VIDEO: Jordan Zumwalt talks about facing Cody Fajardo

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Despite an eventual blowout victory, UCLA struggled to contain Nevada’s Cody Fajardo early on. The Wolf Packs’ dual-threat star had 77 of his team-high 106 rushing yards in the first half, finishing with two touchdowns on the ground.

In the second quarter, though, linebacker Jordan Zumwalt got the best of his former high school rival. Fajardo got loose along the right sideline, diving toward the end zone after running over 14 yards. Zumwalt met him in the air, knocking Fajardo out of bounds just early enough to keep his right arm from reaching inside the pylon.

The touchdown was called back after video review. Fajardo punched it in right after, cutting UCLA’s lead to 17-13, but it wasn’t against Zumwalt.

“So happy I made that play,” Zumwalt said. “That was like my redemption play. … If he had gone over me and got that touchdown, I would’ve been so sad. I know they scored the next play, but I was just happy I won that one.”

FINAL: UCLA 58, Nevada 20

After a slow start against Nevada, UCLA ran away with an impressive 58-20 win to open the season. Most notable was Jordon James’ debut as a starting tailback. The 5-foot-9 tailback had entered the season averaging 3.3 yards per carry; after three quarters, he already had 155 yards on 21 touches.

Stat of the game? UCLA’s 345 total rushing yards. The Bruins’ best mark in 2012 was 344, in a 36-30 win over Nebraska.

Some questions still exist with a defense that bent early, but the ground game looked like a strong complement for Brett Hundley’s superlative quarterback play.

Jordan Zumwalt has history with Nevada QB Cody Fajardo


Saturday will mark the first time the UCLA and Nevada football teams have ever met.

Their players aren’t as unfamiliar with each other.

Four years ago, Nevada quarterback Cody Fajardo led Anaheim’s Servite High to the CIF-SS Pac-5 finals. On the other side was UCLA linebacker Jordan Zumwalt, then a star for Edison High — located 15 miles south in Huntington Beach. Continue reading “Jordan Zumwalt has history with Nevada QB Cody Fajardo” »

At a glance: No. 21 UCLA vs. Nevada

No. 21 UCLA (0-0) vs. Nevada (0-0)
Location: Rose Bowl, 7 p.m. PT
TV: Pac-12 Networks (Kevin Calabro, Yogi Roth, Jill Savage)
Radio: 570 AM (Chris Roberts, Matt Stevens, Wayne Cook)

Last meeting: This is the first-ever meeting between UCLA and Nevada.
2012 records: Bruins (9-5, 6-3 Pac-12); Wolf Pack (7-6, 4-4 MWC)

Key storylines: Nevada enters life post-Chris Ault, the legendary coach who pioneered the pistol offense. Returning starters and staff members — including offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich — will help maintain continuity, but new head coach Brian Polian must prove that he’s capable of being more than just an assistant. Continue reading “At a glance: No. 21 UCLA vs. Nevada” »