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UCLA’s Brett Hundley will play if he can do so without limits: coach

UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley is expected to be a game-time decision for the Bruins on Thursday when they face Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. Hundley suffered an injury to his left elbow against Boston College on Sept. 13.
(Shelby Tauber / Associated Press)
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If quarterback Brett Hundley plays against Arizona State on Thursday — and UCLA Coach Jim Mora has maintained a week-long shoulder shrug in response to that question — there will be no limitations placed on him.

Hundley sustained an injury to his left elbow during a game against Texas on Sept. 13, and his availability is expected to be a game-time decision. A good portion of that decision will hinge on whether he is able to perform the way he always has on the field.

The Bruins offense operates best when Hundley runs with the football. But with that comes the risk of re-injuring his elbow.

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“It wouldn’t be fair to him, it wouldn’t be fair to our team, to ask him to go out there and be somebody that he’s not,” Mora said. “I don’t think we can limit him that way. If he does play, he’s got to be able to do everything.”

Duplicating the running game UCLA had against Texas would relieve some of the pressure. The Bruins had 217 yards rushing in a 20-17 victory.

Paul Perkins had career highs with 24 carries and 126 yards. Jordon James, who had been bothered by a sore knee, had 69 yards in eight carries.

“Your quarterback doesn’t feel the necessity to run the ball,” Mora said of the production. “You keep yourself out of lot of third-and-longs, so he’s not having to hold ball as long, taking the rush off him a little bit.”

UCLA rotates three backs, with a dash of linebacker Myles Jack.

Perkins has a team-high 304 yards rushing. James and Hundley each has 74 yards.

“We’re just all trying to push each other,” said Perkins, who added that getting 24 carries allowed him to wear down the defense.

“As the game gets longer, I feel more energy in my legs,” Perkins said. “I don’t get as tired as their guys. As a group, we can demoralize the defense by just pounding and pounding it, get four or five yards. Eventually the big run is going to come.”

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Perkins had a 58-yard run against Texas and finished with the first 100-yard game of his college career.

Starks spark

The new element in the running game is freshman Nathan Starks, who was bumped up the depth chart after Steven Manfro suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Starks has impressed UCLA coaches, but he is still learning.

“In high school, I got the ball and ran,” Starks said. “The tempo is different at this level. I’ve got to learn to read a defense, see where they are going to be before they get there. When we understand where the defense is going, we can make our cuts.”

Jack fact

Mora played Jack exclusively at running back against Arizona State last season because of injuries to other running backs. That won’t happen again.

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Jack had 86 yards rushing and scored one touchdown but the Sun Devils jumped out to an early lead and won, 38-33.

“Looking back, that was a huge mistake on my part,” Mora said.

Follow Chris Foster on Twitter @cfosterlatimes

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