PASADENA, Calif. β The banged-up Arizona Wildcats lost to UCLA 45-24 Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.
It was the Catsβ second consecutive loss and fifth in a row to the Bruins.
Arizona fell to 2-3, 0-2 in the Pac-12. UCLA improved to 3-2, 1-1.
By the second half, the Wildcats were down to fourth-stringers at quarterback and tailback. QB Brandon Dawkins suffered an apparent rib injury in the first half and sat out the second. Tailback Nick Wilson appeared to re-injury his sprained ankle late in the first quarter and did not return.
Offensive linemen Gerhard de Beer and Jacob Alsadek also got hurt during the game.
Rich Rodriguez eventually turned to freshman quarterback Khalil Tate in the second half. Tate provided Arizona with a spark, leading three scoreing drives. But by then it was too late.
After a slow start, UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen passed for 350 yards and three touchdowns.
Arizona visits Utah next week.
THIRD QUARTER UPDATE:Β
PASADENA, Calif. β Arizona is running out of quarterbacks and running out of time.
The UA trails UCLA 24-10 through three quarters of their game Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.
QB Brandon Dawkins suffered an apparent rib injury in the first half and did not return. With Anu Solomon (knee) not making the trip, the Wildcats turned to walk-on Zach Werlinger. When Werlinger couldnβt move the ball, Rich Rodriguez lifted the redshirt off prized freshman Khalil Tate.
Making his college debut within driving distance of his hometown, Tate led Arizona to a field goal β its first points since early in the first quarter. Tate rushed eight times for 38 yards on the drive.
By that time, UCLA had built a double-digit led. The Bruins went 65 yards in six plays on the opening possession of the second half, scoring on Josh Rosenβs 19-yard pass to Theo Howard. UCLA expanded the lead to 24-7 on JJ Molsonβs 39-yard field goal, set up by Adarius Pickettβs 33-yard punt return to the UA 30.
UCLA was driving again at the end of the quarter. The Bruins will have first-and-goal from the 1 to start the fourth.
HALFTIME UPDATE:
PASADENA, Calif. β The Arizona Wildcatsβ defense is keeping them in a game in which their offense is struggling β and running out of healthy bodies.
Arizona trails UCLA 14-7 at halftime of their game Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. Quarterback Brandon Dawkins is the latest Wildcat to get hurt.
Dawkins suffered an apparent rib injury in the second quarter. He came out of the game for a series, returned to the field and exited again just before the end of the first half.
Walk-on Zach Werlinger replaced Dawkins and missed on all four of his passes attempts. Dawkins is 8 of 17 for 73 yards and one touchdown.
Arizona went three-and-out on five consecutive possessions to start the second quarter. Tyrell Johnson finally gained a first down on the Wildcatsβ final drive of the half, but three plays later Arizona punted for the eighth time.
UCLAβs offense hasnβt been much better. Arizona has put consistent pressure on QB Josh Rosen, hitting him multiple times. The Wildcats stopped the Bruins on fourth down and then forced three straight three-and-outs before Rosen took a knee to end the half. Rosen is 9 of 24 for 168 yards and one TD.
Toward the end of the first quarter, tailback Nick Wilson appeared to re-injure his sprained left ankle. That meant Arizona again was down to its fourth-string running back, Johnson. Receiver Samajie Grant even made an appearance in the backfield.
FIRST QUARTER UPDATE:Β
PASADENA, Calif. β A Josh Rosen touchdown pass gave UCLA a 14-7 lead over Arizona after the first quarter of their game Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.
The teams were tied entering the final seconds of the quarter. But after the Wildcats failed to convert on fourth-and-short, the Bruins struck. Rosen eluded Tellas Jones in the backfield and his Kenneth Walker III for a 62-yard touchdown. Walker got away from DaVonteβ Neal.
After both teams went three-and-out to start the game, Arizona QB Brandon Dawkins went to work. Dawkins gained 30 yards on a quarterback draw, then hit Trey Griffey for a 34-yard completion. Griffey made a spectacular leaping catch over UCLA safety Randall Goforth.
Two plays later, Dawkins rolled to his right and his Samajie Grant for a 13-yard touchdown to give the UA a 7-0 lead.
The lead was short-lived. Ishmael Adams returned the ensuing kickoff 52 yards to the Arizona 40. Five plays later, Nate Starks scored from the 2. Cody Ippolito appeared to get a piece of JJ Molsonβs extra point, but it fluttered through the uprights anyway.
Nick Wilson started at tailback for the Wildcats but appeared to re-injure his sprained left ankle late in the quarter.
