If quarterback Brett Hundley played his final game with UCLA in the Sun Bowl on Tuesday, he can say he left on a high note.
Hundley, a sophomore, rushed for a career-high 161 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 226 and another two scores in a 42-12 win over Virginia Tech. The win gave UCLA 10 wins for the first time since 2005 and was a strong ending to a season that fell just short of expectations.
Hundley will take the next few days to decide on his future.
After the game, Hundley was asked whether the win made his decision to leave easier or harder.
“Harder,” Hundley told CBS. “But I’m going to sit down, talk to the right people and then I’ll make it from there.”
Hundley’s decision to stay or go has received mixed reviews. Former NFL scout Bucky Brooks wrote in his column for NFL.com that he didn’t think Hundley was ready to make the jump to the NFL this season.
Brett Hundley is not quite ready for the NFL. Now, I know the buzz surrounding UCLA's redshirt sophomore has led to speculation about his entrance into the 2014 NFL Draft, but if I had the opportunity to talk to Hundley about his NFL prospects, I would advise him to spend another season in Westwood honing the finer parts of his game.
If Hundley does decide to leave, he would join a deep quarterbacking class that would likely include underclassmen Johnny Manziel (presumably), Blake Bortles (presumably), and Teddy Bridgewater (presumably) in addition to seniors such as Derek Carr, AJ McCarron and Aaron Murray, who tore his ACL, but said he’d be ready by Georgia’s pro day.
UCLA coach Jim Mora, who signed an extension with UCLA earlier in the month, said during bowl preparation that he was trying his best to get Hundley to come back for his junior season. If Hundley were to return, the Bruins would be loaded with talent and perhaps the team to beat in the Pac-12.
But for now, Hundley’s stellar performance in a lopsided Sun Bowl – a Sun Bowl that saw Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas knocked out thanks to a hit by linebacker Jordan Zumwalt early in the second quarter – will leave a lasting impression for the UCLA faithful even if it’s the last impression they get.
- - - - - - -
Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!Follow @YahooDrSaturday