Notes and quotes: UCLA 59, New Mexico State 13

— UCLA set the school record in total offensive yards (692) and first downs (39), despite the Bruins having a fairly uneven game on that side of the ball. Brett Hundley threw two red-zone interceptions and missed at least two sure touchdowns to receiver Devin Fuller. He completed 23 of 35 passes for 280 yards and three scores.

“At one point, I just told him to pull the trigger,” head coach Jim Mora said. “He looked hesitant and he’s got to move through that. He had good numbers, but numbers aren’t always the true story.”

The sophomore moved to eighth on UCLA’s all-time passing list with 4,588 career yards. Immediately ahead of him is Wayne Cooks’ 4,723. Hundley is also eighth in total offense (5,100), behind Troy Aikman’s 5,294.

— Receiver Nick Pasquale, killed by a car on Sept. 8, was honored with a moment of silence before the game, one followed by fans cheering loudly and waving the 30,000 free blue towels passed out at the Rose Bowl. On UCLA’s first offensive play of the day, the Bruins lined up with 10 men, leaving a spot open for Pasquale.

His family received a framed jersey between the first and second quarters.

“I don’t think we can ever do enough to honor Nick Pasquale and his family,” Mora said. Continue reading “Notes and quotes: UCLA 59, New Mexico State 13” »

Running updates: No. 13 UCLA vs. New Mexico State

Final: UCLA finishes with a 59-13 win over New Mexico State, covering the 42.5-point spread. Malcolm Jones punched in a pair of three-yard touchdowns, dragging two or three defenders on his first one. Walk-on quarterback Mike Fafaul also made his first career appearance, replacing Jerry Neuheisel with roughly two minutes left in the game. The crowd let out a loud “Awwww” as Fafaul took a knee near the goal line to end the game.

Aggies quarterback Andrew McDonald broke the shutout with an easy pass to Adam Shapiro, a play on which cornerback Priest Willis tripped and fell behind in coverage. The Aggies scored their second touchdown on a four-yard run by Brandon Betancourt, but couldn’t get the extra point with with 7:51 left to go.

Third quarter: Brett Hundley throws his second red-zone interception of the game, bumping his season total to three. Continue reading “Running updates: No. 13 UCLA vs. New Mexico State” »