Through one half of Friday’s Sun Bowl, it looked as if UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson was well on his way to becoming the program’s all-time career passing leader and capping his collegiate playing days off in grand fashion.

Instead, he was resigned to watching most of a dramatic, heartbreaking fourth quarter from the sidelines with an injury.

The Bruins squandered a 14-point second-half lead as Pittsburgh rallied behind five Ben Sauls field goals, including the game-winning 47-yarder with 4 seconds left, to prevail 37-35 in the 89th annual Sun Bowl in El Paso.

UCLA (9-4), in its first bowl game of the Chip Kelly era, finished a win shy of tying the program’s single-season record.

Pitt (9-4) forced three of UCLA’s four turnovers in the second half to go with a turnover on downs. Sauls, who did not miss an attempt, tied the school’s single-game record.

The Bruins played without All-American running back Zach Charbonnet, the national leader in all-purpose yards per game. He did not take part in pregame warm-ups and was not in uniform, unlike the previous two games he missed this season.

The Panthers won despite missing eight starters, including quarterback Kedon Slovis, All-American running back Israel Abanikanda and consensus first-team All-American defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.

First quarter

8:05, Pitt: PK Ben Sauls 22-yard field goal, 3-0 Pitt

5:15, UCLA: QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson to WR Logan Loya, 11-yard TD (PAT GOOD, Nicholas Barr-Mira), 7-3 UCLA

0:00, Pitt: PK Ben Sauls 49-yard field goal, 7-6 UCLA

Second quarter

11:57, UCLA: QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson 1-yard TD run (PAT GOOD, Nicholas Barr-Mira), 14-6 UCLA

3:49, Pitt: QB Nick Patti to WR Bub Means, 15-yard TD (2-pt conversion GOOD, Konata Mumpfield), 14-14 tie

0:57, UCLA: QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson to WR Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, 28-yard TD (PAT GOOD, Nicholas Barr-Mira), 21-14 UCLA

Third quarter

8:45, UCLA: CB Jaylin Davies 52-yard INT return (PAT GOOD, Nicholas Barr-Mira), 28-14 UCLA

3:04, Pitt: RB Rodney Hammond Jr. 1-yard TD run (PAT GOOD, Ben Sauls), 28-21 UCLA

Fourth quarter

12:44, Pitt: RB Rodney Hammond Jr. 7-yard TD run (PAT GOOD, Ben Sauls), 28-28 tie

10:38, Pitt: PK Ben Sauls 31-yard field goal, 31-28 Pitt

4:24, Pitt: PK Ben Sauls 27-yard field goal, 34-28 Pitt

0:34, UCLA: RB T.J. Harden 8-yard TD run (PAT GOOD, Nicholas Barr-Mira), 35-34 UCLA

0:04, Pitt: PK Ben Sauls 47-yard field goal, 37-35 Pitt

Leading 28-21 and starting from the Pitt 27-yard line, Thompson-Robinson’s pass on the first play of the fourth quarter was intercepted by linebacker Bangally Kamara and returned to the 18.

The Panthers capitalized, tying the game on Rodney Hammond Jr.’s 7-yard run with 12:44 to play.

The Bruins then coughed the ball up again on the ensuing kick return, with Jadyn Marshall unable to secure possession.

Pitt took its first lead since the game's opening drive, as Sauls drilled a 31-yard field goal for the 31-28 advantage.

As UCLA’s offense returned to the field, backup quarterback Ethan Garbers came in for a shaken up Thompson-Robinson. With their leader being looked at by trainers on the sidelines, the Bruins went three-and-out.

The Panthers’ next drive went 11 plays as they settled for Sauls’ 27-yard field goal — his fourth of the game — to extend the lead to 34-28 with 4:24 to play.

On UCLA’s next drive, Garbers completed three consecutive passes before being sacked on third-and-5 and firing incomplete to Logan Loya to turn the ball over on downs on the UCLA 37.

Pitt then turned it back over on downs at the UCLA 28 with 2:01 remaining.

The Bruins finally put together their best drive of the half, running off seven plays before getting inside the red zone on a 14-yard catch by Jake Bobo. On the next play, T.J. Harden tied the game on an 8-yard run and place-kicker Nicholas Barr-Mira provided the go-ahead extra point with 34 seconds left.

However, UCLA’s defense couldn’t make it stand.

After throws of 18 and 17 yards, Pitt quarterback Nick Patti ran for a key 11-yard scramble to the UCLA 29 and put Sauls in range.

Garbers was intercepted by M.J. Devonshire as time expired.

Running back T.J. Harden

Harden looked like the clear running back of the future, finishing with 111 yards, including a long of 34, and a touchdown on 11 touches.

But it didn’t look like he would be the story early ...

DTR was locked in from the start, completing 13 of 17 passes for 254 yards while accounting for a touchdown through the air and on the ground in the first half.

Early on the offense’s first drive, Thompson-Robinson ran for 8 yards to pass John Sciarra (1,813 career rushing yards from 1972-75) for the most by a Bruins quarterback in program history. Thompson-Robinson, who trailed Sciarra by a yard coming into the contest, finished with 15 yards to give him 1,827 for his career.

His 11-yard touchdown to Loya capped the drive and was the difference as the Bruins led 7-6 after a quarter.

On the next drive, Thompson-Robinson found Titus Mokiao-Atimalala for a 49-yard completion to get to the Pitt 4-yard line. Thompson-Robinson later took it in from a yard out to push UCLA’s lead to 14-6 early in the second quarter.

After the Panthers capitalized on a Thompson-Robinson interception to tie the game 14-14, the Las Vegas native put the Bruins back in front on a 28-yard throw to Mokiao-Atimalala inside the final minute of the first half.

Needing just 31 yards passing in the second half, Thompson-Robinson never got into a rhythm and finished shy of Cade McNown’s career program record of 10,708 yards.

Thompson-Robinson finished his career with 10,686 yards passing.

Cornerback Jaylin Davies

UCLA continued to have its share of issues getting off the field and allowing a handful of big plays.

What was missing most of the past five games, though, showed up early in the third quarter.

Davies read a play perfectly, jumping in front of a Nick Patti pass for a 52-yard interception and touchdown. The score doubled the Bruins’ lead to 28-14.

The Bruins just never got enough such plays and the offense did not do them any favors in the second half.

For a brief moment, it looked like it would be Harden’s go-ahead touchdown run (and PAT).

It was a combination of all-too-familiar woes on defense and a sour ending to Thompson-Robinson’s college career.

Simply put, the Bruins aren’t good enough to overcome three DTR interceptions and a fourth from Garbers. UCLA went interception, punt, punt, interception, punt, turnover on downs on the first six drives of the second half. Four of the drives lasted three of fewer plays.

Pitt was just 6 of 18 on third down but 3 of 4 on fourth down. Patti’s late run before Sauls’ final field goal punctuated the issues.

Passing

Dorian Thompson-Robinson: 15 of 23 for 262 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs

Ethan Garbers: 6 of 9 for 39 yards, INT

Rushing

T.J. Harden: 11 carries for 111 yards, TD

Dorian Thompson-Robinson: 5 carries for 15 yards, TD

Keegan Jones: 7 carries for 20 yards

Colson Yankoff: 1 carry for -1 yard

Receiving

Keegan Jones: 5 catches for 39 yards

Kam Brown: 4 catches for 115 yards

Titus Mokiao-Atimalala: 3 catches for 89 yards, TD

Jake Bobo: 3 catches for 28 yards

Logan Loya: 3 catches for 26 yards, TD

T.J. Harden: 2 catches for -1 yard

Michael Ezeike: 1 catch for 5 yards