UCLA falls again in fifth week, this time 38-23 to Arizona State

UCLA freshman quarterback Josh Rosen pursed his lips and blew, and then said, “Losing is not fun.”

The Bruins were in trouble way before Arizona State polished off a 38-23 victory that left the Pac-12 South more confusing.

As the clock drained, so did all the momentum UCLA (4-1 overall,1-1 Pac-12) had built through four weeks of the season. They started Saturday ranked seventh nationally. They left the Rose Bowl with a stinging loss to the unranked Sun Devils (3-2, 1-1).

The salt in the wound was Kalen Ballage’s 23-yard run, with the entire offensive line pushing him along, for the final touchdown with 45 seconds left.

But that was just the coup de grace, and Rosen new it.

“We put ourselves in too deep a hole and couldn’t come back,” Rosen said.

The Bruins started slow, and got slower before trying to scramble back in the fourth quarter. They were unable to erase the 29-10 deficit and were left trying to explain another pratfall, this time against a team that was blitzed by USC, 42-14, a week ago.

A year ago, the Bruins were eighth nationally after winning their first four games. The follow-up was a loss to Utah.

“We have to own it, all of us, starting with me, and we have to learn and move on,” Coach Jim Mora said in a brief postgame news conference.

Mora pointed to the injuries. Cornerback Marcus Rios was in the hospital this week with an illness and did not start for a defense already missing three starters.

Mora cited the start of school, saying that the Bruins will have midterms this coming week.

“I don’t like to use excuses, but this was not an easy week with injuries and just starting school,” Mora said. “You look at our history and we have struggled this week. We have to figure it out before this week next year.”

Arizona State seemed to gawk while USC threw for 379 yards and five touchdowns last week. Yet the Bruins spent more than a half trying to establish the run. They couldn’t, finishing with 62 yards and averaging 2.2 yards per carry.

On their first 19 first downs, the Bruins ran the ball 11 times, gaining a total of 33 yards.

“Maybe that’s on me, because I get stubborn and I know we can run the football,” offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone said. “I force the issue maybe a little more than I should. I feel a lot better when Paul [Perkins] is breaking runs, and he wasn’t doing that tonight.”

Perkins, the nation’s 10th leading rusher, finished with 68 yards. He had 29 on a fourth-quarter run to the four-yard line that nearly jump-started a UCLA comeback.

Perkins scored on a one-yard run to cut the Arizona State lead to 29-16 with 14 minutes left.

Rosen went to work next. He completed 28 of 40 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns. His second, a 17-yard pass to Thomas Duarte, pulled UCLA to within 29-23 with nine minutes left.

But the Bruins couldn’t get over the hump.

Arizona State ran nearly four minutes off the clock at the end, getting Ballage’s touchdown run as a payoff.

It tracked that way all night.

The Sun Devils were able to get what they needed when they needed it, mostly because of quarterback Mike Bercovici.

In the third quarter, Bercovici lumbered, untouched, on a 34-yard touchdown run. He then tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Foster for a 29-10 lead with eight minutes left in the quarter.

Bercovici finished with 273 yards and two touchdowns. Arizona State finished with 465 yards

“Excuses are for losers,” UCLA defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said. “Let’s go in and fight and get better.”

UCLA had little fight at the start.

The Bruins stumbled from the start, going three and out on their first three drives.

On the fourth, Rosen dropped to pass on third down and was grabbed in the end zone by Viliami Latu. Rosen ditched the ball, but intentional grounding was called, giving the Sun Devils a safety and a 2-0 lead.

Tim White returned the free kick 63 yards and, three plays later, caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Bercovici for a 9-0 lead.

In the end, the Bruins had questions instead of answers.

“How would you feel after a loss?” linebacker Isaako Savaiinaea said. “That’s the only way to explain it.”

chris.foster@latimes.com

Twitter: @cfosterlatimes