TUCSON, -- Nick Foles threw two touchdown passes to Juron Criner, and Arizona overcame five turnovers to defeat UCLA 27-13 on Saturday and keep pace in the Pac-10 race.
Nic Grigsby and Nick Booth each ran for a touchdown for the Wildcats (5-2, 3-1 Pac-10), who remain tied for second place, a game behind Oregon.
Foles had a hand in all of five of Arizona's turnovers. The Pac-10's leading passer threw three interceptions, had a fumble returned for a touchdown and botched a handoff that led to a fumble.
UCLA's defense did everything it could to keep the Bruins (3-4, 0-4) afloat. All 13 UCLA points resulted from turnovers.
UCLA free safety Rahim Moore, the national interception co-leader, picked off his sixth and seventh passes of the season, and strong safety Tony Dye returned a fumble 28 yards for a score.
Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel tried three quarterbacks -- starter Kevin Prince, Kevin Craft and Richard Brehaut -- but couldn't generate much offense.
The Wildcats jumped ahead 7-0 late in the first quarter on a 41-yard pass from Foles to Criner, who was all alone after a deft play fake froze the Bruins.
On the next possession, Arizona's Cam Nelson sacked Prince, forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Wildcats' Apaiata Tuihalamaka at the UCLA 23.
Three plays later, Nic Grigsby scored on a 6-yard run to put the Wildcats up 13-0. Alex Zendejas' extra point was blocked.
Arizona appeared ready to take command early in the second quarter, driving to the UCLA 11. But Moore picked off a pass near the goal line to kill the threat.
Midway through the second quarter, UCLA chipped away on a 52-yard field goal by Kai Forbath, who is 9-of-10 from 50 yards or farther in his career.
Forbath added a 33-yarder early in the third quarter -- his 28th straight field goal from inside 50 yards.
Arizona answered with a 51-yard drive, capped by a 25-yard touchdown pass from Foles to Criner, who caught a pass at the line of scrimmage and bolted down the left sideline and into the end zone.
That was one of the few bright spots for Foles, who was shaky in his fourth career start.
Foles, the Pac-10's leading passer, had two interceptions in his first three starts. He threw three in the first half against UCLA.
Foles also had a hand in a fourth turnover when he botched an exchange with tailback Greg Nwoko early in the second half, leading to a UCLA field goal.
Then Foles was charged with a costly fumble midway through the third quarter.
Foles tried to hit receiver Terrell Turner near the line of scrimmage when UCLA linebacker Akeem Ayers stepped in front of the apparent pass.
Ayers juggled the ball, then dropped it, and players on both sides pulled up -- except for Dye, who scooped up the football and raced 28 yards into the end zone, where an official gave a touchdown signal.
The ruling stood up on video review, bringing groans from the Arizona Stadium crowd of 51, 440.
The play brought back memories of Arizona's 36-33 loss at Washington two weeks ago, when a Foles pass deflected off receiver Delashaun Dean's shoe and was picked off by the Huskies and returned for the decisive touchdown.
That turnover cost Arizona a game. This time, the Wildcats responded quickly.
They marched 63 yards in 10 plays, with Booth scoring on a 6-yard run to push the lead back to 27-13 late in the third quarter.
