Arizona 48, UCLA 12 (final)
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Let’s hit the local team’s high points first:
Tyler Gonzalez, the former soccer manager, made a field goal.
Cool for him.
And ... um ... UCLA was outscored in the second half only 6-5 and won the fourth quarter, 5-3.
Sorry, it’s the best we can do.
Arizona, losers of 10 in a row against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision, thoroughly dominated UCLA on Thursday night in Tucson.
The Wildcats, who came in giving up an average of nearly 38 points and 488 yards a game, held the Bruins to one touchdown and 323 yards.
UCLA wanted to control the ball and the game’s tempo with its running game -- keeping Arizona quarterback Nick Foles off the field. But the Bruins failed miserably.
UCLA ran for only 37 yards in 25 carries. Meantime, an Arizona running attack that came in averaging less than 72 yards a game, cranked out 254 yards.
And Foles was Foles. He completed 26 of 39 passes for 291 yards and three first-half touchdowns, all to Juron Criner.
It made a winner of Tim Kish, who was in his first game as Arizona’s interim head coach after 36 years of being an assistant.
Arizona is 2-5 overall -- its only other win was against lower-division Northern Arizona -- and 1-4 in Pacific 12 Conference play.
UCLA fell to 3-4, 2-2 in conference.
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Arizona 48, UCLA 12 (late in the fourth quarter)
Finally, a happy UCLA football story.
Placekicker Tyler Gonzalez, a couple of weeks removed from his old role as team manager for the UCLA men’s soccer team, just made the first field goal of his couple-of-weeks-old college football career. Gonzalez, a senior from Fullerton, drilled a 42-yard field goal with 4 minutes 22 seconds left in the game.
He missed his first field-goal attempt wide right from 39 yards in the first half.
Arizona 48, UCLA 9 (late in the fourth quarter)
UCLA’s front-line players look better against Arizona’s reserves.
The Bruins nearly scored a touchdown when, on fourth-down-and-goal from the Arizona 7, Kevin Prince connected with Shaquelle Evans for a gain of about six yards and 11 inches.
Television replays seemed to indicate Evans stretched the tip of the ball just over the goal line, but after a Rick Neuheisel challenge, the replay official sided with the call on the field -- no score.
However, on Arizona’s first play on offense from there, running back Daniel Jenkins was brought down in the end zone by UCLA linebacker Glenn Love for a Bruins safety.
Arizona 48, UCLA 7 (10:28 left to play in the fourth quarter)
This placekicking stuff is going so well, John Bonano is probably wondering what took him so long.
Bonano, a senior from Salinas, Calif., just made his second career field goal -- from 22 yards -- giving him 12 points tonight.
He had one -- an extra point in Arizona’s last game, against Oregon State -- coming into the game.
Bonano made his first career field goal in the third quarter.
Arizona 45, UCLA 7 (3:15 left to play in third quarter)
John Bonano, an Arizona senior, has spent his college career as a kickoff specialist.
Hey, it’s work.
But now he’s scoring some points. Bonano just made the first field goal of his college career, from 41 yards.
He became Arizona’s placekicker in the Wildcats’ last game, a loss at previously winless Oregon State, and converted his only try, an extra point.
Tonight, along with the field goal, he’s six for six on extra points.
Arizona 42, UCLA 7 (halftime)
If you were wondering, yes, UCLA apparently does have at least a little fight left in it.
Enough to do a little pushing and shoving with Arizona in a sidelines-clearing tussle just before halftime.
Two players were ejected: Receiver Taylor Embree of UCLA and cornerback Shaquille Richardson of Arizona.
As for showing fight during actual plays from scrimmage? Well, that’s a whole different story.
Rick Neuheisel’s job as UCLA’s head coach is said to be on the line if the Bruins don’t make a bowl game -- and winning this game was considered key to qualifying for an invitation.
Given that scenario, you wonder: Has a coach ever been let go at halftime of a game?
Hey, a switch seems to be working for Arizona. The Wildcats got rid of Mike Stoops as head coach 10 days ago. This is Tim Kish’s first game as a college head coach after 36 years as an assistant.
Kish, who was defensive coordinator under Stoops, is off to a good start.
Arizona entered the game having lost 10 consecutive games against Football Bowl Subdivision competition.
