A game by game look at the 2013 UCLA football season
By Kevin Bowman
Dec. 9, 2013 2:03 a.m.
Nevada – (W) 58-20
Holding onto just a 17-13 lead at halftime, UCLA exploded for 41 points in the second half after a blocked punt returned for a touchdown shifted momentum in its favor. The Bruins’ offense was led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Brett Hundley, who had two passing and two rushing touchdowns, as well as redshirt junior running back Jordon James, who rushed for 155 yards, quieting concerns about replacing running back Johnathan Franklin.
Nebraska – (W) 41-21
UCLA’s first test of the season came in its second game as it faced then-No. 23 Nebraska in a challenging road environment. After a Cornhuskers touchdown with 7:12 remaining in the first half put the Bruins in a 21-3 hole, UCLA woke up and took control of the game. Finally scoring their first touchdown of the day with just under a minute to go in the half, the Bruins then captured the lead with four third-quarter touchdowns. UCLA scored 38 consecutive points and held Nebraska scoreless for the final 37:12 of the game to get the win.
New Mexico State – (W) 59-13
A slow start didn’t stop UCLA from putting up a season-high 692 yards in its game against New Mexico State. The Bruins didn’t score until the 2:34 mark of the first quarter, but piled the points on from there, scoring eight total touchdowns in the game. The offense was led by another standout performance from James, who finished with 164 yards and two touchdowns. UCLA’s defense also kept New Mexico State from scoring until the fourth quarter.
Utah – (W) 34-27
After one quarter of play in the cold Rice-Eccles Stadium, Utah proved that UCLA’s first Pac-12 game was not going to be an easy win. The Utes jumped out to an early 14-7 lead in the first quarter with two touchdown passes by quarterback Travis Wilson. UCLA answered with two touchdowns from Hundley – one passing and one receiving – and the Bruins went into halftime with a 21-17 lead. Utah tied the game at 24 early in the fourth quarter, but UCLA regained the lead.With just seconds left on the clock and Utah within striking distance, freshman linebacker Myles Jack made one of UCLA’s six interceptions to seal the win.
California – (W) 37-10
UCLA jumped out to an early 17-0 lead against a struggling Cal and never looked back. Despite having their second weakest rushing performance of the year, the Bruins made up for it through the air behind Hundley’s career-high 410 passing yards. While Hundley’s numbers indicated a big game, many of those yards came after the catch on short passes to his receivers. UCLA’s offense struggled a bit in the red zone, having to kick field goals on three drives that ended inside Cal’s 10-yard line.
UCLA’s offense struggled mightily in the loss to Stanford, managing just 266 yards compared to Stanford’s 419. The Bruins had no answer for Cardinal running back Tyler Gaffney, who rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Although they trailed just 3-0 at halftime, the Bruins never heated up on offense and never took the lead. Hundley threw for just 192 yards and had two interceptions, while senior running back Malcolm Jones led the Bruins in rushing with just 30 yards in the Bruins’ first loss of the season.
Oregon – (L) 42-14
UCLA looked like it had a chance at toppling then-No. 3 Oregon as the two teams headed into halftime tied 14-14. But the Bruins collapsed in the second half, unable to score and unable to slow down the Ducks’ offense. Hundley had the worst statistical game of his career, with just 64 passing yards and two interceptions. Meanwhile, Oregon racked up 555 yards of offense and outscored UCLA 28-0 in the second half to get the win.
Colorado – (W) 45-23
After struggling the previous two weeks against Stanford and Oregon, UCLA got the bounce-back performance it needed with a big win over Colorado. While the offense again got off to a slow start, not scoring until the final minute of the first quarter, the Bruins finally got clicking in the second quarter. Hundley also rebounded, scoring two passing and two rushing touchdowns.
Arizona – (W) 31-26
While UCLA was unable to slow down Arizona running back Ka’Deem Carey, the Bruin offense, led for the first time by Jack, scored just enough to come out on top. Used initially in short-yardage situations, Jack exploded for a 66-yard touchdown run down the sideline to score UCLA’s final points of the game. Hundley also had a big game, notching two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.
Washington – (W) 41-31
UCLA got out to a quick start, grabbing a 20-7 lead after one quarter of play. Jack was dominant in his second game on offense, running for 59 yards and four touchdowns. Senior defensive end Cassius Marsh also contributed on offense, catching a two-yard pass for a touchdown. In fact, UCLA’s first touchdown scored by an offensive player didn’t come until the 9:57 mark in the fourth quarter, when redshirt sophomore wide receiver Devin Lucien made a 40-yard touchdown catch, the first of his career. Washington stayed within striking distance throughout the game, even when starting quarterback Keith Price was injured and replaced by backup Cyler Miles. The Huskies finished with more total yards, but the Bruins finished with the win.
Arizona State – (L) 38-33
Needing a win to preserve its chances at a Pac-12 South title, UCLA came up just short against Arizona State. The Bruins struggled to stop Sun Devils quarterback Taylor Kelly, who beat them more with his legs than his arm as he ran for 99 yards and a touchdown. UCLA’s experiment of using Jack nearly exclusively on offense didn’t work perfectly, as many of Kelly’s runs came to the side of the UCLA defense previously occupied by Jack. Jack did contribute on offense however, with 86 rushing yards and a touchdown. But some missed field goals and missed opportunities in the red zone kept UCLA from winning the game.
USC – (W) 35-14
Coming off a close loss to Arizona State that crushed its Rose Bowl hopes a week earlier, UCLA had another emotional game facing crosstown rival USC. For the second year in a row, the Bruins showed they had the better team. After leading by just seven points at halftime, the Bruins widened the gap in the second half behind the legs of Hundley, who had two rushing touchdowns. While USC running back Javorius Allen racked up 123 yards, the Bruin defense was able to contain the rest of the Trojan offense, limiting it to just 14 points and allowing UCLA to reclaim the Victory Bell.
Compiled by Kevin Bowman, Bruin Sports senior staff.
