Even when he looks bad, UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley looks good

Brett Hundley was having a bad day during practice Thursday. His throws were off, some were short, some were high.

No one was concerned. A big reason was Hundley’s reaction to one bad play. He refused to yield the field to the next quarterback.

“I love that about him,” Coach Jim Mora said. “As long as he is still doing what we’re asking him to do, I love to see that fight in him.”

There are areas where Hundley has changed. He is more savvy with one year as the Bruins’ starter on his resume. He passed for 3,740 yards, setting a UCLA single-season record, and 29 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2012.

But Hundley now has a better grasp of the offense and the options that are available.

“There were times last year when he would drop back and there would be nothing there,” Mora said.
“He’d look down at his feet or look at the rush. Now he is keeping his eyes up more and it’s ‘boom, boom, boom.’ That’s how it should happen.”

But one thing about Hundley remains the same.

“One of the reasons we felt he should be the starter last year was that he doesn’t get rattled,” Mora said. “Last spring, he would have a bad series, or have a bad mistake, and would learn from it. I have never seen him really get down on himself. If he has a bad play, it’s not like, ‘Hey take me out, let me gather myself,’ it’s ‘put me back in, let me go again.’ I love that about him.”

In other UCLA news:

Nose tackle Brian Tuliaupupu will likely miss the 2013 season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He was injured in Wednesday’s practice.

The loss leaves Seali’i Epenesa as the Bruins’ only healthy nose tackle. Ellis McCarthy, who is rehabilitating from minor knee surgery, will be available in the fall.

Mora said the Bruins are expecting Rialto High School’s Kenneth Clark to play immediately. He will be a freshman in the fall. Defensive end Eli Ankou was moved to nose tackle during practice Thursday.

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