Strong second half guides Bruins past Wolf Pack
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Jim Mora took over UCLA's sputtering football program last season and made it relevant again. And with key pieces returning, expectations in Pasadena are high.
The Bruins got off to a soaring start.
Brett Hundley, one of those key returning pieces, threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more scores in No. 21 UCLA's 58-20 thumping of Nevada.
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The Bruins (1-0) scored 41 points in the second half to turn the game into a laugher.
"I was happy with the way we came out of the huddle in the second half, both offensively and defensively. The blocked punt was a huge momentum changer for us," Mora said.
Hundley, whose 4,095 yards of total offense last year as a freshman broke Cade McNown's single-season school record, was 22-of-33 and added 63 yards on the ground for the Bruins, who won the Pac-12 South title last year, but fell to Stanford, 27-24, in the conference's title game.
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UCLA won nine games last year, the most since 2005. The Bruins haven't won at least nine games in back-to-back seasons since 1997 and 1998. The Bruins had gone 10-16 over their previous two seasons prior to Mora's arrival.
Jordon James carried the ball 21 times for 155 yards and a touchdown and Shaquelle Evans caught six passes for 81 yards and a TD in the triumph.
Cody Fajardo ran for 106 yards and two scores, while going 19-of-32 through the air for 164 yards for the Wolf Pack (0-1), who were unable to win in head coach Brian Polian's debut.
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Polian was selected to take over for Hall of Fame coach and the originator of the Pistol offense, Chris Ault. Nevada went 7-6 last season and are coming off its eighth straight bowl appearance.
Fajardo ran it in from a yard out with seven seconds left in the opening half to cap an 11-play, 81-yard drive and bring the Wolf Pack within 17-13 heading into the break, but 20 straight UCLA points to start the second half put the game away.
Hundley's 11-yard TD sprint concluded the Bruins' initial offensive possession of the second half. Kenny Orjioke then blocked Chase Tenpenny's punt following a Nevada three-and-out, which Phillip Ruhl scooped it up for a 4-yard score.
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"It was a great drive by the offense in the two minute drill right before the half to make it 17-13, but then the blocked punt was the difference-maker in the entire football game. We simply cannot allow that to happen," Polian said.
Hundley's 19-yard strike to Jalen Ortiz preceded James' 26-yard touchdown run, which finished off an 10-play, 65-yard sequence and gave the hosts a 37-13 edge.
Fajardo ran in for a 19-yard touchdown on the second play of the fourth before UCLA rattled off three more scores to pull away.
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Paul Perkins had a 3-yard TD run, Malcolm Jones hauled in a 25-yard score from Hundley and then plunged in from a yard out midway through the frame to increase the margin to 58-20.
Earlier, Hundley's 37-yard burst down the right sideline for a touchdown opened the scoring on UCLA's first possession before Nevada answered with a Brent Zuzo 28-yard field goal to make it 7-3.
Ka'imi Fairbairn and Zuzo exchanged made field goals in the second, 40 and 21 yards, respectively, to give UCLA a 10-6 lead. The Bruins responded following Zuzo's field goal as Hundley flipped a 5-yard score to Evans to conclude a 10- play, 73-yard march, which upped the UCLA advantage to 17-6 late in the second.
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Game Notes
UCLA had 12 receivers with at least one reception ... UCLA outgained Nevada, 647-353 ... The Bruins totaled 345 yards rushing ... UCLA committed 12 penalties for 93 yards.