Josh Pollack drilled a 29-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, cutting UCLA’s lead over Arizona to 31-30.
Aside from Rhett Rodriguez’s 33-yard pass to Shawn Poindexter, the Wildcats got in position to score from gradual gains on the ground. J.J. Taylor and Gary Brightwell contributed carries to put Arizona in field goal range, bringing Arizona’s rushing yard total to 289 yards.
But the Bruins’ defense shut down Arizona as it broke through to the red zone, leaving the Wildcats to settle for the field goal.
Joshua Kelley broke through the Arizona defense to dart 28 yards up the middle to the end zone, giving UCLA a 31-27 lead over Arizona.
The run was Kelley’s longest of the game and his first score, marking the third consecutive game where he has earned more and 100 rushing yards. He has tallied 107 yards on the ground in seven carries.
All but 17 of UCLA’s rushing yards have come from Kelley. With 290 passing yards, the Bruins have taken a throwing-heavy approach against the Wildcats. Wilton Speight completed a 13-yard pass and a 15-yard pass to set up Kelley’s run.
J.J. Taylor drove up the middle for a one-yard rush, giving Arizona a 27-24 lead over UCLA.
Taylor carried the Arizona offense on the drive, with three rushes for 19 yards before the scoring run. Rhett Rodriguez connected with Devaughn Cooper for a 20-yard passing play to put the Wildcats in position.
Taylor has earned 143 rushing yards in 16 carries, but this was his first score of the game. He partnered with Gary Brightwell to give Arizona 259 rushing yards, dwarfing UCLA’s 92 rushing yards.
Arizona quarterback Rhett Rodriguez threw a pass to a receiver along the sideline, but Elijah Gates intercepted the throw, giving UCLA possession on its own 25-yard line.
The Bruins defense had effectively limited Arizona on the drive leading up to the Wildcats’ third turnover of the game. The Bruins gained seven rushing yards in combined efforts of Rodriguez and J.J. Taylor, before Rodriguez completed an 11-yard pass to Stanley Berryhill.
But following the 11-yard play, the UCLA defense struck, with Gates’ first career interception.
Wilton Speight threw the pass to Demetric Felton, and Felton powered through defenders into the end zone for a 25-yard play, giving UCLA a 24-20 lead.
Speight completed three of his four passes on the drive, and Joshua Kelley contributed a 16-yard run, to give the Bruins the score. The six-play, 75-yard drive took less than two minutes and followed three consecutive scoring drives by Arizona.
Speight has completed 13 of his 22 passes for 162 yards with two touchdowns. Kelley has earned 71 rushing yards on 19 carries. His 16-yard rush on the Bruins’ scoring drive was his longest run of the night.
Josh Pollack railed a 39-yard field goal that barely landed between the posts, giving Arizona a 20-17 lead over UCLA.
Arizona became poised to take the lead after Gary Brightwell exploded past the defense, tearing down the middle of the field for a 72-yard rush. Brightwell has totaled 99 yards on nine carries.
But after the big run, the Bruins limited the Arizona defense, preventing Rodriguez from completing any passes to force the field goal.
In the first play of a drive following an Arizona field goal, Wilton Speight fumbled the football as he was sacked, turning the ball over to the Wildcats at UCLA’s 15-yard line.
After an 8-yard rush by Rhett Rodriguez and a 4-yard rush by J.J. Taylor, Rodriguez nailed an 11-yard pass to Shawn Poindexter, giving Arizona a touchdown to tie the game at 17.
Rodriguez has completed 11 of 25 passes for 157 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. The reception was Poindexter’s fourth of the night, as he’s earned 63 receiving yards with two touchdowns.
Josh Pollack nailed a 29-yard field goal early in the third quarter, bringing Arizona to trail UCLA 17-10.
Rhett Rodriguez opened the nine-play, 71-yard drive by drilling a 31-yard pass to Devaughn Cooper. Later, J.J. Taylor made a 25-yard run, and Gary Brightwell added a 10-yard run to put Arizona in position to score.
But from there, the Bruin defense clamped down on the Arizona offense, limiting the damage to a field goal.
For the second time this season, UCLA enters halftime with the lead, with a 17-7 edge against Arizona. The last time UCLA led an opponent at the half was its 37-7 win against Cal the week before.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed five of his eight passes for 103 before being replaced by Wilton Speight, who completed eight of 14 passes for 87 yards. The two combined for two passing touchdowns.
The Bruins’ defense limited Arizona quarterback Rhett Rodriguez to complete eight of his 21 passes. But UCLA gave up 10 penalties for 78 yards in the half, and Joshua Kelley was limited to average 2.8 yards per carry.
In his first reception for UCLA, Devin Asiasi snagged a touchdown pass in the right corner of the end zone, giving UCLA a 17-7 lead over Arizona.
Wilton Speight, who replaced Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, completed five of his six passes on the drive, which saw UCLA gain gradual yardage to get in scoring range in about five minutes.
A transfer from Michigan, Asiasi completed the 13-play, 75-yard drive with his 24-yard play. The drive was bolstered by rushes from Joshua Kelley. Kelley has earned 36 rushing yards in 13 carries so far.