Too early for a bath

by Bruin Roar on Nov 13, 2005 10:47 AM PST

From the diaries: Couldn't agree more with BR here. - Nestor

Two things really bothered me about yesterday's game. The first thing was our horrible defense in the first half. Division 3 teams can score on us. If the defense plays like that against SC, then we don't have a chance. At least the defense improved in the second half, allowing ASU to score only once.

This second thing bothered me even more. It's the Gatorade bath for Karl Dorrell. In case you didn't see it, the players gave Dorrell the traditional "dumping of the Gatorade on the head coach", something which is meant to congratulate the coach on an especially great victory.

This angered me to no end. Yes, being 9-1 is nice after two seasons of absolute mediocrity. We should be 10-0, but 9-1 is still very good considering where we've been. This was also a game we were favored to win. ASU may have an even worse defense than UCLA's and that's saying something. No congratulations are needed for beating the Sun Devils.

We still have two games left. The Gatorade bath was simply too early. This season is far from over. This is no time to celebrate.

If the Bruins beat the Trojans on December 3rd, then Dorrell will deserve three Gatorade baths. Why? They're probably going to crush us. That's why. If the Bruins can beat the Trojans this year in football, the victory should inspire a movie. It will be like when the US beat the Russians in Hockey. It will be a "miracle."

Yes, from what I've seen, their team is that much better. Although they have looked vulnerable against ASU and against Notre Dame, the Trojans are rolling right now. They just crushed both Bay Area teams, teams the Bruins struggled against. Beat the Trojans this year, Karl Dorrell, and you should be swimming in Gatorade.

Even if the Bruins lose to the Trojans, they can still win whatever bowl game they get into. Win that and then maybe you will deserve your Gatorade, Coach. You will be 10-2 and the season will be over. It was simply too early to celebrate this season after a win against ASU. You're not finished yet.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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Gatorade

I think the liquid that came out was water. It was clear. Could have been Propel.

" If the Bruins can beat the Trojans this year in football, the victory should inspire a movie. It will be like when the US beat the Russians in Hockey. It will be a "miracle." "

Excellent comparison.

by 5214 on Nov 13, 2005 11:02 AM PST reply actions

It reminded me ...

of the student section rushing the Pauley Court (during Lavin) after an effin regular season over Kansas at him. It was a joke.

by Nestor on Nov 13, 2005 11:32 AM PST reply actions

Wait a second...

Look, we won an important game - one that showed we're able to bounce back from a tough loss (which is something we've had trouble doing in recent years.)

We ARE 9-1 - a record that's only bettered by two teams in the country, and shared by less than a dozen more.

It's been a really special season, in lots of ways. We've had miraculous comebacks, dominating offensive performances, defensive hits that made the Rose Bowl shudder (Dennis Keyes on Rhett Bomar), the out-of-nowhere rise of Drew Olsen as a Heisman contender, Maurice Drew establishing himself as the most feared special teams player in the country, several weeks of hearing the words "UCLA" and "BCS title game" in the same sentence, and more.

Yes, we've also had pathetic defensive stands, and there's no overlooking one big stink bomb in the desert. But all in all, it's been pretty exhilirating. And if the team wants to let out a Gatorade-infused exhale at this point, more power to them. There's three weeks until the SC game - our real bowl game - and I don't have any doubt that the team will be plenty motivated by then. What's more, it's evidence that this is CKD's team - the players WANT to win for him.

"To celebrate one's accomplishments along the way is to refresh the spirit." - Winton Churchill

by BlueBear on Nov 13, 2005 2:33 PM PST reply actions

Re: Wait a second...

Maybe it's just the way I look at the Gatorade celebration. I don't mind the players feeling good about themselves right now. I just put more stock into the "Gatorade Shower." I feel like it's something that needs to come at the end of a season, if it's a successful one.

As a Bruin fan, I've seen late season letdowns, including the one that happened over a week ago in Tuscon. I'm just hoping the team stays motivated and stays hungry.

by Bruin Roar on Nov 13, 2005 4:31 PM PST up reply actions

It was the last home game for the seniors

I think you need to lighten up a little. I understand where you're coming from, but it's probably a little different for the guys down on the field. It's one thing for fans to go crazy over a victory that should have been ho-hum. I give the players a little more latitude.

by LA Seitz on Nov 13, 2005 8:02 PM PST up reply actions

Agreed

The ability to "lighten up" doesn't appear to be possible with some. I suppose that is Dorrell's fault too.

by Calvin @ Bruins Nation on Nov 13, 2005 8:21 PM PST up reply actions

Nice quote btw

by Bruin Roar on Nov 13, 2005 4:32 PM PST up reply actions

Does anyone remember it was the last home game!

The last time our seniors will play at home in the ROSEBOWL! Thats why they celebrated. Lighten up. Enjoy the wins. SC falls behind big against us Dec. 3rd! We start the second half with the ball and we run the clock. We WIN this year. GO BRUINS!!!

by bruinelder on Nov 14, 2005 12:08 AM PST reply actions

Defense, Or Lack Thereof

At this point in time, I wouldn't rely on our defense to play any significant role in the SC game. It'll be up to our high-octane offense to score often and score a lot. That's the only way we'll beat SC. We'll just have to find a way to end up with more points than they do at the end of the game. Our offense will need to be flawless. Each possession must be capitalized and converted into touchdowns, not field goals. This is not the SEC. The main job of the defense on Saturday is to give our offense enough time to rest before they take the field again.

by ucla2k3 on Nov 14, 2005 8:09 AM PST reply actions

One Basic Fallacy

The comment that the team should be 10-0 is totally misplaced. If hypothetically you played 10 games against teams that were all slightly, but perceptably weaker than you, you would not win all 10 games. You wouldn't even win 8 or 9 of them. You'd probably win only when 6 or 7 out of the 10 games. To win 10 games without a loss against 10 opponents, you have to be clearly superior to them. And taking a look at our team--particularly the defense, but also the offense which is not always the well oiled scoring machine--there's no way that a team like ours could win 10 of 10 against anybody. As such at 9-1 we're probably overachieving as it is. That being said, anything is possible in a rivalry game and we do have a shot at those pesky Trojans.

by UCLAW on Nov 14, 2005 10:09 AM PST reply actions