PASADENA, Calif. — In his first collegiate start, Arizona quarterback Rhett Rodriguez led the Wildcats all the way down to the wire against UCLA, but fell to the Bruins 31-10 on Saturday.
Rodriguez completed 15 of 34 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns, but threw a pair of interceptions.
Arizona took a 24-20 lead to start the fourth quarter following a J.J. Taylor 1-yard touchdown run, but the Bruins responded with a Joshua Kelley run to retake the advantage 31-27.
Rodriguez connected with wide receiver Shawn Poindexter for a 33-yard completion on the ensuing drive, but the Wildcats couldn't punch the ball into the end zone. Josh Pollack kicked a 29-yard field goal and the Wildcats trimmed the lead to a point.
On defense, Arizona couldn't stop UCLA and called all three timeouts before the Bruins ran out the clock to win the game.
Arizona falls to 3-5 on the season (2-3 Pac-12) and loses to UCLA for the fourth consecutive time at the Rose Bowl.
For the full game story complete with quotes and postgame coverage, click here.
Arizona quarterback Rhett Rodriguez passes during the first half of an NCAA college football game against UCLA, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, in Pasadena, Calif.
THIRD-QUARTER UPDATE:
The Arizona Wildcats are making it interesting.
Arizona trails UCLA 24-20 entering the fourth quarter of their game Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.
Rhett Rodriguez, making his first career start, has thrown a pair of touchdown passes but also two interceptions.
After forcing a three-and-out on the opening possession of the half – thanks to a PJ Johnson-led stop of Joshua Kelley on third-and-1 – Arizona drove for a field goal. The drive began with a 31-yard pass from Rodriguez to Devaughn Cooper. It also featured a 25-yard run by J.J. Taylor and a 10-yard run by Gary Brightwell. The field goal, a 29-yarder by Josh Pollack, made it 17-10.
Dereck Boles then made what could turn out to be the game-turning play. On the next play from scrimmage, Boles stripped a stumbling Wilton Speight and recovered the ball at the UCLA 15-yard line.
Three plays later, Rodriguez connected with Shawn Poindexter for an 11-yard touchdown. It was their second TD hookup of the game.
Arizona took a 20-17 lead on Pollack’s 39-yard field goal, but it was short-lived. UCLA responded with a six-play, 75-yard drive that took just 1 minutes, 50 seconds. It ended with Speight’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Demetric Felton.
On the next possession, UCLA’s Elijah Gaines intercepted Rodriguez, tipping a back-shoulder throw intended for Stanley Berryhill III and corralling the ball at the UCLA 29-yard line.
After losing by a point to Chip Kelly and UCLA, Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin, left, faces a lot of unanswered questions.
HALFTIME UPDATE:
PASADENA, Calif. — Rhett Rodriguez and the Arizona Wildcats trail UCLA 17-7 at halftime of their game Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.
Rodriguez, making his first career start, struggled in the first quarter before finding something a rhythm in the second. After starting 2 of 11, Rodriguez is 8 of 21 for 111 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Down 10-0, Arizona got on the board with 6:38 left in the half. Rodriguez connected with Shawn Poindexter for a 13-yard touchdown to cap a five-play, 71-yard drive. Rodriguez found Tony Ellison for 38 yards earlier in the possession.
UCLA responded with a 13-play, 75-yard TD drive. Backup QB Wilton Speight, subbing for the injured Dorian Thompson-Robinson, converted a fourth-and-7 from the UA 46. Two plays later, Speight hit Devin Asiasi for a 24-yard touchdown. Asiasi got a step on freshman cornerback McKenzie Barnes, who made his first career start.
The UA offense finally got something going on its second possession of the second quarter. J.J. Taylor broke free and was headed for a touchdown. But UCLA cornerback Darnay Holmes punched the ball out from behind as Taylor neared the goal line. It caromed into the end zone, where Holmes recovered it for a safety. Instead of a 56-yard touchdown, Taylor was credited with a 55-yard run and a lost fumble.
Thompson-Robinson exited the game in the second quarter after being sacked by Colin Schooler. After an off night at Utah last week, Schooler has eight tackles, including 2.5 for losses, and a pass breakup.
The second quarter began with JJ Molson’s 40-yard field goal, which made the score 10-0.
Taylor has 84 yards on six carries. Poindexter has three receptions for 52 yards.
FIRST-QUARTER UPDATE:
PASADENA, Calif. — The Rhett Rodriguez experiment has yet to yield the results the Arizona Wildcats were seeking.
With Rodriguez making his first career start at quarterback, Arizona trails UCLA 7-0 through one quarter Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins were lining up for a field goal when the second quarter began.
Rodriguez, replacing the injured Khalil Tate, has completed just 2 of 11 passes for 33 yards with an interception.
After Rodriguez and the offense went three-and-out on the game’s opening possession, UCLA pieced together a nine-play, 62-yard touchdown drive. Dorian Thompson-Robinson capped it with a 16-yard pass to tailback Kazmeir Allen, who was uncovered leaking out of the backfield to the left side.
The UA offense moved the ball to the UCLA 18, highlighted by a 33-yard completion from Rodriguez to Shawn Poindexter. But on second-and-6, Rodriguez threw an interception. Under pressure in the backfield, he lofted pass into the end zone for Tony Ellison. Rodriguez didn’t see deep safety Quentin Lake, who picked the ball off and returned it to the UCLA 12-yard line.
Arizona is playing without its top three cornerbacks from the Week 1 depth chart: Jace Whittaker, Lorenzo Burns and Tim Hough. One of their replacements, Christian Young, got caught peaking into the backfield on a 58-yard pass from Thompson-Robinson to Theo Howard. Young moved from safety to corner this week.
