UCLA’s Pac-12 title hopes take a huge hit in shocking upset loss to Arizona

An unexpected and most unpleasant sound filled the otherwise quiet Rose Bowl late Saturday night.

“U of A!”

UCLA was powerless to stop Arizona’s offense or its fans in a stunning late-season collapse. The No. 12 Bruins’ 34-28 loss to the Wildcats put a huge dent in UCLA’s Pac-12 championship hopes and removed considerable luster from the crosstown rivalry game next weekend against USC.

With one final chance, facing fourth and 10 at Arizona’s 29-yard line, UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson scrambled under heavy pressure. He finally unleashed a pass toward wide receiver Jake Bobo streaking across the back of the end zone.

Bobo dove but could not come up with the ball, sealing a stunning defeat for the 19½-point favorite Bruins (8-2 overall, 5-2 Pac-12). The biggest reason for the letdown? UCLA gave up 6.7 yards per play and 436 yards to the Wildcats (4-6, 2-5).

After weeks of similarly soft defense, the inability to generate stops finally caught up to UCLA in a big way. With the Victory Bell ringing over loudspeakers and fans roaring as Arizona faced fourth and four at UCLA’s 17-yard line with 6½ minutes left, Wildcats quarterback Jayden de Laura fired a touchdown pass to Tetairoa McMillan to drop the Bruins into a 31-28 hole.

De Laura was a game-long menace for the Bruins, completing 22 of 28 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns and running for a score.

On the night he returned from a one-game absence, UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet rolled up 181 yards rushing and three touchdowns but had a huge drop on third down as the Bruins tried to answer Arizona’s score.

On the next play, with Thompson-Robinson facing heavy pressure, he fired a fourth-down pass over receiver Josiah Norwood to give the ball back to the Wildcats at the UCLA 36-yard line. Arizona tacked on a 23-yard field goal with 1:11 remaining to extend its advantage to 34-28.

UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, right, slips under pressure from Arizona safety Christian Young during the first half Saturday.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Thompson-Robinson completed 26 of 39 passes for 245 yards with one touchdown.

Only minutes after the start of the game, Oregon provided a reminder of the potential for late-season stumbles. The sixth-ranked Ducks fell to Washington at home, severely compromising the Pac-12’s College Football Playoff hopes.

Over the last year, UCLA had avoided unexpected slip-ups under coach Chip Kelly. The Bruins had won nine consecutive games against unranked teams, their previous defeat coming late in October 2021 to Utah — the eventual Pac-12 champion.

Despite trailing by two touchdowns early, UCLA had taken its first lead in the fourth quarter, one play after Charbonnet picked up a block from Thompson-Robinson on a 36-yard run. Charbonnet wouldn’t be stopped on the next play, powering his way for a five-yard touchdown that moved the Bruins ahead 28-24.

Earlier, UCLA caught a break when edge rusher Grayson Murphy sacked De Laura for a 14-yard loss on third down after the quarterback initially eluded a pack of defenders. Tyler Loop trotted onto the field to kick a 35-yard field goal that nudged Arizona ahead 24-21.

UCLA wide receiver Kam Brown is tackled after making a catch during the first half Saturday.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

UCLA had pulled into a 21-21 tie in the third quarter after Charbonnet barreled ahead for a one-yard touchdown run, his second of the game. It came after De Laura scrambled for a three-yard touchdown to give his team a 21-14 lead, a strong counter to UCLA’s back-to-back touchdowns.

Charbonnet generated his team’s first points when he powered ahead for a one-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. After the Bruins were pinned at their one-yard line to start their next drive, they zipped 99 yards in only five plays.

Charbonnet sprinted for 37 yards before Thompson-Robinson connected with tight end Hudson Habermehl on a 51-yard touchdown, Habermehl catching the ball at the 30-yard line before breaking two tackles simultaneously on his way to the end zone.

What happened in the first quarter left the Bruins more chilled than the 53-degree temperature at kickoff. Arizona stormed to a 14-0 lead after scoring on two of its first three drives, reviving concerns about UCLA’s defense.

Bruins defensive coordinator Bill McGovern missed a third consecutive game because of an undisclosed illness, leading to a collaborative effort among the other assistants. Their game plan could have been thrown out the press box window.

UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet, right, avoids Arizona linebackers Sterling Lane II, left, and Jerry Roberts during a first-half carry Saturday.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Arizona moved the ball with such ease on back-to-back drives that it almost seemed as if the Wildcats knew the Bruins’ defensive calls. Running back Michael Wiley was the primary antagonist, running up the middle for a 10-yard touchdown and Arizona’s first points.

When it appeared as if the Bruins might hold Arizona on its next drive, forcing third and 18, De Laura rolled out toward the sideline and fired a 22-yard pass to an open Wiley for a touchdown.

If there was any upside for UCLA, it was that relatively few people were watching.

The Bruins endured a third consecutive 7:30 p.m. start, Kelly saying earlier in the week that it was not Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff conspiring against a team slated to leave for the Big Ten in 2024.

“That’s just the slate,” Kelly said. “Those are the TV contracts that they signed a long time ago, it’s got nothing to do with George and his group. The biggest thing for me is we don’t care what time we play, it’s just the exposure. We had a team run for 400 yards last Saturday night [against Arizona State] and no one knows about it. If a tree falls in the woods and no one’s there to see it, does it make a noise?”