When No. 20 rated UCLA (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12) needed to make a play, they didn’t. ASU (4-1, 2-0 Pac-12) made big play after big play and came away with a convincing 42-23 victory.

To make matters worse for UCLA, the Bruins were shut out in the second half and were outscored 18-0.

The game was pretty much over for the Bruins when they failed to convert on a fourth and goal from about one and a half yards out. UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson was tackled for a loss.

For the first time this season, UCLA’s offensive line was manhandled. When ASU’s defense needed to make a play, they did, and simply put, the Bruins did not.

“It is very disappointing,” UCLA head coach Chip Kelly said regarding failing to score in the second half. “But I think that there were a couple penalties on offense that really hurt a few drives. And then, to get the ball in there tight and to come away with none, we have to do a better job.

“Obviously, we played well on offense in the first half. We did not play well on offense in the second half.”

After the Bruins failed to score from approximately from the one, ASU took the ball over from their four-yard line and went on an 11-play, 96-yard drive that took 6:52 off the clock.

And, of course, the drive had a big play. With the Sun Devils pinned back on their on their four-yard line, ASU quarterback Jayden Daniels hit his tight end, Curtis Hodges, on the first play of the drive for a 48-yard gain.

Not only did the Bruins fail to score the touchdown deep in ASU territory, but UCLA’s defense failed to hold back the Sun Devils, but that was the story of the night.

The Bruins gave up two long touchdown passes on hookups from Daniels to Ricky Pearsall in the first half. The first one was a quick pass that Pearsall basically ran 65-yards for the score. UCLA was caught in a blitz, and that was all she wrote. Then Daniels hit Pearsall with a 54-yard strike for a score.

In the third quarter, Sun Devil running back Rachaad White also gashed the Bruins for a 49-yard touchdown run. You can’t give up huge chunks of yardage on single plays and expect to win.

Daniels was a difference-maker in this game and was outstanding. He beat the Bruins with his arm and his legs. On the night, Daniels was 13-18 for 286 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 45 yards and was able to avoid Bruin pressure all night long.

“You’ve got to give them credit, first and foremost, and Jayden [Daniels] is obviously the most athletic kid who we’ve faced so far this season, in terms of being able to escape,” Kelly said. “We try and be conscious of our rush lanes because if he does squirt loose, he could hurt you.

"Give them credit. Their line played really well. They did a really good job of protecting Jayden. When things did break down, we did a good job of getting after him, and he made some plays with his feet.”

Add into the equation that the Bruins were penalized for 89-yards on eight penalties.

“No question, unacceptable,” said Kelly regarding all UCLA’s penalties. “Yeah, we have to clear that up. We have talked about that, briefly in the locker room after the game.

“We’ve got to learn how to play with emotion and not let emotion play with us. I think that some of them were out of frustration, and you cannot do that. You can’t do that against a good football team. We gave them too many freebies tonight, and that’s on us.”

It was a very disappointing loss for the Bruins. UCLA had the opportunity to take control of their season’s destiny but failed to do so. Now ASU is sitting in the driver’s seat.

The Bruins had over 400 yards of offense but only scored 23 points. Again, UCLA didn’t make the plays when plays were needed. ASU did.

UCLA will try to get back on track against winless Arizona next Saturday in Tucson. The kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM PST.