The "Nuclear" Moment

by Nestor on Sep 13, 2007 4:00 PM PDT in Football

For our friends at Maize n Brew it came against Appalachian St. And for the folks at Burnt Orange Nation it came against UCLA 10 years ago.

It was 10 years ago today when we all experienced this.:

I am sure you all remember that game. While that game effectively sealed the fate of John Mackovic then Texas head coach (just like Appalachian St may have done for Lloyd Carr) it signaled the official arrival of number 18 as the greatest quarterback in the history of Bruin football.

It also was the beginning of an incredible 20 game winning streak serving up yet another example of why UCLA is just more than a basketball school.

It was an emphatic statement that laid the foundation of a championship team (tying for the conference lead in 97 before winning it outright in 98). With more than two games into KD's fifth season we are still waiting for that kind of emphatic statement. No a blowout win over Utah is not going to cut it (Utes will never be mistaken for the Longhorns). It will have to come against a team with credible program/tradition (I am thinking the Washington game at the Rose Bowl). However, an unthinkable loss at SLC might end up as the nuclear moment that will undo KD's mediocre reign in Westwood just like 66-3 did to Mackovic or Appalachian St may end up doing to Carr.

Anyways 10 years ago today I was at a law library in Boston checking the scores on ESPNzone (since the game was not available even at the sports bars) and not believing my eyes as I kept hitting the refresh button again and again.

Where were you during Route 66?

GO BRUINS.

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Biggest Win Against the Spread

I beleive this game still holds the record for biggest margin of victory against the spread. The Bruins went in as something like a 10 point underdog and won by 63, a 73 point turnaround. Truely, unbelievable, even more so because it was a road game.

Thanks for the post and bringing back a great memory. This is one of the more memorable games in Bruin history, right up there with the Bruin upset of #1 rated Ohio State with two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffen in the 1977 Rose Bowl 23-10.

by Bruin77 on Sep 13, 2007 4:17 PM PDT reply actions

I believe I was in Las Vegas

for that game, but I cannot recall if I made much (any?) money on it.

I believe we also beat Texas A&M that season. I distinctly recall seeing UCLA t-shirts with the phrase, "TEXAS STATE CHAMPS" on them.

Those were the days.

by Barnes2JJ on Sep 13, 2007 4:29 PM PDT reply actions

Yeap

The following week we humiliated Houston. We beat ATM in the Cotton bowl in Dallas on Jan 1. And then we drubbed Texas and Houston again the following year. We owned Texas.

by Nestor on Sep 13, 2007 4:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Dam* it!

I forgot about Houston! Thanks for catching that one.

Texas, Houston and A&M in the same year. Amazing.

by Barnes2JJ on Sep 13, 2007 4:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Someone correct me

I don't think we still have lost any games to a Texas team since then. And if that is correct we (unlike Southern Cal) still own Texas. :-)

by Nestor on Sep 13, 2007 5:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Sounds right

I looked through some various UCLA databases of our season results since 1997 and I did not see any losses to any TX-based teams (although, in fairness, we have not played very many teams from Texas during that time).

As you look through our record during the Dullard-era, and immediately before, it really really stands out how absolutely mediocre we have been through much of this decade. That includes the embarrassingly mediocre bowl games and our embarrassing losses in many of them.

Folks, if you have any doubt about the last 4-6 years of UCLA football, take a few minutes to stroll down memory lane and look at our schedule, and the results, during that time period. Specifically, check out the the teams we played, the games where we were shut out, the games where we were blown out, and the bowl games, and you will see that it has really been a down period for UCLA during this time period, historically speaking.

I don't want to sound all doom and gloom but it is really shocking how low we have fallen. Check it out for yourselves if you have a little time. Here is a link: http://uclabruins.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/ucla-m-footbl-archive.html

by Barnes2JJ on Sep 13, 2007 7:01 PM PDT up reply actions

2-0

Both against Rice. I can remember any others (though we did lose to OK St).

by SuperBruinMan on Sep 13, 2007 8:33 PM PDT up reply actions

My Favorite T-Shirt Says

"UCLA Texas State Champion"
and has the scores of all the games against Texas teams, that year, on the back.

I've been wearing it for years.

Right after we beat A and M, I met RC Slocum at the Houston Rodeo. We talked about Cade McNown and his will to win.

Slocum was a good coach and a stand up guy.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Sep 13, 2007 7:08 PM PDT up reply actions

I was getting ready for my frosh year at UCLA...

I was sitting on my grandma's couch thinkin', "WTF? We're against Texas, right?" That's when I knew football was gonna be special. Though nothing came close to '98 '00 & '01 started off well. One thing I liked about Toledo that neither Donahue or Dorrell do is talk about grand expectations. I always like Toledo wanting a National Title. The other two speak of Pac-10 and feared/fear National Title talk.

by uclaprof on Sep 13, 2007 4:30 PM PDT reply actions

YES!

I have said this a million times.

