[UPDATED 10:25 am EST]:The New York Times feeling the Bruin magic (reg req'd):
With just a few weeks left in the season, seventh-ranked U.C.L.A., No. 3 Virginia Tech and No. 4 Alabama face daunting odds of dislodging Southern California or Texas from the top spots in the Bowl Championship Series standings. The team with the best chance for a late-season run to the Rose Bowl may be the Cardiac Bruins, who have a chance to topple U.S.C. in their regular-season finale on Dec. 3.
There is a good chance that U.S.C. and U.C.L.A. will each enter that game undefeated.
Allright allright ... lets focus on Arizona and not get ahead of ourselves!There is a good chance that U.S.C. and U.C.L.A. will each enter that game undefeated.
[UPDATED 10:02 am EST]:We are CNNSI (well more like Steward Mandel's) Team of the Week:
That 17-point fourth-quarter comeback against Washington State? The 12-point rally against Cal? Patty cakes compared to what the Bruins pulled off Saturday.
snip
"Are we the most talented team? Probably not," UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said afterward. "But we do opportune things at opportune times."
No argument here, but why do you have to wait so long to do them, coach?
We have the same question Stu! Same question.snip
"Are we the most talented team? Probably not," UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said afterward. "But we do opportune things at opportune times."
No argument here, but why do you have to wait so long to do them, coach?
Thought I'd do a different kind of roundup this Monday am taking in some of the national perspective of last Saturday's miracle. Matthew Zamek of CFN did some instant analysis on how the 2LIVEDREW woke up our sleeping giant:
Basically, in front of a sleepy crowd in Palo Alto where tens of thousands of north end zone seats were covered with a tarp instead of Bay Area fannies--and where many UCLA fans provided most of the noise in the ballpark--the Bruins seemed to be asleep throughout the afternoon at Stanford Stadium. They were cobwebby entering the Farm, and stayed in a somnambulant state for the first 52 minutes of play. Against Cal and Wazzu, UCLA had at least shown some prior indication of an ability to move the ball before a fourth-quarter surge. Against Stanford, however, the Bruins had done absolutely nothing. Even the most optimistic Bruin fan had to doubt this cardiac crew's ability to win a heartstopper. Heck, the Bruins had to work hard to even make the game a heartstopper in the first place.
But that's exactly what happened in Palo Alto. There wasn't a turning point play where you could say, "that's where the momentum in this ballgame will change." UCLA simply woke up, and once a big, bad Bruin stops hibernating and insists on feeding himself, you don't deny him. Stanford couldn't, anyway, and the rest was simply history. UCLA is the exception that proves the rule in football. You're taught that you can't expect to flip the "on" switch every week and survive, but these Bruins have managed to do just that. Whatever "it" is that enables a team to perform perfectly when their margin of error is exactly zero, UCLA and its Drews--one with a last name of Olson, the other with a first name of Maurice--have "it." That, simply stated, is why the Westwood Wonders are still unbeaten, and still searching for the Trojans in a titanic ten-and-oh Tinseltown tilt on Dec. 3.
Well, we are not going to think about December 3rd quiet yet. We still have two Zona schools get through, and we are still recovering from traumas we all experienced from Saturday night. Brad Edwards of ESPN looks into the emotional convulsions of the BruinsNation:
But that's exactly what happened in Palo Alto. There wasn't a turning point play where you could say, "that's where the momentum in this ballgame will change." UCLA simply woke up, and once a big, bad Bruin stops hibernating and insists on feeding himself, you don't deny him. Stanford couldn't, anyway, and the rest was simply history. UCLA is the exception that proves the rule in football. You're taught that you can't expect to flip the "on" switch every week and survive, but these Bruins have managed to do just that. Whatever "it" is that enables a team to perform perfectly when their margin of error is exactly zero, UCLA and its Drews--one with a last name of Olson, the other with a first name of Maurice--have "it." That, simply stated, is why the Westwood Wonders are still unbeaten, and still searching for the Trojans in a titanic ten-and-oh Tinseltown tilt on Dec. 3.
UCLA fans wish their team would reserve such antics for just one opponent, but the Bruins decided to make an entire month out of tricking and treating. In four of its five October games, UCLA trailed by double digits in the fourth quarter before rebounding to win in the final minutes or in overtime. During the month, the Bruins outscored their opponents 93-26 after the third quarter.
Saturday's comeback against Stanford, however, was nothing like the previous brushes with defeat. UCLA trailed 24-3 with just over seven minutes remaining! It's hard enough to believe a team could score three touchdowns in the final half quarter of the game after scoring none in the first three-and-a-half quarters. But it's even more amazing when you consider that the biggest comeback in major-college history (Maryland over Miami in 1984) was by a team that trailed by 31 with 12:35 remaining in the third quarter.
Which is more difficult? To come back from 31 down with 27:35 left to play, or from 21 down with 7:35 left to play?
Somehow, the Bruins did it. Including overtime, they scored four touchdowns in their final 14 offensive plays to make it happen.
"My heart hurts right now. I'm emotionally drained," said tight end Marcedes Lewis after the game.
I still feel drained from Saturday night. But we do need to start thinking about Arizona. And probably the biggest concern coming out of Saturday night was the play of our offensive line. And this morning there are reports from both Brian Dohn and Lonnie Whiteon the play of our OL. Sounds like Coach Cable has taken responsibility for the lethargic performance of Blanton, Chai and co., and that is good to hear. Let's keep our fingers crossed they will have it all figured out by next Saturday.Saturday's comeback against Stanford, however, was nothing like the previous brushes with defeat. UCLA trailed 24-3 with just over seven minutes remaining! It's hard enough to believe a team could score three touchdowns in the final half quarter of the game after scoring none in the first three-and-a-half quarters. But it's even more amazing when you consider that the biggest comeback in major-college history (Maryland over Miami in 1984) was by a team that trailed by 31 with 12:35 remaining in the third quarter.
Which is more difficult? To come back from 31 down with 27:35 left to play, or from 21 down with 7:35 left to play?
Somehow, the Bruins did it. Including overtime, they scored four touchdowns in their final 14 offensive plays to make it happen.
"My heart hurts right now. I'm emotionally drained," said tight end Marcedes Lewis after the game.
Lastly, Bruins have "jumped" to no. 7 in the AP poll, and HP notes the obvious:
Um, why are a one-loss Miami team and a one-loss LSU team ranked ahead of an undefeated UCLA team? When will the national media write about the unfairness of that? Who, exactly, has Miami beaten? Its best accomplishment thus far is losing to an FSU team that could barely complete a pass at the time. And LSU lost at home to a Tennessee team that is about to go to 3-5 and needed an Early Doucet dropped touchdown catch to beat ASU. UCLA isn't the best team by any means, but they are undefeated in what is probably one of the top two conferences in the country this season. That should be worth something. Instead, it just smells of more East Coast bias.
Don't have much to add to that. Let's just hope the Wonders of Westwood keep taking care of business, and everything else will fall into place. GO BRUINS.