Bruins Show Grit & Athleticism To Win Bowl, Finish Above .500
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Dec 29, 2009 4:56 PM PST
in Football
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PrintIt certainly wasn't a pretty first half. The Bruins flat out didn't show up to play in the first 30 minutes and even in the second 30 minutes, it wasn't a perfectly played half for UCLA, but they did what they needed to do to win the game, 30-21. That's a bowl game win, a great way to send the seniors off and an 7-6 record for the year, which is the first over-.500 season under CRN. Here is your box score.
If you want my first half take, just take a look at what I wrote in the second half thread. It explains that all pretty well. The second half was a different story though. Kevin Prince came out firing the ball around as he looked much better and the offensive line stepping up to give him time definitely helped. Taylor Embree had a couple huge catches to pick up first downs and Terrence Austin's TD catch firmly gave the Bruins the all important momentum.
On fourth and one, the Bruins went for it instead of attempting the long field goal and instead of going with the QB sneak like some idiot was calling for, Norm Chow called for a quick bootleg and throw, which got Austin the ball and with the help of a great chip block by Embree, he was able to outrun the defense down the sideline for a score. That play, along with some tough running by Chane Moline and three catches by the bruising running back got the Bruins moving the ball on offense.
The play of the game belongs to Akeem Ayers though. The sophomore lined up as a defense end on 3rd and 20, deep in Temple territory and leaped to pick off a pass, which he walked into the end zone to turn a 21-20 Owl advantage to a 26-21 Bruin lead. A two point conversion and safety later, the Bruins were victorious.
In the end, it was the Bruins' athleticism that won out. Austin's TD was in large part due to the speed Austin had, being able to gallop down the sideline. Ayers' magnificent pick was just a pure athletic play and the UCLA defense turned when they were able to get into space and run.
Congratulations are due for Rahim Moore, whose interception was his 10th of the season, tops in the country. Also, congrats to the Temple team, especially the offensive line, which played a feisty game for 60 minutes. Most of all, congrats to the UCLA seniors who get to go out on a bowl win that they fully deserved.
This is your EagleBank Bowl postgame thread. Share your thoughts, comments and anything else on the game here and as this is the season's last game, it is also your season ending open thread.
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sad to see KP get hurt again
but I’m really glad that Craft got a chance to finish out the game on the field, especially picking up that final 1st down
Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf?
Would have rather his "movie finish" have been
Leading us to a comeback 4th-quarter win over SUC, but this is alright too I guess.
Breath a little easier
I know the game wasnt pretty but a win is a win, let s take this W and move on to next year , BP please come back one more year , AA is a stud playmaker
UCLA Win = no workplace productivity
Unfortunately I was stuck here at work for the game but thanks to all the great play-by-play announcing by BN I was squirming in my chair and checking the game threat over and over again. When I saw that pick-6 by Ayers I went crazy and scared my desk neighbors. Oh well, a WIN is a WIN!
Sorry I left the thread during the 4th...
… but I had to go watch it in the office kitchen. Props and thanks to everybody who was posting and/or hanging out in the threads from laptops and desktops all over BruinsNation!
M
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
I left at 21-7
Had to pick up the Mojo Baby. They seem to do better when I leave the live thread.
by bruinbabe2000 on Dec 29, 2009 5:05 PM PST up reply actions
Will do
I just have to keep buying him UCLA outfits.
by bruinbabe2000 on Dec 29, 2009 5:07 PM PST up reply actions
It's harder when you live 2,000 miles away
But we’ll be in LA in March, so I’ll stock up then.
by bruinbabe2000 on Dec 29, 2009 5:08 PM PST up reply actions
Hey, Mojo-Jojo Matrix thread came through today, babe!
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
Yes he did
Don’t worry, I won’t be here much during basketball season. Being two hours ahead and putting Jonathan to bed won’t allow me the time to watch Thursday games.
by bruinbabe2000 on Dec 29, 2009 5:38 PM PST up reply actions
Isn't it great to end a season...
