Hundley's healthy — rest of the Pac-12 (and nation) better take notice

Published Sep. 26, 2014 3:46 a.m. ET

Bruce Feldman

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The quasi-mystery status of UCLA star quarterback Brett Hundley's injured left elbow was a topic Bruin coach Jim Mora was still having a little fun with late Thursday night in the desert. Asked when he knew that Hundley would be cleared to play, Mora smiled and started to laugh, "I can answer this truthfully or I can lie."

Of course, it's easy to make jokes when your team scores 62 points on the nation's No. 15 squad on the road and Hundley plays like a legit Heisman contender, going 18 of 23 for 355 yards and four TDs to go with 72 more rushing yards and another TD, which came on a one-yard sneak of all things with just 4:29 remaining in the game to put the Bruins up 62-27.

While that play call might've sounded risky given that Hundley did miss most of UCLA's last game against Texas and was wearing a bulky brace on his non-throwing elbow, the QB later explained that it was his idea to ask for the sneak. The play for Hundley was a statement that showed he was playing without any fear, an attitude that had permeated through the rest of team and was evident all four quarters.

Bruin defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, the grizzly looking longtime former NFL linebacker had spoken to Hundley before the game and talked about how if you're going to play at the highest level, you're going to have to play "nicked" sometimes. After a shaky opening series, Hundley proved he was more than up to the challenge. Ulbrich said seeing Hundley "tuck the ball and run and jump and finish runs was pretty cool."

In reality, despite Mora's cat-and-mouse game with the media leading up to kickoff about Hundley's status, everyone inside the UCLA program knew he was going to play Thursday night. (A Bruin source had told FOX Sports 10 days ago that Hundley had sustained a slightly hyperextended left elbow and would be fine for the game.) Bruin wideout Jordan Payton said Hundley was in treatment three times a day and with this game being closer to the Chandler, Ariz., native's home, he could tell the whole week that the 6-3, 225-pounder was "locked in."

After the game Hundley, getting the chance to have a homecoming of sorts back in Arizona, laughed off Mora being so coy, saying his coach was just having some fun.

The QB had fun too, he said, his arm wrapped in a bulky ice pack. On one play Hundley hurdled one would-be tackler and then got slammed to the turf, but that only seemed to get him more locked in, said teammates.

"Yeah, I gotta stop hurdling people," Hundley joked. "I'm playing football. It's just having fun, and me not coming in here and thinking that I'm limited. ... A lot of people thought I was gonna come out and be one-dimensional (and not run the ball.)"

Later in the game, with the Bruins rolling, a Sun Devil delivered a late hit along the Bruins sideline right on his ailing elbow. "Luckily, I have massive amounts of paddings," Hundley said, calling the brace "bionic."

He admitted the brace, even though it's not on his throwing arm, does have a little impact on his mechanics because it "messes with your weight distribution." He later said he hopes to only need the brace for one more game if that, and that he will try not to use it at practice because he doesn't want to have his muscle memory incorporate it into his delivery in any way.

The performance Thursday night not only helped impress several of the NFL scouts in attendance, it also should put Hundley back in the Heisman race and serve as quite a springboard for a team that now looks like a strong favorite in the Pac-12 South.

The Bruins who came into the game averaging a middling 5.6 yards per game, produced an eye-catching 10-yard average on every offensive snap. Credit the oft-criticized UCLA O-line for delivering its best performance of the season, only allowing one sack while sparking a running game that averaged 6.4 yards per carry. The group up front had been rocked by injuries in the opener at Virginia, but appears to have been shored up with center Jake Brendel getting closer to 100 percent with his ailing knee while both tackles are now playing at a high level after a strong performance against Texas.

For Mora, there is one other big plus most have overlooked about this team that a lot of folks had grown skeptical of after struggling with (underrated) Virginia and against Memphis: The Bruins are now 4-0 with three of those wins coming on the road, and this win against the defending Pac-12 South champs came after the Bruins trailed 17-6.

"This game showed we have some grit," said Mora. "I've been around some teams that would've folded."