Immediately after scoring his first touchdown of the game, running back Steven Manfro flew down with UCLA’s kickoff coverage unit and went low on a ballcarrier in contributing to a special teams tackle.
The performance of the redshirt sophomore, who also who returned the opening squib kickoff 70 yards, encapsulated the all-around dominance exerted by UCLA over New Mexico State in the Bruins’ 59-13 win.
In addition to holding New Mexico State scoreless and leading by 45 points through three quarters, UCLA set school records for offensive yards with 692 and first downs with 39. The loss marks New Mexico State’s 15th straight loss, dating back to last season.
Despite stuffing the stat sheets and rewriting setting two new all-time bests, UCLA accumulated a slew of blown opportunities in a win that redshirt sophomore quarterback Brett Hundley said he does not consider the team’s best. In addition to throwing two red-zone interceptions, Hundley over- and under-threw sophomore wide receiver Devin Fuller on routes that seemed destined for touchdowns during the first half. UCLA also accumulated 15 penalties for 138 yards on the night.
Coach Jim Mora said he thought that Hundley opened the game a little sluggishly, but also recognized that some nitpicking was required to criticize his redshirt sophomore signal-caller.
“He ended up with good numbers, but numbers aren’t always the true story. I think he was shaky at times, but he’s such a good player, so composed, mature, that he can get through that. I would like to see him start just a little more solid,” Mora said.
Fuller, who caught his first touchdown of the season on 21-yard play in the end zone, said he felt that the first quarter featured miscommunication that led to a slower start than usual for UCLA. The receiver said he feels that he is normally able to run underneath Hundley’s throws in practice, but the quarterback’s deep throw was just a little too long to be reached on a shot at a long touchdown.
UCLA left another three-to-four points on the field when the team stalled on a second-quarter drive produced by an Anthony Barr sack and forced fumble. With the ball set up at the the UCLA 49-yard line, two UCLA penalties – a 15-yard face mask and a five-yard delay of game – played a big role in UCLA settling for a field goal to make the game 24-0.
Redshirt junior running back Jordon James redeemed himself after a fumble on the opening drive at the New Mexico State five-yard line by jittering and spinning his way to 164 yards rushing and two touchdowns. The performance marked James’ third consecutive game with a triple-digit rushing total. Backfield mate Manfro finished with 137 all-purpose yards, with one touchdown through the air and another on the ground.
Hundley, who said that he would not mind being able to pass on all plays, came away from the game impressed with his offensive line’s ability to pave the way for James and other rushers. UCLA totaled 298 yards on the ground to go with 394 yards passing.
“When they’re opening the holes like that, you’ve got to hand the ball off,” Hundley said.
UCLA will have its second bye week to clean up mistakes and cut down on missed opportunities before starting Pac-12 play at Utah on Oct. 3. Though Hundley puts stock in the Bruins’ 3-0 start, which is characterized by a 104-point margin of victory, the quarterback understands the importance of cutting down on errors as conference games loom.
“Now it’s time to get down to business. These games mean a lot, but conference play is what we’re here to do. We can learn from what we did the previous three weeks … (and get) everything fixed.”