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Bruins call an audible, use linebackers in offensive blitz

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TUCSON — UCLA certainly made use of its personnel against Arizona on Saturday.

Linebacker Myles Jack made his debut as a running back in the second quarter. On a third-and-one play, the 225-pound freshman cut outside and turned the corner for a 29-yard run to the Arizona 37-yard line.

Jack, who played running back and linebacker at Bellevue (Wash.) High, was not done.

PHOTOS: UCLA defeats Arizona, 31-26

He gained 25 yards later in the second quarter and added a 66-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

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And he wasn’t the only linebacker to get some time on offense. Jordan Zumwalt caught a 12-yard pass from Brett Hundley in the first half.

Hundley cashed it in with a four-yard touchdown pass to Shaquelle Evans to give UCLA a 21-10 halftime lead.

Oops

Jack was also involved in an ill-fated fake punt in the second quarter. With the Bruins leading, 14-3, punter Sean Covington overthrew a wide-open Jack in the flat. It wouldn’t have mattered. About half the UCLA offensive line was called for being illegally downfield.

Arizona took over at the UCLA 25-yard line. Running back Ka’Deem Carey closed the short drive with a four-yard touchdown run, the 40th rushing touchdown of Carey’s career.

Hundley unwanted?

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Hundley’s father, Brett Hundley Sr., was a running back for Arizona from 1982-86. The son, though, felt a bit shunned by Dad’s alma mater.

Hundley was a highly sought-after quarterback at Chandler High in 2010. He narrowed his choices to UCLA and Washington, then opted for Westwood. Arizona was never in the picture.

“They came in really late in the recruiting process,” Hundley said. “That killed everything. It was like, ‘Shoot, I see how much you want somebody.’”

The Wildcats struck out again with Devin Fuller, who came to UCLA from high school in New Jersey as a quarterback and was moved to receiver.

“We thought he could play quarterback in the system and knew he could play somewhere else,” Arizona Coach Rich Rodriguez told the Tucson Citizen this week.

More Hundley

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Hundley’s serpentine 15-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was the 16th of his career. It tied him for fourth among quarterbacks on the UCLA all-time list.

Jeff Dankworth (1974-76), Tom Ramsey (1979-82) and Cade McNown (1995-98) also scored 16 touchdowns. Gary Beban, the Bruins’ only Heisman winner, is UCLA’s all-time leader among quarterbacks with 35.

Deep six

For the second consecutive week, UCLA struck deep to get its first touchdown.

Hundley, on the Bruins’ first play from scrimmage, went upfield to Evans, who had broken free down the sideline. The 66-yard touchdown gave UCLA a 7-3 lead.

A week ago against Colorado, Hundley threw a 76-yard touchdown pass to Fuller on the Bruins’ third possession.

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UCLA running back Steven Manfro (ankle), tackle Simon Goines (knee), running back Jordon James (ankle) and tackle Connor McDermott (shoulder) did not suit up for UCLA.

chris.foster@latimes.com

Twitter: @cfosterlatimes

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