Arizona Wildcats vs UCLA Bruins Match Player Stats On Oct 20, 2018

UCLA reserve quarterback Wilton Speight, a graduate transfer from Michigan, passed for 204 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bruins to a 31-30 Pac-12 win over Arizona at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday night.

Speight, playing the second half in place of injured Dorian Thompson-Robinson, completed 17 of 27 passes and directed the Bruins on a game-clinching drive in the last 6:08 drive to preserve the win after Arizona cut the lead to 31-30 on a 29-yard field goal by Josh Pollack.

Arizona reserve quarterback Rhett Rodriguez, who spelled injured starter Khalil Tate, completed 15 of 34 passes for 231 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Rodriguez, the son of former Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez, whom the school fired in early January, fueled Arizona's rally in the second half after trailing 17-7 at halftime.

Arizona scored on three straight possessions in the third quarter to take a 20-17 lead, capped by Pollack's 39-yard field goal with 4:58 left in the quarter.

Pollack started the scoring stretch at 10:16 left in the third quarter on a 29-yard field goal that culminated a 71-yard drive that included a 25-yard run by J.J. Taylor to the UCLA 27.

Arizona nose tackle Dereck Boles got a sack forcing a fumble and recovering it on UCLA's first play from scrimmage in the next possession. Three plays later, Rodriguez found Shawn Poindexter in the end zone to tie the game at 17 with 8:54 left in the third quarter.

UCLA was forced to punt on the next possession, and Arizona got in position for Pollack's second field goal thanks to a 72-yard run by Gary Brightwell that took the ball to the Bruins' 15. Pollack made his 39-yarder after the Wildcats could not get into the end zone after the big run.

Taylor, who finished with 154 yards on 19 carries, also failed to get into the end zone in the second quarter when he broke free for a 55-yard run only for UCLA safety Darnay Holmes to knock the ball loose from behind at the UCLA 1 and recover the fumble in the end zone for a touchback.

Brightwell gained a career-high 121 yards on 15 carries.

Speight replaced Thompson-Robinson, who appeared to be favoring his right hand. UCLA coach Chip Kelly told ESPN that Thompson-Robinson could play in the second half but decided to stick with Speight.

Speight directed a 6-play, 75-yard drive, completing 3 of 4 passes, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to Demetric Felton, to give the Bruins a 24-20 lead with 3:08 left in the third quarter.

After Taylor capped a 72-yard drive with a 1-yard scoring run, UCLA answered with a Joshua Kelley 28-yard touchdown run to put the Bruins up 31-27 with 11:33 left.

Pollack cut the lead to 31-30 with a 29-yard field goal with 6:08 left in the game.

Speight managed to direct a 12-play, 55-yard drive against a beleaguered Arizona defense to run out the clock. UCLA finished with 460 yards of total offense while Arizona had 520.

--Field Level Media