UCLA vs. Arizona: Desert doldrums plagued the Bruins in a rivalry filled with upsets

With USC and UCLA playing their final season in the Pac-12, The Times is revisiting the top five games in the history of each series. This week: UCLA-Arizona.

Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama, shown during a game against Washington in 2007, guided the Wildcats to an upset of the Bruins in 2005 in only his second career start.

(Elaine Thompson / Associated Press)

UCLA had its doubters. Oh, did it ever. And they were rightfully skeptical. These Bruins were half-baked — great offense, dreadful defense. Their deficiencies forced them to keep rallying, four double-digit comeback wins fueling the team’s 8-0 start. By kickoff of this disaster in the desert, UCLA was the lowest-rated team among the five remaining unbeatens in the Bowl Championship Series poll. The two-win Wildcats showed that every underdog has its day, building a 28-0 lead against a stunned batch of Bruins. For the first time, UCLA had no counter. “Once they got down,” Arizona safety Michael Johnson said, “you could see they were acting like they were going to come back, but we were ready.” The headline in The Times the next day: “UCLA Ruins.” Their championship hopes deflated, the Bruins went on to absorb a 66-19 loss to USC before beating Northwestern in the Sun Bowl.

UCLA Sports

Jewelry was stolen from Colorado locker room during game at Rose Bowl on Saturday

Pasadena police are investigating the theft of Colorado players’ jewelry in their locker room at the Rose Bowl, apparently during their loss to the Bruins.

Oct. 30, 2023

UCLA coach Bob Toledo directs the Bruins during the first half of their 36-24 win over Washington on Nov. 14, 1998.

(John Froschauer / Associated Press)

In a rare top-10 matchup between these teams, the Wildcats were no match. The Bruins had gone from tears to triumph after an emotion-choked team meeting the night before the game. Players spoke openly about being doubted at a time when the team was beset by injuries and star running back Jermaine Lewis was suspended. “Guys were crying,” UCLA coach Bob Toledo said later. “I was crying.” Smiles were the primary facial currency a day later after the Bruins rolled over the Wildcats by scoring the game’s final 28 points, wiping out a 28-24 deficit. That gave UCLA a 14-game winning streak, the longest in school history. The streak reached 20 games before the Bruins were sucked into a vortex of disappointment with the “Hurricane Bowl” loss to Miami (Fla.) in a makeup game to end the regular season.

“We’re No. 1!” The Bruins had a chance to say those delightful words if they could hold onto a 17-14 halftime lead over the Wildcats. At that point, UCLA coach Terry Donahue informed his players in the locker room that top-ranked Alabama had lost, clearing the way for the Bruins to claim the top spot in the polls. But Arizona, winless in four home games and coming off three straight losses, took the kickoff to start the second half and drove 80 yards in only three plays to take the lead. The Wildcats added a safety in the fourth quarter. UCLA was left to contemplate two interceptions by quarterback Tom Ramsey, two lost fumbles and one huge lost opportunity. “They whupped us up front,” Bruins backfield coach Ron Hudson said. “Bad.” The Bruins finished 9-2 but could not play in a bowl because they were among five Pac-10 teams barred from the postseason because of rules infractions.

UCLA quarterback Tom Ramsey jumps for joy after leading his teammates to victory over Michigan in the 1983 Rose Bowl game.

(Associated Press)

The Bruins were a buzz saw through the season’s opening weeks, winning their first four games — including back-to-back-to-back road victories over Wisconsin, Michigan and Colorado. Meanwhile, Arizona had played all three of its games at home, losing two. But on an unlikely afternoon at the Rose Bowl, the Bruins and Wildcats found themselves equals. With the score tied in the fourth quarter, UCLA quarterback Tom Ramsey had two passes intercepted. When Arizona’s Max Zendejas kicked a 43-yard field goal with 33 seconds left, the unbeaten Bruins could only hope for a tie. They got it after Ramsey, with the help of a late-hit penalty on the Wildcats, quickly moved his team to Arizona’s 19-yard line. The Wildcats nearly intercepted another pass that fell incomplete, sending UCLA’s John Lee onto the field to kick a 36-yard field goal with two seconds left. The Bruins won the Pac-10 title and beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl game.

UCLA Sports

UCLA’s relentless pass rush carries Bruins to victory over Colorado

Laiatu Latu tallied two of UCLA’s seven sacks on Shedeur Sanders as the Bruins overcome four first-half turnovers in a 28-16 win over Colorado.

Oct. 28, 2023

It had been a bizarre season for the Bruins. Expectations cratered after they started 0-3-1, only to roll off five consecutive Pac-10 victories going into a game against the Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. More wild momentum swings were about to come. Down by three points after Arizona scored a touchdown with 61 seconds left, the Bruins were confident they could at least forge a tie, as they had done with a late drive the previous season against the Wildcats. UCLA quarterback Rick Neuheisel helped move his team into position, the Bruins reaching Arizona’s 20-yard line with three seconds left. Kicker John Lee lined up for a 37-yard field goal, having never missed from that close in his college career. He did this time, the ball floating low and to the left. “I didn’t even look at it,” Lee said. “Right when I kicked it, I knew it was going to be bad. You can feel it in your foot.” The loss couldn’t keep the Bruins out of the Rose Bowl game, where they walloped Illinois, 45-9.