… with a WIN?
M
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
YES!!!
Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins!!!!!
by Minnesota Bruinfan on Dec 29, 2009 5:04 PM PST up reply actions
I'm struck
by what a huge difference this makes for ME. Good for recruiting and all that, but now I get to feel good for a whole year. Whereas, had we lost…
+1
Sad that the season is over, another 9 months of waiting BUT yup yup, its going to feel much better w won and didn’t give up like some of our past teams.
Still have some major issues, but hopefully we can feel some of our holes with a spectacular recruiting class.
On a side note, F**K You TJ Simers of the LA Times, the trash he writes should be burned.
To the Seniors
Thanks for your hard work this season. And enjoy that your last game with UCLA was a BOWL WIN.
2nd half
That’s the team we have been wanting to see. Solid defense. Steady offense. Special teams dictating where the game is played. Some big plays on both sides of the ball. And a grind it out run game to seal the deal. A good finishing point to this season – and a good starting point for next.
Props to Temple – we were really reeling there for a long while.
This feels really good.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
I am thrillled that
we won but i am totally bummed that the season is over. Eight more months right?
Wow!!
I just have a good feeling right now…..This is fun!!!
Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins!!!!!
by Minnesota Bruinfan on Dec 29, 2009 5:03 PM PST reply actions
Glad to see Nestor froze for a good cause
My sorority sister, dcbruingirl, was also there. She changed her flight plans just to be there. She said she lives 20 minutes away from RFK and couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
It’s weird to think I’m more excited for next year’s football season than this year’s basketball season in December.
Man...
What a MESS at Texas Tech. I think Mike Leach should get canned……..
Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins!!!!!
by Minnesota Bruinfan on Dec 29, 2009 5:06 PM PST reply actions
hope he does, consdering smu opens its season at tech
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
UCLA nearly hired Mike Leach
Mike Leach wanted the UCLA job, but UCLA hired Neuheisel as he would take less money than Leach. Leach had a great season last year considering a lack of a recruiting pool. Now he just got fired. Leach was a student of LaVelle Edwards at BYU.
I went to the Las Vegas Bowl with BYU vs Oregon State.
UCAL nearly hired Mike Leach
Mike Leach wanted the UCLA job, but UCLA hired Neuheisel as he would take less money than Leach. Leach had a great season last year considering a lack of a recruiting pool. Now he just got fired. Leach was a student of LaVelle Edwards at BYU.
I went to the Las Vegas Bowl with BYU vs Oregon State.
UCLA nearly hired Mike Leach
Mike Leach wanted the UCLA job, but UCLA hired Neuheisel as he would take less money than Leach. Leach had a great season last year considering a lack of a recruiting pool. Now he just got fired. Leach was a student of LaVelle Edwards at BYU.
I went to the Las Vegas Bowl with BYU vs Oregon State.
Workplace E-Mails
I got an email from a trojan about UCLA being down 14-3 after the half. Then when the 2nd half began I got no new emails. THAT’S RIGHT!
A step
What a great day to be a Bruin. But let’s keep our wits about this. As coach said in the post-game ESPN interview, this win is a step in the right direction—that’s right it’s a step. My sense of this is that this is the beginning of the end. It is the beginning of the end of the recruiting failures that became acute during the Dorrall years and their impact on UCLA football. Those failures utterly crippled Coach Neuheisel’s ability to immediately produce a competent Division I football team. Today was the beginning of the end of the effect of that horrific recruiting failure. Coach Neuheisel has performed a miracle in lifting our team to a 7-6 record with a win over a fine Temple team. But so much remains to be done: a big recruiting year; increased competence and consistency next year particularly by our skill players; and keeping our players in school. Once these things occur, we can move on to a real beginning of a dominate football team. Remember what Coach said, this is a step. But what a joyful step it is.
"Why do we fall? So we learn how to pick ourselves up..."