The Wildcats had been outscored, 136-51, in the first half of its first six games and were averaging only 72 yards rushing a game.
Arizona has 174 yards rushing in the first half against UCLA, and its ballcarriers are averaging 7.3 yards a carry.
Arizona 42, UCLA 7 (1:09 left in the second quarter)
Note to UCLA: What you really don’t want to do against a team that has scored touchdowns on all five of its first half possessions is give them a sixth shot on a fumble.
Oops. Too late.
Shaquille Richardson stripped UCLA receiver Nelson Rosario of the ball at the Arizona 41 and five plays and a pass interference penalty on the Bruins later, Arizona was in the end zone again.
Taimi Tutogi ran the ball in from eight yards out, giving the Wildcats 174 yards rushing in the first half.
Arizona came into the game averaging 72 yards rushing in a game.
--Mike Hiserman
Arizona 35, UCLA 7 (3:29 left in the second quarter)
Nick Foles threw his third touchdown pass to wide receiver Juron Criner on a 25-yard play. Foles has completed 20 of 25 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns.
UCLA defensive players are huddled on the sideline, looking emotionless.
Arizona 28, UCLA 7 (9:24 left in second quarter)
The Wildcats don’t need any help, although the Bruins have decided to lend a hand anyway.
Johnathan Franklin’s fumble gave Arizona the ball and quarterback Nick Foles methodically took the Wildcats 63 yards for another touchdown. The highlight play was Foles’ fourth-down, 27-yard completion to Gino Crump, who danced around Bruins’ defenders to the seven-yard line.
Arizona 21, UCLA 7 (14:31 left in second quarter)
UCLA’s defense continues to get embarrassed.
Arizona wide receiver Juron Criner reached around cornerback Aaron Hester’s head to catch a seven-yard touchdown pass from Nick Foles.
Arizona came into the game ranked 119thout of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in rushing, averaging 78 yards a game. The Wildcats have 125 yards rushing early in the second quarter. Keola Antolin has rushed for 69 yards, including a 28-yard run on the last touchdown drive.
Arizona 14, UCLA 7 (2:53 left in first quarter)
How much does UCLA fear the Arizona offense? The Bruins shunned a field-goal attempt and went for the first down on a fourth-and-five play at the Wildcats’ 16-yard line.
Quarterback Kevin Prince rolled right after a play-action fake and threw back to his left, finding a wide open Johnathan Franklin for the touchdown.
Arizona 14, UCLA 0 (7:38 left in the first quarter)
To say UCLA is offering passive resistance would be inaccurate. UCLA is offering no resistance.
With wildcats quarterback Nick Foles playing catch, Arizona went 76 yards on its second drive to take a two touchdown lead. Ka’Deem Carey scooted 18 yards, juking two UCLA defenders, for the touchdown. With UCLA defensive backs giving plenty of cushion, Foles completed four of five passes for 29 yards. UCLA contributed an offside penalty after stopping the Wildcats on third down at midfield.
Arizona 7, UCLA 0 (12:43 left in first quarter)
That didn’t take long.
Arizona went 80 yards in eight plays, with Nick Foles throwing a four-yard touchdown pass to Juron Criner. UCLA cornerback Sheldon Price fell down when Criner faked inside, then cut outside.
Arizona running back Daniel Jenkins had an 18-yard run on the first play. Running back Keola Antolin had a 20-yard run to move the ball into Bruins’ territory.
On third and 10 at UCLA’s 30-yard line, Foles completed a 26-yard pass to Dan Buckner, who leaped over Price to make the catch.
Pregame
Safety Tony Dye, who is thinking about taking a redshirt year this season, did not suit up for Thursday’s game. Dye has missed the last four games because of an inflamed nerve in his neck, which is causing severe pain.
Safety Alex Mascarenas (concussion) and kicker Kip Smith (hip flexor injury) did not suit up for Thursday’s game either.
Dye, Mascarenas and quarterback Richard Brehaut (broken leg) traveled to Tucson on their own to attend the game.
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Video: What’s on the line for Rick Neuheisel
Beating Arizona could lead to a big payoff for Bruins
UCLA will face a Wildcats team that is in transition
--Chris Foster, reporting from Tucson, Ariz.
