TUCSON, Ariz. — After he’d knelt one final time, Josh Rosen handed the football to the referee — who turned around and handed it back. For just a moment, UCLA’s freshman quarterback hesitated, unsure what to do. But then he tossed a soft spiral to an equipment manager. And he headed downfield to join a surprisingly muted celebration.
It would be tempting to overcook the meaning of No. 11 UCLA 56, No. 16 Arizona 30. To rave about Rosen’s continued growth and the Bruins’ first-half blitzing of the Wildcats, which extinguished any real hopes of an upset, and to extrapolate from the results to find a sure-fire College Football Playoff contender.