Let the team and all Bruins savor this… and then pray that we can continue taking even more of the same steps with fewer stumbles.
No one DESERVES wins… they are EARNED.
With smart, steady, hard work at practice.
With good health (knocking on whaetver wood can be found).
With dedication and discipline.
With trust and toughness.
With confidence and creativity.
With honest effort and honest self-assessment.
With energy and execution on game day.
GREAT JOB, BRUINS!!!!!!
WHAT’S NEXT?
M
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
You're never going to give up
on me are you Alfred?
Oh UCLA you sweet bitch, you've BRUINed me for anything else.
Agreed
In the grand scheme of things, a win in the EagleBank Bowl may not mean a ton, but considering where this UCLA program has been and where we want it to be, today’s victory is a huge step and really does show that our team is on the right track. It may be overly optimistic, but I feel that our team is now truly positioned to make a legitimate run at the Pac 10 title, possibly in 2010, and surely in 2011.
by JoeBruin9900 on Dec 29, 2009 5:25 PM PST up reply actions
,,, we're loyal to the Southland..."
KP showed me something in the second half. Ayers is NFL first round draft. We have a great RB coming in as a freshman. I am feeling much more positive about next season… and if we can win 2 of the first 3 non-con games, it should be an 8-4 year… maybe going to the Holiday Bowl. How’s that for no living in the present….
The schedule - Non conference as well as the conference road games - is a killer
8-4 is certainly possible, but even with a significantly improved team, we could conceivably go 7-5.
formerly bruinhoo
the problem, as always
will be the o-line. With XSF gone, I assume Baca will slide back to LT and we’ll have to replace him at guard. If Hasiak ends up returning I think it will be huge for us. He’s potentially our most talented OL next year (along with Maiava) and it would be huge to have him.
Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf?
by bucknellbruin on Dec 29, 2009 7:33 PM PST up reply actions
Beautiful! Great Win! We're Happy, Proud and Relieved!
As Rick said postgame, it’s a GREAT STEP in the right direction!
Great, great job players! Go Bruins!
we won 4 of our last 5 games
so not a bad way to wrap up the season. My measurement for success next season:
1) A finish in the top 4 in conference
2) A bowl game
"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"
by silverlakebruin on Dec 29, 2009 5:26 PM PST reply actions
silverlakebruin's 4 out of 5 number
That 4 wins out of our last 5 games number tells it all. Look for success next year with both of your success measurements.
And now full focus shifts to UCLA Basketball as we start conference play.
by deejayelleseven on Dec 29, 2009 5:37 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Wisconny And The "U" In A Good One At Champps Sports Bowl
Hope the guys from across the River can find a way to win this one. C’mon, Wisconny.
Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins!!!!!
by Minnesota Bruinfan on Dec 29, 2009 5:47 PM PST reply actions
Badger badger badger
Formerly ucla13_usc9
by 03rdn9 on Dec 29, 2009 5:49 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
I Still Haven't Gotten Over Brad Melsby's "Fumble"
Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins!!!!!
by Minnesota Bruinfan on Dec 29, 2009 5:51 PM PST up reply actions
Well, I Still Have Nightmares About Ron Dayne And The 1999 Rose Bowl As Well
But I still blame Miami more.
Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins!!!!!
by Minnesota Bruinfan on Dec 29, 2009 6:00 PM PST up reply actions
that was actually the first rose bowl I ever went to
I’ve been every year since, and get the treat of going twice this year. My dad and I made a little tradition out of it.
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
Yep
Celebrated my dad’s 80th birthday at the 1984 Rose Bowl… had a cake for him at halftime. He was so happy. We demolished Illinois. Dad, UCLA ’32. Me, UCLA undergrad ’72, grad ’76. We had season tickets from 1962 to 1994. Dad is doing an 8 clap in heaven today.
