SALT LAKE CITY — UCLA returns to Westwood undefeated and momentarily in the driver’s seat in the Pac-12 South, after edging out Utah on the road despite a slew of penalties and one costly interception by redshirt sophomore quarterback Brett Hundley.
While all the mistakes will be replaced with a neat, concise “W” on the schedule, the injury bug won’t go away so quietly.
In the first quarter of the 34-27 victory, redshirt sophomore left tackle Torian White had to be helped off the field after badly injuring his right ankle, unable to put weight on his leg. Mora said after the game that White would miss an “extended amount of time,” but confirmed Friday that the injury will extend beyond the scope of the season.
“Torian’s done,” Mora said. “He’s going to have surgery Tuesday. He has a break and he has a slight ligament tear is what I’ve been told. Not an ankle ligament, but more up the leg.”
For the final three quarters of the Bruins’ Pac-12 opener, No. 12 UCLA (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) got an extended look at what will likely be its offensive line for the remainder of the season, a move that presses the reset button on a flip-flop of Simon Goines and White at the tackle positions from last week.
Goines, a sophomore, will resume his post at left tackle while Caleb Benenoch, a freshman who was converted from guard to tackle just a few weeks ago, will enter the starting lineup in Goines’ old right tackle spot.
An obvious concern with the new starting five is that two freshmen – right guard Alex Redmond and Benenoch – will be playing next to each other on the right side of the line.
On Thursday, redshirt sophomore center Jacob Brendel was forced to take on a heavier load as a result, at times making calls for three linemen and having a tackle line up in his face down after down. The result was a number of low snaps, an uncharacteristic sight from the usually sturdy Brendel.
“He was frustrated, but it’s tough for a center,” said offensive line coach Adrian Klemm. “I’m not trying to make excuses for him but you have to understand why it’s difficult. We’ll practice (the snap) all week and expect to do better.”
In their first test alongside each other, however, Benenoch and Redmond passed. Klemm said he was “pleased” with the performance of the two youngsters.
“They know their stuff, but it’s difficult … especially in an environment like this or when they’re doing silent count,” he said. “They can’t rely on any help.”
Behind the line, the Bruins saw their first injury as well. Redshirt junior running back Jordon James injured his ankle on the second-to-last play of the first half Thursday, missing the second half and allowing redshirt freshman Paul Perkins and redshirt sophomore Steven Manfro to see the bulk of the carries.
After indicating James underwent X-rays after the game, Mora said Friday the results were negative. In the meantime, he said, James will wear a boot.
“He’s doubtful for this week, but I’m not going to rule him out,” said Mora of James. “You never know how these things are going to respond. He’ll sit a couple extra days, that’s for sure.”
With his 16 carries, mostly in James’ stead, Perkins had a career high of 92 yards on the ground and 49 receiving yards.
Hundley’s Brief Absence
Following UCLA’s first offensive play of the second half, a three-yard rushing gain for Hundley, the redshirt sophomore exited the game and was examined by the team’s medical staff.
Hundley said after the game that a hit he sustained during the quarterback run temporarily impaired his vision, which he said improved during the few minutes he spent on the sideline.
“I got smacked when I went down and I tried to look at the line of scrimmage and I was seeing like 22 people,” Hundley said. “Honestly, I was seeing two of everything, so it took a while to get back.”
Even on a 36-yard rushing touchdown to give the Bruins their final score late in the fourth quarter, Hundley said his vision wasn’t entirely back to normal.
“I just saw some black jerseys and I was trying to run away from them,” he said.
The four offensive plays Hundley missed in the third quarter resulted in a false start, a 27-yard loss, a five-yard Perkins run and a punt in that order.