UCLA Football: Bruins Offense Clicking at the Right Time as Postseason Looms

The UCLA that college football pundits projected to compete for a berth in the College Football Playoff made an appearance in the 18th-ranked Bruins’ 44-30 defeat of Washington on Saturday.

In particular, the UCLA offense found its rhythm, making good on running back Paul Perkins' prediction after last week's defeat of Arizona.

Perkins said he sensed the Bruins were "on the verge of something great," and the result at Husky Stadium was UCLA's highest offensive output since hanging 62 points on Arizona State in September.    

The emergence of UCLA's offense fittingly started with quarterback Brett Hundley, who looked more like the preseason Heisman Trophy candidate than at any other time this season.

He accounted for 320 total yards and scored four touchdowns, operating behind an offensive line that played one of its better games. The UCLA front helped keep Washington's second-ranked sack-generating defense away from Hundley, taking advantage of linebacker Hau'oli Kikaha's absence for much of the night to allow just one sack.

A confident Hundley completed 29 of 36 pass attempts, improving upon his impressive season-long average of 71 percent coming into Saturday's affair, per CFBStats.com. 

Hundley's ability to get the ball out quickly to a variety of receivers—10 Bruins caught passes—gave the UCLA offense a fluidity it needs to finish strong in its two remaining games.

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

Protecting Hundley has been one of the more vexing issues for UCLA on the campaign. Another is penalty yardage. The Bruins addressed penalties Saturday along with their improved blocking, drawing just four flags for 37 yards.

No longer facing downs of more than 10 yards due to penalties, offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone has more options in his playbook. And there's no doubt UCLA is most effective when it's multifaceted.

That was reflected in how the Bruins scored their five touchdowns. Hundley rushed for two and found Kenneth Walker and Mossi Johnson for one each with the pass.

The fifth came from Myles Jack, whose highlight-reel scoring rush stole the spotlight from two-way counterpart Shaq Thompson.

The Bruins haven't needed Jack to be the ball-carrier he was late last season, but having him as a complement to Perkins, Jordon James and Nathan Starks in the backfield only makes UCLA more dangerous.

And when the Bruins are not getting in the end zone, having kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn connecting is vital.

Fairbairn went 3 of 3 on his field-goal attempts, most notably hitting a 44-yarder that salvaged a fourth-quarter drive nearly stalled by a questionable offensive pass interference call.

Much like the sacks surrendered and penalty yards accrued in past games, missed field goals plagued the Bruins in past weeks.

Head coach Jim Mora said, "We've got to figure out how to put the ball through the uprights when we get in scoring position," after Fairbairn missed a 41-yard attempt on Oct. 11 against Oregon.

With that problem seemingly resolved, UCLA is one facet closer to reaching its full potential for the season's final push.

Better late than never.  

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise cited. Statistics via UCLABruins.com.