I will indeed,
the ‘05 Rose bowl with my dad was the best game college football game i’ve ever been to, and I’m not sure if that will ever be topped. The last few years have been tough, my dad and I sitting amongst the big 10 fans screaming ourselves horse hoping for an upset of USC. The two games this year will be very refreshing because we finally wont have SUCsters in our house. : )
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
Never quite understood this...
When I was a student the band used to play “On Wisconsin”. Badger badger badger.
Geezer in training.
Good news
The 2010 team is 1-0
Formerly ucla13_usc9
by 03rdn9 on Dec 29, 2009 5:54 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Nice win
by the football team. Shut em down in the second half. Way to keep up the momentum of a building program, and can’t wait to see how this team responds in the offseason. A good young team and hopefully a good infusion of young talent should keep it going.
Go Bruins 2010!
"If you don't take out his battery, he's going to keep going all day."
BP Announced
he’s leaving. An official anouncement will be made this week. He said it was the best move for him & his family.
by iwas5... on Dec 29, 2009 6:02 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Can't Say I'm Surprised
Naturally, I’d have loved to see him stay for his senior year but I can’t really blame him. Good luck, BP!!!
Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins!!!!!
by Minnesota Bruinfan on Dec 29, 2009 6:11 PM PST up reply actions
It was the best decision for him
With the potential rookie scale next year, he’d be lucky to break even financially for that first contract if he stayed an extra year. And it’s not like this team is primed for a Pac-10 championship next year. And he could get injured etc. etc. Good for him. He fought valiantly through it all and is, in my book, a great Bruin.
For those who msised the game...
… ESPN2 should be replaying it TONIGHT around 10:30pm ro so. Check your local digital cable and/or satellite info menus…
M
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
They Do Know How To Party Hard In Mad-town!
Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins!!!!!
by Minnesota Bruinfan on Dec 29, 2009 6:13 PM PST up reply actions
Defense ruled again!
Farewell to all the seniors today. thanks for a great finish to the season. knew that in the end, defense would somehow win this game for us and akeem ayers was the man! as was our entire secondary and our D-line. was an incredible pleasure watching them seal the deal. it will be interesting to see what happens next year with so many players leaving on the defensive side…
A Win is Great....But....
We graduate AV, RC, Two Bosworth’s, Siewerski, and lose BP from a defense that was just ok. I can’t imagine the defense improving over this year, but I hope I am wrong. In any case, it is great to be a Bruin.
The second half
definitely gives us hope. Prince looked as good as could be expected in the first half. A few good throws, a few awful throws, including the pick. The defense took it’s usual quarter or two to figure out what Temple was doing. But, it was great to see KP get stronger in the second half and for the defense to pitch a second half shutout was a huge plus. Although I still think we are two years away from the top third of the conference, this was an encouraging win. Hopefully the offensive line continues to gel next year and our QB, RB’s and WR’s take a huge step forward over the summer. If they do, it will help overcome some losses on the defense side of the ball.
just saw that
too bad, i was hoping he’d wait. Hopefully he comes back as a Bruin in 2 years
Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf?
by bucknellbruin on Dec 29, 2009 6:26 PM PST up reply actions
sometimes they reopen their recruitment.
Ben Olson was a BYU commit, redshirted a year, took his mission then left. XSF says he’s coming back so I hope he feels that way in 18 months
Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf?
by bucknellbruin on Dec 29, 2009 6:29 PM PST up reply actions
well since he started every game this year
he probably feels like he should finish what he started. although a lot of the recruiting class may be gone by the time he gets back
It's one year...
Unless we get a Michael crabtree performance out of someone, they’ll still be in the same league
Formerly ucla13_usc9
by 03rdn9 on Dec 29, 2009 6:36 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
it's 2 years.
6 months of training and an 18 month mission
Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf?
by bucknellbruin on Dec 29, 2009 6:38 PM PST up reply actions
You mislead me
Lol
Formerly ucla13_usc9
by 03rdn9 on Dec 29, 2009 7:14 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
my bad lol
i forgot about the training period when i wrote that
Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf?
by bucknellbruin on Dec 29, 2009 7:18 PM PST up reply actions
most guys should still be here
he’ll be back for his true senior season, so everyone except for the early entries will still be here. And as of now I can’t see any true freshmen likely to make that leap. Maybe Presley if he becomes what we expect him to become.
Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf?
by bucknellbruin on Dec 29, 2009 6:37 PM PST up reply actions
Thanks to all for the Game Thread
As I was stuck in the office and unable to access the game, I was completely dependent on all of you who took the time and effort to participate in the thread. I guess BRO was overwhelmed as I could not logon at all. Thanks to all of you for a relaying every play, both good and bad, on the Bruin Nation Game Thread. Great way to end the football season and now onto an even better season in 2010. Go Bruins!
Yeah Bruins !!
Very proud of our team. The defense played lights out in the second half. Major props to coach and the team. Can’t wait for next season!!!
HOORAY BRUINS!
Thanks seniors and everyone else. Let’s continue to build on this win and BEAT $c!
by Forever a Bruin on Dec 29, 2009 6:33 PM PST reply actions
Bruin Ice Bowl '09...
…I was there for all four quarters. Thanks Bruins for making it worthwhile.
Beats the Mud Bowl, anyway
Because we WON.
Congrats
Hopefully we will be able to win in your home stadium next week. I will be putting a bit o’ money into your local economy. Hope fully your area survives the influx of BAMA and Texas faithful.
Auburn and Tennessee fans are a lot like Slinkys...neither are worth much but you do get a sense of satisfaction from pushing them down a flight of stairs
just got my tickets
we flipped our tickets on the Texas side so we could sit with Alabama. I’m really excited to sit with an SEC school, especially Bama, we’ve hosted Texas twice, and they are a great crowd, but I’m excited to see and hear all of your songs and traditions.
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
Good luck to Alabama
in the BCS Title game. I hope you enjoy your time in Pasadena.
I was laughing throughout the game
Al Golden looks a lot like Timmeh
He really does...
…the key difference is that he’s an honest, hard-working guy who doesn’t pay his recruits or turn a blind eye to illegal BS happening in his program.
hha ya thats a good point,
i was subconsciously thinking that as well
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
the shirt, the tie, the hair..
The only thing missing is a rolled up play sheet
I kinda feel bad for saying this. Al doesn’t belong in the same sentence as Timmeh.
One thing though
Golden never made this face
by SuperBruinMan on Dec 30, 2009 12:52 AM PST up reply actions
Yeah, there's another difference too
Golden will never be advised by an NCAA investigator to hire a lawyer unlike the now retired Greater Los Angleles Collegiate Payoff Coordinator whose name escapes me for the present.
By the way, I have fashion comment
I love Coach Neuheisel and I wear UCLA threads one way or another everywhere I go (pretty much). But I vote for Coach Golden as the best dressed coach in the 2009 EagleBank Bowl. He is a former Paterno player and obviously idolizes old Joe. Which explains the regimiental stripe tie and the white button down collar shirt. I am partial to men in Brooks Brothers attire or suitable knockoff styles. And as good as that Adidas gametime attire looks on Rick—final score: Brooks Brothers 1, Adidas 0. Sorry.
But I am so jazzed the less best dressed coach won!
I think not wearing a jacket in freezing weather
is a pretty poor fashion choice. Shirt and tie is pretty silly. He should have at least had a jacket with his suit and tie, and an overcoat.
"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"
by silverlakebruin on Dec 29, 2009 10:03 PM PST up reply actions
Its a Paterno thing (he prefers to coach in shirtsleeves)
Okay, you got me, he should have worn a fashionable sack style three button suit or sports coat. But remember, these guys are football coaches. This is not the office, so a less formal ensemble is considered stylish. The game finished after 7, so the white shirt was definitely in order. And what possible criticism can be rationally be made of the regimental striped tie?
