SEATTLE — It’s a ground and pound affair at Husky Stadium as No. 18 UCLA and host Washington have combined for four rushing touchdowns in the first half, with the Bruins leading 31-10.
Redshirt junior quarterback Brett Hundley got things going with a 4-yard touchdown run to cap a 7-play, 55-yard drive on UCLA’s second offensive possession, putting the Bruins ahead 7-0 with 9:27 to go in the first quarter.
UCLA took advantage of Washington’s depleted secondary on its next drive, as Hundley found wide receiver Kenny Walker 57 yards down field. The redshirt sophomore beat the Huskies’ defender badly and walked in the end zone to put UCLA ahead by two scores, 14-0, with 7:44 left in the first quarter.
After going three-and-out on its first two drives, Washington’s offense finally came alive on its next possession. The Huskies marched the ball down to the Bruins 3-yard line, but back-to-back incompletions by Husky sophomore quarterback Cyler Miles caused the drive to stall and Washington was forced to settle for a field goal.
Following a UCLA punt, Washington turned to junior converted running back Shaq Thompson on its next drive. The junior carried the ball four consecutive times for 25 yards to put the Huskies at the Bruins’ 6-yard line. But it was Miles, not Thompson, who ran the ball in for the score to cut UCLA’s lead to 14-10 early in the second quarter.
Not to be outdone, the Bruins turned to their ground game on their proceeding possession. UCLA rode a combination of Hundley, sophomore linebacker Myles Jack and redshirt sophomore running back Paul Perkins on a 10-play, 65-yard drive, finished off by Hundley, who punched it in from six yards out.
UCLA went back to Jack on its next drive, as the two-way star spun out of a tackle on 3rd and 3 and high-stepped the final few yards of his 28-yard touchdown run to give the Bruins a 28-10 lead with 5:23 to go in the half.
The Bruins capped the half with a 30-yard field goal to put UCLA ahead by three touchdowns.
Hundley put together one of his sharpest halves of the year, throwing for 214 yards on 19-25 passing.
UCLA out-gained Washington 315 to 129 in the first half.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.