Linebacker Hale digs himself out of a hole

Before the season began, UCLA sophomore John Hale was listed as the Bruins’ starting strong-side linebacker after being a key contributor on defense as a freshman.

But injuries hampered Hale in training camp and he lost his starting job to junior Aaron Whittington. As a result, Hale’s playing time was limited to special teams for the first half of the season.

“We always talk about football integrity and respecting the game and early on, because he started last year, I think he thought his stuff did not stink,” defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker said about Hale, a 6-foot-4 and 226-pound former standout at Los Alamitos High.

“Then once we made the switch and when Whit had a chance to be the starter, that really made him grow up.”

Things changed for Hale when Whittington suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter against Notre Dame. Hale got the call and played the remainder of the game.

“Even when I was second team, I tried to approach it as if I was starting because in football, you know anything can happen on one play,” said Hale, who started seven games when UCLA’s defense was hit by injuries. “So, I made sure that I was ready to help the team if I had to go in.”

Because Whittington’s ankle injury has plagued him since the Notre Dame game, Hale has played more over the second half of the season and will make his third start in the Emerald Bowl against Florida State on Wednesday.

“When he got a chance to get in, he stepped his game up,” Walker said. “I wouldn’t say that he’s been a pleasant surprise, but it’s good to see that he’s maturing as a football player.”

Hale said he has grown as a player this season after often feeling lost last year.

“I’m a much smarter player now, I understand what is going on the field more,” said Hale, who has made 14 tackles this season. “Last year, I kind of got thrown in so fast, it was a blur. This year, I understand what the offense is trying to do much better.”

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The transition from Ben Olson to Patrick Cowan at quarterback has not been a work of art for UCLA’s passing game. But with Cowan making his eighth consecutive start, the Bruins are positive that they will be able to make plays through the air against Florida State.

“Our confidence is really high going into this game,” said Marcus Everett, who leads UCLA receivers with 29 catches for a team-high 403 yards and five touchdowns. “We got our timing down with Pat right, the way it should be at this time of the season. I think we’re ready.”

UCLA will be looking to take advantage of Florida State’s young secondary that starts two sophomores at cornerback -- Michael Ray Garvin and Tony Carter -- along with a freshman at rover -- Myron Rolle.

“We already know that they’re athletic and that they have good team speed,” Everett said. “We know they are going to challenge us, but we have to be ready to execute.”

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Florida State’s defense is led by senior middle linebacker Buster Davis, who said UCLA’s offense is simple compared to some teams the Seminoles played in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“UCLA doesn’t try to give you a bunch of different looks,” Davis said. “They are not going to do anything outrageous. They stick with what they do. Nothing like Clemson, which will run crazy stuff with all types of motion on nearly every play.”

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lonnie.white@latimes.com