EL PASO, Texas — In the days leading up to the Sun Bowl, Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster painted stopping UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley as a tall task.
Through two quarters of play in the Sun Bowl, that challenge has appeared gargantuan for the Hokies, who allowed the redshirt sophomore to shake, wiggle and spin his way to 168 yards on the ground, already a Sun Bowl record for a quarterback. The nightmarish part for the Hokies is that he needed just six carries to do it. With 30 minutes left to play, No. 17 UCLA leads Virginia Tech 14-7.
On UCLA’s first drive of the game, the Bruins quickly drove the length of the field thanks to a 25-yard gain by Hundley down the wide-open middle of the field and two Virginia Tech penalties. Facing a second-and-three at the Hokies’ 7-yard line, it appeared Virginia Tech defensive end Dadi Nicolas had a clear shot at Hundley in the backfield, but Hundley instead twisted his hips to avoid the tackle, sauntering away for an early touchdown.
Two drives later, the Hokies countered thanks in large part to a ferocious run-after-catch by freshman tight end Kalvin Cline, who found a seam up the middle of the field for 37 yards. Sophomore running back J.C. Coleman punched the ball across the goal line on the next play to even the tally.
UCLA outgained Virginia Tech by well over 50 yards in the first half, but failed to capitalize on some promising opportunities, including a first-and-10 on the Virginia Tech 17-yard line toward the end of the first quarter that ended with a missed field goal attempt by sophomore kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn from 36 yards out.
When Hundley kept the ball in his hands, however, he erased any and all shortcomings. With just over nine minutes remaining in the half, Hundley shuffled up in the pocket before taking off on an 86-yard touchdown sprint to reclaim the lead for the Bruins.
Hundley paired his record rushing performance with a pedestrian passing effort that included just seven completions for 73 yards. His counterpart, Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas, is questionable to return. He was taken out after sustaining a hit from UCLA senior inside linebacker Jordan Zumwalt early in the second quarter.
Compiled by Andrew Erickson, Bruin Sports senior staff.