Toledo said that he came to UCLA to win a National Championship. He didn't say he wanted to "grow" and "learn" and win the Pac-10.

He said he wanted a National Championship.

And we came closer to getting one, with Toledo, that we ever have in my lifetime.

Would it be so hard for KD to say, "Hey guys, forget the Pac-10. Throw away your rubber bracelets. We are going for the National Championship this year. We will be undefeated at the end of this year, guys."

Would that be so tough?

Confidence is a powerful emotion and it's contagious. KD skipped that class.

by Barnes2JJ on Sep 13, 2007 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions

66-19...

...to our most HATED rivals and we still have KD. <sigh>

by BruinEd03 on Sep 13, 2007 4:42 PM PDT reply actions

Just like Lavin

Historic and disgusting blowouts.

by Barnes2JJ on Sep 13, 2007 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions

"Just like Lavin."

Hasn't that been the mantra during CKD's whole tenure?

by uclaprof on Sep 13, 2007 4:48 PM PDT reply actions

at my pad

I had caught the Washington State game where we lost to Cryin Ryan Leaf (first game of the season) at a sports bar in SF, then flew down to L.A. and watched Skip Hicks fumble twice to end any chance of beating Peyton Manning and Tennesse at the Rose Bowl. We were 0-2 and knew we had a tough game against Texas, and rather than geek up for a loss at a bar, I chose to stay home and watch it on my TV in my apartment in Oakland. Just a sick, sick performance by UCLA. IIRC Texas actually had more first downs but fumbled the ball a gazillion times and we also had a pick 6. I was screaming around the apartment; I had never seen UCLA put up 60 on anybody, although we came very close against SDSU in one of the Aikman years (59-6 IIRC.) We just took advantage of every Texas turnover-Cade threw for five TD, Skip Hicks did everything right, it was just a crazy good performance by UCLA in every facet of the game.

If we had managed to get Skip Hicks on the field against WSU in that first game for the fourth down play at the end I still think we would have punched it in and won the game; that would have resulted in UCLA playing Michigan in the Rose Bowl with Michigan gunning for the national championship and us with only one loss and maybe our own shot at the title...

by ucladj89 on Sep 13, 2007 6:44 PM PDT reply actions

Man

Don't even talk about that goal line screw up with Toledo putting in Jermaine Lewis.

Wow that was a colossal screw up.

And I have no doubt in mind with our defense we would have done a number on Michigan at the Rose Bowl.

by Nestor on Sep 13, 2007 6:47 PM PDT up reply actions

UCLA's post '54 history encapsulated in that play

So close on so many occasions, but we always find a way to miss the big chance...and I am sure we would have punished Michigan in the Rose Bowl...we were playing at that Lavin-esque "magical level" at the end of the season.

by ucladj89 on Sep 13, 2007 7:51 PM PDT up reply actions

I was in rehearsal for the Mikado

I kept having to go out to the car to get updates(which was tough because I had a major role) but the music director was also a Bruin and she wanted the scores, too.

After that day, someone brought a TV to every rehearsal when we were on. Then came that Miami game a year later, and the TV left the rehearsal hall.

Toledo did not pussy-foot around. He had all those commercials about going for the national championship. I would like to get those out of the vault and show them to the football version of Coach Howland's predecessor. I don't remember Coach Toledo playing not to lose. Frankly, I think he figured he would need a minimum of about 50 points to win, given the state of our defense.

Since he left it has been nothing but a nightmare.

by Fox 71 on Sep 13, 2007 8:23 PM PDT reply actions

Toledo might have erred in many areas,

but the fat guy won 20 in a row. I am not a fortune teller, and I don't need to be one to say that no way in h&ll KD is ever going to be capable of winning 20 in a row.

by bluegold on Sep 13, 2007 9:20 PM PDT up reply actions

I was living in Germany

The game wasn't being televised on the military network, but I caught the updates during whatever game they were showing. I thought that the scores were typos.

Bob O. (Signholder #3)

by TuneMan7 on Sep 14, 2007 6:40 AM PDT reply actions

I was on the freeway

I was driving down to LA on the 14. Stopped at In and Out at Sand Canyon where the radio reception was good enough to hear the game over the static. Couldn't believe it.

BTW, we smoked them again the next year at the Rose Bowl.

Nice.

by 90Bruin on Sep 14, 2007 12:57 PM PDT reply actions

I was in traffic school that day - fullerton

courthouse (i think it was fullerton at least).

my mom was watching the game and I had asked her to update me with the score (each time either team scored) from the game via my pager.

my pager was going off every few minutes with the score climbing ridiculously in UCLA's favor. I was so in shock I had to call my mom during one of the breaks to see if it was going according to her pages ...

I had a lot of new friends that day in traffic school. each time I checked my pager about 5-10 heads turned my way with many asking "what's the score now?"

go Bruins! dog.

by gdog009 on Sep 14, 2007 3:38 PM PDT reply actions