Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura is congratulated by fans after Arizona defeated UCLA 34-28 late Saturday night.

 Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press

PASADENA, Calif. — The Arizona Wildcats pulled off the upset of the year in the Pac-12 Saturday night — and the biggest win of the Jedd Fisch era.

Arizona stunned No. 12 UCLA 34-28 in front of an announced crowd of 44,430 at the Rose Bowl. The Wildcats were 20-point underdogs.

Arizona snapped a four-game losing streak. It was the Wildcats’ first win over a ranked opponent since Oct. 27, 2018, against Oregon. It was their first Pac-12 road win since Oct. 5, 2019, against Colorado. It was their first win at UCLA since Oct. 30, 2010.

"That was a big win. That was a big win for the program. That was a big win for Arizona football," Fisch said. "It meant a lot to our team. It meant a lot to our Southern California players. It meant a lot to our staff. It meant a lot to every player on our team."

Arizona improved to 4-6, 2-5 in the conference, remaining alive for a bowl berth. The Wildcats host Washington State next week.

UCLA dropped to 8-2, 5-2. The Bruins became the second Pac-12 team to fall out of contention for the College Football Playoff on Saturday. No. 6 Oregon lost to Washington in the game preceding Arizona-UCLA.

"In the end, I would give the credit to our players," Fisch said. "Our players played hard, and they got to enjoy it in the locker room, which was awesome.

"We have two weeks left that are guaranteed to us, and we're gonna do everything we can to find a third after that."

Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura passes during the first half of an NCAA college football game against UCLA Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura performed efficiently and at times brilliantly. He completed 22 of 28 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns – the second the go-ahead score to freshman Tetairoa McMillan with 6:34 remaining.

The Wildcats’ much-maligned defense made a fourth-down stop, pressuring Dorian Thompson-Robinson into an incomplete pass.

Tyler Loop’s 23-yard field goal bumped Arizona’s lead to 34-28 with 1:07 to play. UCLA got the ball back at its 27 with 1:05 left and no timeouts.

The Bruins advanced to the UA 29. Three incomplete passes led to one final play with four seconds remaining. Thompson-Robinson just missed a diving Jake Bobo in the back of the end zone. The jubilant Wildcats flooded the field to celebrate.

"It was really cool," Fisch said. "I'm excited for our players. Their smiles make all the difference in the world. It’s why you coach college football."

The Cats won despite UCLA tailback Zach Charbonnet gashing them for 181 yards and three touchdowns.

UA tailback Michael Wiley rushed for 97 yards, scored two touchdowns and helped the Wildcats bleed the clock.

Arizona running back Michael Wiley escapes a tackle by UCLA defensive back Jaylin Davies during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Arizona led 21-14 at halftime using the formula Utah used against the Wildcats last week. Arizona dominated time of possession (18:03-11:57) and field position (plus-14 average starting point). The Wildcats would hold those advantages throughout.

On the opening drive of the second half, UCLA advanced to the UA 21. Back-to-back tackles for loss pushed the Bruins back to the 28. Defensive tackle Tiaoalii Savea — who transferred from UCLA to Arizona last offseason — then blocked Nicholas Barr-Mira’s 45-yard field goal attempt. It was the Wildcats’ first blocked field goal since 2015.

Arizona couldn’t capitalize, as its next drive stalled at midfield. UCLA drove 89 yards for the tying touchdown. The key play: Thompson-Robinson’s 23-yard pass to Bobo on fourth-and-5 from the UA 44. Charbonnet finished the drive with a 1-yard TD run to tie the score at 21-21 with 3:38 left in the third quarter.

Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura passes during the first half of an NCAA college football game against UCLA Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

The Wildcats had a great chance to re-establish a seven-point lead on the next possession, driving to the Bruins’ 4. But an incomplete pass and a sack – the latter a rare bad decision by de Laura – forced Arizona to settle for a field goal. Loop’s 35-yarder gave the Wildcats a 24-21 advantage with 13:30 remaining.

But Arizona couldn’t stop Charbonnet. He converted a fourth-and-2 with a 5-yard run. He rumbled 36 yards on second-and-22, breaking multiple tackles. He then scored from the 5, his third TD of the night, to give UCLA its first lead, 28-24, with 10:22 left.