I rest my case with understanding I will probably pop for some more Bearwear like Rick wore later this week.
by peggysue69 on Dec 29, 2009 10:45 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Whoa, Silver.
When PeggySue (or just about any grown up woman) makes a statement about fashion, then it behooves any rational man to listen. When a woman says that a guy dressed a particular way is well dressed, then you want to dress that particular way, especially if you want to go on date number two. (I’m not saying that PeggySue is asking you or Golden for a date. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) It’s pretty simple, actually. I am confident that if young women made it clear that they preferred suits and ties to the pants-below-the-buttocks-to-show-the-underwear look, then there would be a sudden increase in young men in suits and ties.
That said, I have never understood why basketball coaches, NFL owners and basically anyone in a luxury box think they have to wear a suit and tie to a game. It looks good, at least to PeggySue and me, but they’re not going to church or to court. They’re going to watch a game. Especially the NFL owners’ boxes — those guys seem to me to be trying to say “I’m so incredibly important, I may close another billion dollar deal any minute, and I have to have a suit on to do it.”
And while rambling about billion dollar deals, whatever happened to Mr. Big Billion Dollar deal himself, Mr. What’shisname who bought the car for McKnight’s girlfriend?
I thought he was well-dressed
until I saw his shoes. He was wearing sneakers. Nothing bugs me more than a slick outfit with sneakers.
Brooks Brothers Ages Us
There was a time when the “Golden Fleece” meant something.
Now, I think it is a franchised name that appears on cheap goods in mall outlet stores.
In Geezer days, chino’s, a button down Gant shirt, a rep tie and a pair of Weejuns defined the style. We all looked like the Kingston Trio.
Not anymore.
sjh
Getting ahead of myself here
but if we can finish in the top 2 of the conference next season (which will be a major chore), we’ll get to finish our season in January!
Formerly ryebreadraz
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Dec 29, 2009 10:43 PM PST reply actions
Or...
We can finish third and play in January if two Pac-10 teams end up in BCS bowls!
by UCLA Band ' on Dec 29, 2009 11:44 PM PST up reply actions
I’m curious to see whether Brehaut makes it a competition during spring ball with a year in the program already in the books.
Great win!
Props to Kai Forbath, the best kicker in the country, who once again scored the most points. Please stay, Kai.
Props to Akeem Ayers. Despite taking a hit in the mouth in the first half, he hung in and turned in the kind of amazing play that’s routine for him.
Props to Al Golden. The guy had a game plan that put the Bruins on their heels in the first half, and losing Bernard Pierce, their excellent freshman running back, hurt Temple in the second half the same way it cost them the Ohio game.
Props to CRN. He knew that this was the biggest stage his team could play on—ACC recruiting territory, a matchup against an East Coast team instead of being buried in Boise—and he picked just right. He (and Coach Chow) managed to retool the offense at halftime to clear away some good passing routes, and if not for some drops, the Bruins could have scored a few more TDs.
Now, next year: can Prince be the consistent qb we need him to be? Can we get a running game? That means an OL that can open the holes, as they did for Chane Moline a couple of times, as well as a breakaway runner. Can we, please, stay healthy on the OL for a season? Will it be fun to watch Rahim Moore and Akeem Ayers next year or what? Do we really have to wait till September to see these guys play again?
Good luck to the seniors, and thanks for being four-year Bruins.
Good Win.
Congratulations to the whole team for the win. It was well deserved and very much appreciated by us arm-chair quarterbacks who now have a permanent twitch after the anquish of the season.
It was our Defense that won the game for us. If AA does not get that pick6 it looks like the pass is completed and Temple gets a first down. They could have then run down the clock to about a minute to play before we get the ball back. Then a win could have been problematic with our offense struggling. So, once again, the win belongs to the D!
About next season: With the loss of BP and others I don’t think we will have as dominant a defense as we did this year. That means that our offense will have to make a dramatic and significant improvement if we are to compete in a very tough schedule. The mystery to me is, with the so-called genius Chow as our coordinator, why we have not been able to come up with a consistent offensive production. CRN and Chow have to do some serious soul-searching and meditation about this during the off-season. Namaste.
