Arizona’s training staff attends to injured quarterback Jordan McCloud after he went down during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game.

 Kelly Presnell photos, Arizona Daily Star

The Wildcats had the Bruins right where they wanted them Saturday night.

Arizona trailed UCLA by one score early in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats had the ball — having taken it away on the final play of the third period — and the momentum.

The offense, led by Jordan McCloud, was on the move.

Then disaster struck for a program that just can’t catch a break.

McCloud got sacked. His right leg got twisted. He lost the ball. With tears streaming down his face, McCloud had to be helped off the field. He would not return.

Arizona never seriously threatened again, losing 34-16 in front of an announced crowd of 43,258 at Arizona Stadium. It was the Wildcats' 17th consecutive defeat. By virtue of UMass’ victory over UConn earlier in the day, Arizona (0-5, 0-2 Pac-12) is the sole owner of the longest losing streak in the nation.

The next opportunity to end it comes next Saturday at Colorado. The Wildcats’ last victory came in Boulder on Oct. 5, 2019.

UCLA improved to 4-2, 2-1. The Bruins visit Washington next week.

"We're getting better," first-year coach Jedd Fisch said. "If we keep doing that, then at some point the tide turns.

"It hasn't turned yet, but we have an opportunity next Saturday for it to turn. And that's what we're gonna have to go out and do - see if we can have our best week of practice yet and keep building it.

"We’ve got a lot of guys that believe, a lot of guys that want to be a part of planting the seed for Arizona football in the future."

Things looked promising with McCloud at quarterback. The transfer from South Florida, making his second UA start, was managing the game well. He had compiled 203 yards of offense at the time of his injury.

"It was tough seeing Jordan go down like that - and a turnover as well," UA receiver Boobie Curry said. "You gotta keep fighting, bounce back and keep our heads up at all times, even when ... things happen like that. You just gotta keep moving forward."

Arizona turned to Gunner Cruz, who started the first two games before losing the job. McCloud was spotted on crutches on the UA sideline, so it seems unlikely he’ll be able to play at Colorado. Fisch said the injury doesn't appear to be "short term." More will be known after McCloud has X-rays and and an MRI.

Arizona quarterback Jordan McCloud fends off UCLA defensive lineman Datona Jackson long enough to avoid a sack in the first quarter. McCloud was injured in the second half and left the game.

Down 14-13 at halftime, Arizona allowed a 73-yard return on the opening kickoff of the second half. But the defense held UCLA to a field goal.

Arizona countered with a field goal — another anticlimactic ending to a drive that could have produced more. The Wildcats had third-and-1 at the UCLA 15-yard line. But Curry was flagged for an illegal block, pushing the ball back to the 30. Lucas Havrisik’s second 46-yard field goal of the night made it 17-16 midway through the third quarter.

UCLA expanded its lead to eight with its third touchdown drive of 70-plus yards. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson finished it with his second TD run. Thompson-Robinson struggled through the air, going 8 of 19 for 82 yards. But he didn’t need to do much as a passer; UCLA rushed for 329 yards.

"We weren’t able to stop the run as a defense," linebacker Anthony Pandy said. "We were there. We just missed some tackles. Missed tackles hurt the defense a lot."

Brittain Brown’s 45-yard touchdown run with 7:48 to play made it 31-16 and essentially put the game on ice. Arizona’s next possession ended with a fumble.

A fumble by UCLA — forced by Kenny Hebert and recovered by Treshaun Hayward — gave Arizona a chance entering the fourth quarter. McCloud’s injury took all the energy out of the building.

"Emotionally, it hurts," Fisch said. "It was first-and-10. We had the ball. We just got a 15-yard pass-interference penalty. We were on about the 40.

"Wound up taking a sack. With that, a fumble. With that, losing your quarterback. With that, having to put your defense back on the field. That's a tough one."

Arizona wide receiver Boobie Curry (2) almost makes the one-handed grab despite pass interference from UCLA defensive back Jay Shaw in the second quarter Saturday night.

Thompson-Robinson had one of the worst halves of his career in the opening 30 minutes, completing only 1 of 8 passes for 3 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Arizona’s red-zone issues cropped up again in the first half. The Wildcats entered Saturday near the bottom nationally in red-zone efficiency. They reached the UCLA 9-yard line on the opening possession, but a false-start penalty pushed them back. Arizona had to settle for a 28-yard field goal by Tyler Loop. It was the first field goal of Loop’s career.

The Wildcats committed five false-start penalties.

The next Arizona drive followed the same pattern. The Wildcats advanced to the UCLA 20. But on second-and-10, McCloud couldn’t handle an errant snap. The play resulted in an 11-yard loss. The possession ended with another field goal, this one a 46-yarder by Havrisik.

UCLA, meanwhile, cashed in when it got close.

The Bruins answered the opening field goal with a touchdown drive that consisted almost entirely of running plays. Thompson-Robinson’s pass to Greg Dulcich for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 3 was the lone completion of the possession.

Up 7-6, UCLA mounted a second TD drive of 70-plus yards. This one didn’t feature a single completed pass. Thompson-Robinson finished the drive with a 3-yard keeper to make it 14-6 with 3:01 left in the second quarter.

The Wildcats finally found the end zone on their penultimate possession of the half, and it took a bit of trickery. Aided by three UCLA penalties, Arizona faced first-and-goal at the 10. McCloud threw a backward pass to Jamarye Joiner. The former quarterback then fired a strike to Michael Wiley just inside the end line. The touchdown cut Arizona’s deficit to 14-13 with 30 seconds to play in the half.

It was the first touchdown pass of Joiner’s career and the first touchdown catch of Wiley’s.

Extra points

• UA starting cornerback Isaiah Rutherford did not suit up because of strep throat. Rutherford has been one of Arizona’s most effective defenders, allowing a completion rate of just 33.3%. He's expected back next week.

• With Rutherford out, Treydan Stukes made his first career start. Stukes, a second-year freshman, has been the Wildcats’ No. 3 outside corner.

• Tight end Alex Lines played after missing the end of the Oregon game because of a shoulder injury.

• Mo Diallo started at the “Anchor” defensive end positions. Diallo started Game 3 against NAU but had to sit out the first half vs. Oregon because of a targeting infraction.

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Contact sports reporter Michael Lev at 573-4148 or mlev@tucson.com. On Twitter @michaeljlev