Davis steaming over penalty

The play that seemed to put UCLA’s chances in a spiral Saturday had Bruins defensive end Bruce Davis still miffed afterward.

On the last play of the first half, Davis charged as Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter let go a long pass that fell incomplete.

The clock had run out, but a yellow flag was on the field. Davis had been called for roughing the passer -- a 15-yard penalty that not only gave the Sun Devils one more play but also put the ball on the UCLA 36-yard line.

Thomas Weber then kicked a 53-yard field goal to cut UCLA’s lead to 13-10.

“If I say what I want to say, I’ll just get in trouble,” Davis said after Arizona State had rallied for a 24-20 victory. “I haven’t seen the replay. I’m just going to leave it at that right now.”

But, Davis didn’t leave it at that.

“I was pretty shocked,” he said. “He throws the ball. I take a step and hit him. The side judge had been on me from the get-go. Who knows . . . whatever . . . they made their call.”

Arizona State scored touchdowns on two of its first three possessions in the second half.

“You talk about a big play for us,” Sun Devils Coach Dennis Erickson said. “Here you’re thinking the half is over with and they have a roughing penalty and now all of a sudden [Weber] knocks it through. The momentum into halftime totally changes.”

Davis’ momentum was rolling after the game.

“I had been warned, but it’s frustrating,” Davis said. “You’re playing hard, do everything you’re coached to do, put a hit on the quarterback who has just released the ball. I don’t know.

“Hey, whatever. Different officials, different styles, I guess today they really wanted to protect the quarterback.”

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Osaar Rasshan’s first start at quarterback was viewed as a limited success, especially since the Bruins had a training-wheels offense in the first half.

Rasshan, who started the season as a wide receiver, completed five of seven passes in the first half -- but for only 29 yards.

“We’re still building his package, trying to feed him,” Coach Karl Dorrell said. “He did some really nice stuff today. He’s growing in the offense.”

Rasshan finished with 181 yards passing, but also threw a key late interception.

“I don’t think the coaches were sure at how I could throw the ball, how I would play,” Rasshan said. “They opened up in the second half.”

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UCLA’s Matthew Slater tied a Pacific 10 Conference single-season record with an 89-yard kickoff return in the third quarter. It was his third kickoff return for a touchdown this season, matching the record set by USC’s Anthony Davis in 1974.

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The Bruins put the “student” back in “student-athlete” on their first touchdown. Walk-on fullback Trevor Theriot threw a lead block and walk-on tailback Craig Sheppard tumbled into the end zone on a two-yard run.

Sheppard gained 56 yards in 12 carries, but suffered a hip-pointer in the first half.

“I just wanted to help the team,” said Sheppard, a sophomore. “It was exciting to get the opportunity. But we lost. I don’t feel good about it.”

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The loss to ninth-ranked Arizona State ended the Bruins’ four-game winning streak against ranked teams at the Rose Bowl. . . . Kai Forbath’s two field goals gave him 19 this season, two shy of the UCLA record for a freshman.

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chris.foster@latimes.com