The Win Belongs to the Second Half D
If we had lost, the loss would have belonged to the first half D.
We have discussed, over and over, how the talent has limited our O. It’s not on Chow or CRN and will not be until they have a talented unit.
However, there is no excuse for how our D played the first half. It has the talent on this team — the All Americans are D players. If anyone has to do soul searching it is Bulloch. If he cannot figure out how to play the first half, either we need two D coordinators — one for each half, or one who can scheme both.
sjh
IS CHOW LEAVING? Back to USC?
Simers in his column asked Chow if he is returning, and he gave a non answer. “Check back next week”, he said. Not “Yes”. Simers warned Petie wants him back. Any info from BN?
And you believe Slimers?
C’mon. That douche is just stirring the pot. I refuse to click on his stories but I am sure he found a way to spew negativity about UCLA after yesterday’s win.
by orlandobruin on Dec 30, 2009 7:55 AM PST up reply actions
man it was cold
I live in DC now, but had never watched a game LIVE in sub-30 degree temperatures. Man it was COLD at RFK. I’m sure Nestor and others will vouch for me in admitting how cold it was. I remarked to a friend prior to the game (while warming up at a Capitol Hill bar) that my main concern was our boys (mostly from the southern California area) wouldn’t be ready to play in these elements. RFK Stadium is indeed historic (old Redskins colors still evident in all the old seats — Skins haven’t played there in 13 years!), but it IS a dump. And when it gets cold, the wind and the temps are a HUGE factor. First half was depressing, and there’s nothing worse than being both cold, depressed and ANGRY over how your team is playing… Other than the one big pass play, they looked flat, both on offense and defense. I couldn’t get over how their team seemed to be driving on us so easily. You probably didn’t see it on TV, but their football team, just before half time was TAUNTING ours. Jumping in unison, swinging in motion, toying with us. Reminded me of USC’s taunting one month ago… Though our guys didn’t respond with the same ferocity in meeting them mid-field, we responded by driving in under 30 seconds to kick a FG before the half.
The second half was obviously different. CRN or CNC (and some of the key leaders on the team) must have gotten to the team because you could see our swagger on the field in the second half. This was the game I’d come to see. Despite the freezing temps, our guys put on a good show and beat a team they were supposed to beat.
I wish we’d thrashed them (the Philly fans were getting to me too [IF you don’t know Philly fans in general, they’re not a kind bunch] so it was good to finally shut them up) 65-21, which is what should’ve been the score, as we are so much more talented than this Temple team (recruiting-wise), but I’ll take the win (a bowl win finally!) and plus-.500 team and season going into 2010.
I was proud to be one of 2,000 or so Bruins fans there… watching coach Neuheisel loft the Eagle Bank Trophy over his head. Congrats, Bruins! We got ourselves a good win and big step in the right direction.
Go Bruins!
W.S. Montano Class of 1994
It was coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooold
I am still trying to pack in my thoughts. Temple fans were hilarious. They were talking so much smack leading up to the game and through the half. They were talking smack on the Metro!
All I said in return w/ a credulous look (as much I could muster up in the cold), “REALLY? Temple? You guys have a good coach and solid team but really? Temple?”
Waiting to hear from you
I’m basking in the glow of the win.
Will save my more complete thoughts until later.
Really look forward to your thoughts on being at the game. The TV made is sound like we had a good rooting section. Strained but could not single out your voice — yet knew it was there.
sjh
I am working on posting some pictures
Have a lot of thoughts on this game but it is going to take a while to unpack.
I can tell you that I talked to Reggie Carter after the game and apologized to him for questioning his dedication. His jersey was bloodied up. His eyes were teary.
Yeah, he stepped up big!
He looked real good in the second half, wish he was healthy more of the year. His health probably equaled 1-2 more losses.
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