Arizona answered with de Laura’s TD pass to McMillan. It was the freshman’s only reception of the night.

De Laura seemed to be on the verge of tears when the game ended.

“I was showing emotion, just happy for the team, all the hard work we have put (in)," de Laura said. "We’ve had close games throughout that year that we couldn’t close out. Just knowing that we closed out this one is a good setup for the next two weeks. It’s just testimony to what everyone on the team went through during the offseason."

After a pair of punts on the first two possessions, Arizona put together an efficient 55-yard touchdown drive to take a 7-0 lead. Wiley and DJ Williams did most of the work, with each gaining 23 yards on the ground.

Wiley scored from the 10 on a beautifully designed play. De Laura faked a pitch to the left and handed the ball inside to Wiley, who was lined up on the wing.

After another stop, the Wildcats expanded the lead. Wiley scored again, this time on a 22-yard pass from de Laura.

UCLA wide receiver Jake Bobo is unable to hold on to a ball thrown to the end zone with no time left in an NCAA college football game against Arizona Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Pasadena, Calif. Arizona won 34-28. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

On the previous play, de Laura’s ball-handling issues from the Utah game appeared to resurface. He tried to throw a quick screen, but the ball slipped out of his hand. He recovered it for a 10-yard loss. But de Laura quickly redeemed himself, scrambling to his right and finding Wiley while on the run from a pair of defenders.

"Jayden made some special plays," Fisch said. "There's some things, they're not coachable. You can't say, 'Hey, spin around, run around, go backwards, come back, go forward, go backwards again, run around to the right and then complete the ball 30 yards down the field.' But I do say, ‘Great job.’ "

Arizona’s 14-0 lead was its first by double digits vs. a ranked opponent since that Oregon game in 2018.

It didn’t last. UCLA halved its deficit with a 73-yard TD drive bridging the first and second quarters. The key play: Thompson-Robinson’s 20-yard pass to Kam Brown on third-and-8 from the UA 23. Two plays later, Charbonnet plowed in from the 1.

Arizona advanced to the UCLA 35 on the next possession but stalled there. Kyle Ostendorp then dropped a punt at the 1-yard line.

Undeterred, the Bruins drove 99 yards in five plays. Charbonnet ripped off a 37-yard run. On the next play, Thompson-Robinson connected with Hudson Habermehl for a 51-yard touchdown. UA defensive backs Christian Roland-Wallace and Jaxen Turner both whiffed on Habermehl in the middle of the field.

Arizona responded on the next possession. De Laura played a starring role. He hit Jacob Cowing for a 28-yard gain, scrambled for 16 yards and scrambled again for a 3-yard touchdown.

UCLA had time to get into scoring range, but Kyon Barrs stripped Thompson-Robinson at the UA 20. Hunter Echols fell on the ball, securing the first-half lead.

Wiley has been with Arizona since 2019. The Wildcats have won only only nine games during his time in Tucson. Where does this one rank?

“This is No. 1 right here," Wiley said. "The effort, the overall team win. There were a lot of emotions out there. We wanted it badly. ... To beat the 12th-ranked team, that’s just phenomenal.”

Extra points

  • Cowing started after exiting last week’s game in the second half. He finished with nine catches for 118 yards.
  • Starting left tackle Jordan Morgan suffered a lower-body injury in the first quarter and did not return. Veteran Sam Langi took his spot. Fisch said Morgan should be OK but that the staff held him out for "precautionary reasons."
  • Defensive tackle Paris Shand did not make the trip for "medical reasons," Fisch said. He expects Shand to be cleared "soon." Shand had appeared in the first nine games, making seven starts.
  • Savea returned to the lineup after missing the previous four games.
  • Freshman cornerback Tacario Davis dressed after sitting out last week.

The Star's Justin Spears and Michael Lev recap the Arizona Wildcats' 34-28 stunning win over the No. 12 UCLA Bruins on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

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Contact sports reporter Michael Lev at mlev@tucson.com. On Twitter: @michaeljlev