the UCLA 14 before Nick Rose kicking a tying field goal from 33 yards.
The Longhorns then took the lead as Swoopes heated up, connecting on 6 of 8 passes on a 14-play, 62-yard touchdown drive.
Swoopes kept the drive going with a 33-yard completion to senior wide receiver John Harris on fourth-and-8 from the UCLA 38. Swoopes capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end M.J. McFarland that gave Texas a 10-3 edge that it took to halftime.
Swoopes finished 24 of 34 for 196 yards and the two scores.
NOTES: Although the UCLA-Texas series was tied at three wins each entering the game, there haven’t been many close ones between the Bruins and Longhorns. Only one game — the first meeting in 1970, which Texas won 20-17 — had been decided by fewer than 18 points. Texas won the last meeting, 49-20 in 2011, to stop UCLA’s three-game winning streak in the series. Saturday’s game at AT&T Stadium was the first time that UCLA and Texas met on a neutral field. … Entering the game, UCLA had won nine of 10 nonconference matchups, with the only loss coming against Baylor in the 2012 Holiday Bowl. … It was only Texas’ second game at AT&T Stadium. The Longhorns defeated Nebraska 13-12 in the 2009 Big 12 Championship game.
