Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE
Brett Hundley scrambled for 68 yards in 15 carries to go along with his touchdown as the freshman QB led his UCLA Bruins to a 21-14 win against Utah on Saturday afternoon.
Hundley also threw the ball 21 times, connecting on 15 passes, one of which went for a touchdown to wide-out Shaq Evans.
Johnathan Franklin struggled against the Utes front line anchored by Utah DT Star Lotulelei, as Franklin accumulated just 79 yards off of 22 yards, his second-lowest performance of the season in terms of rushing yards.
UCLA took an early lead on a Hundley touchdown run on a fake handoff.
The Utes responded immediately with a touchdown of their own when redshirt freshman Steven Manfro muffed a punt deep in the Bruins’ territory. Utah recovered the fumble in the endzone for a touchdown.
It would take UCLA all of a minute to counter Utah’s touchdown, as Hundley completed a 64-yard pass to junior wide-out Shaq Evans.
From then on, the game would prove to be a defensive struggle for both teams. The next score would not come until the six-minute mark in the third quarter when Johnathan Franklin ran for a three-yard touchdown, completing UCLA’s longest drive of the game.
Utah put itself in a position to tie the game after scoring at the three-minute mark in the fourth quarter after scoring a touchdown on an 11-play, 90-yard drive, forcing the Bruins to gain a first down to ensure a victory.
The Bruins would gain that first down and run out the clock, improving their record to 5-2 on the season and 2-2 in Pac-12 play. The Utes fall to 2-4 on the season and stay winless (0-3) in the Pac-12.
The Bruins will now begin their bye week and will return to action against Arizona State in Tempe, AZ, on Oct. 27.