SEATTLE — Brett Hundley threw for two touchdowns to become UCLA’s all-time leader in TD passes, ran for two more scores and Myles Jack added a highlight-reel 28-yard touchdown run in No. 18 UCLA’s 44-30 win over Washington on Saturday night.
Hundley threw his 69th career touchdown on a 57-yard TD strike to Kenneth Walker III in the first quarter to give the Bruins an early 14-0 lead and pass Cade McNown on the school’s all-time list. Hundley added touchdown runs of 4 and 6 yards as UCLA (8-2, 5-2 Pac-12, No. 18 CFP) kept alive its hopes of winning the Pac-12 South.
Jack’s offensive touches were limited, but the linebacker turned running back scored his fifth touchdown rushing against Washington in the past two seasons late in the second quarter to give the Bruins a 28-10 lead.
Fellow linebacker turned running back Shaq Thompson played mostly on offense for Washington (6-4, 2-4) with a handful of defensive snaps, including the tackle on Jack’s first carry of the game. Thompson finished with 100 yards rushing on 16 carries, a week after rushing for 174 yards against Colorado. Washington quarterback Cyler Miles was 14 of 24 passing for 155 yards and one interception as most of the highlights belonged to the Bruins.
UCLA coach Jim Mora downplayed his return to Washington all week, saying it was strictly a business trip coming up to Seattle to face the school where he played and was long believed to be an eventual employer for Mora.
Mora’s team followed his lead and while they still need help down the line, the Bruins remained in contention for a spot in the Pac-12 championship game.
Hundley was 29 of 36 for 302 yards, his fourth 300-yard passing game this season. Paul Perkins added 98 yards rushing, but it was Jack’s run that will get all the replays.
Late in the first half Jack bounced a third-down handoff to the outside, picking up the needed yards for the first down then made the play spectacular. He first stiff-armed former high school teammate Budda Baker to the turf, then spun out of the tackle attempt of Naijiel Hale. Jack kept his balance without going out of bounds and scampered the final few yards for his third touchdown rushing this season.
Kai’imi Fairbairn made 30 and 37 yards and his 46-yarder with 8:30 left gave the Bruins a 44-27 lead.
The Huskies got a 100-yard kickoff return from John Ross in the third quarter and Washington pulled within 41-27 early in the fourth quarter on Dwayne Washington’s 12-yard TD run.
Hundley and UCLA’s pass game was more than willing to expose Washington’s biggest flaw: it’s young and inexperienced secondary. The Huskies started three true freshmen in the defensive backfield following the dismissal of junior cornerback and NFL prospect Marcus Peters from the program earlier this week. That inexperience was evident on Hundley’s 57-yard TD pass to Walker. Baker and Hale — replacing Peters — got confused on the coverage assignment and Walker was left uncovered to give UCLA a 14-0 lead. Hundley added a 15-yard TD pass to Mossi Johnson in the second half.
Not helping the young secondary was the lack of a pass rush after Hau’oli Kikaha, the national leader in sacks, left in the first quarter with an apparent shoulder injury. Kikaha sacked Hundley on UCLA’s first possession but was a spectator the rest of the half getting his shoulder and neck worked on and never returned in the second half.
