It's been 12 long days since No. 11 UCLA revisited its past when a Neuheisel helped the Bruins to a big win over Texas. Finally, the Bruins are ready to get back out on to the field Thursday night in their Pac-12 opener against Arizona State.
The last time the Bruins were in Tempe, quarterback Brett Hundley led his team on a game-winning 60-yard drive that was finished off by a field goal from Ka'imi Fairbairn. Last year at the Rose Bowl, title implications were on the line and head coach Jim Mora made a bold decision to use Myles Jack only as a running back.
This year, as the speculation surrounding both starting quarterbacks continues to heighten, the drama is building once again. Here are three things to watch Thursday night as UCLA visits No. 15 Arizona State.
The Quarterback Drama
After Mora emphatically stated that he would not update the status of his star quarterback at any point before the Pac-12 opener, the Bruins went into lockdown mode. Suddenly as secretive as the CIA, all practices were closed to the media and some practice times were not even disclosed.
While Mora's intent might have been to squash the rumors and let the Bruins concentrate, it had the adverse effect. The rumor mill began rotating in full force. After watching and re-rewatching his apparent elbow injury, many speculated that his arm was broken. Twitter nearly exploded with speculation after he was seen wearing a brace.
"All of our players that are out, we just try to make the best decisions for them," Mora said. "If they clear him and say that he can play, just like everybody else, then we'll play him."
Hundley, who has said that he enjoys talking to media, wasn't made available throughout the last two weeks. He briefly said hello to some media members last week before a practice, but no one really knows the extent of the injury.
Will Jerry Neuheisel lead the Bruins to victory again, just like his dad, or will we see redshirt freshman Asiantii Woulard? Is Hundley's Heisman campaign already over? ASU coach Todd Graham thinks it's going to be Hundley.
"He's going to play," Graham said on the Pac-12 coaches teleconference. "Just being honest with you, there's no doubt in my mind he's going to play."
ASU's Run Game
The Sun Devils torched the Bruins on the ground last season, and that's still the name of their game. The 11th-best rushing team in the nation is averaging 304.3 yards per game with 12 rushing touchdowns. D.J. Foster has five of those.
Foster is a threat to run and catch passes out of the backfield. The Bruins won't make the same mistake twice. They'll play Jack on defense this week. It's a smart choice as this is a matchup made for the versatile linebacker.
Breakdown: No. 11 UCLA vs. Arizona State, Thursday, FOX Sports 1
"He does everything -- he runs the ball, he catches the ball, he can make people miss," Jack said of Foster. "I'm definitely excited for that matchup just to see where I stand with a guy like that. He's one of the best running backs in the nation right now. Covering him out of the backfield, reading him and making tackles -- that will be a good matchup."
More QB Drama
Mike Bercovici was awarded the starting job after Arizona State's starting QB Taylor Kelly injured his foot. A relative unknown, he's a similar quarterback to Kelly and is expected to make a seamless transition.
Bercovici is a fifth-year senior who was recruited by UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone during his years at ASU. Timing and play-calling might be a little different, but the Sun Devils are confident that he knows the offense as well as Kelly.
"Mike's solid," Graham said. "The big thing for Mike is to just take what they give you, use the athletes you have around you, run the system and we have had to adapt the system to him. There are things that he brings to the table that I am excited to see."
