Is a win over ASU game the happy ending that will mark this season as a success? Well that seems to be the vibe from this morning's Dohn article on the Bruins. It almost seems like Dorrell and this senior class are treating the ASU game as the last game of this season, and just shooting for 9 wins:
UCLA is also one win away from its first nine-win season since 1998.
"It took a couple of years for them to get it, but this group does," Dorrell said. "I just take my hat off to the work they put into it, and we're playing for a happy ending."
I sure hope KD and his supporters are not implying that this season will be a success just by beating ASU. The article goes into detail about how the players are bonding, are together like a family and all that. That is nice to hear. But it doesn't make up for the fact that we are coming off the most embarrassing loss of the program in last 57 years. Our defense is horrible and has not improved one bit from last year, and we have a really shaky 8-1 record built upon smoke and mirror wins over bunch of not so impressive football teams. And winning the 9th game against ASU is not going to make everything all right and provide a happy ending. If that is what Dorrell is trying to say (or spin), well than he risks himself sounding like the former UCLA basketball "coach" who used to spin less than satisfying seasons built on smoke and mirrors wins in the tournament as the sign of gratifying ones. Again, ASU, you see is not exactly the most impressive team in the Pac-10. ASU 's defense is a big joke, almost as big as ours:
"It took a couple of years for them to get it, but this group does," Dorrell said. "I just take my hat off to the work they put into it, and we're playing for a happy ending."
The Sun Devils give up an average of 450.7 yards per game -- second-worst in the Pac-10 -- and, like UCLA, their biggest weakness is stopping the run. In last week's 27-24 victory over Washington State, the Sun Devils -- 95th in the nation against the rush, giving up 187.2 yards a game -- gave up 240 yards to Cougar running back Jerome Harrison.
Around here we expect the Bruin offense to actually dominate such a shitty defensive team at home, and win the game, and not toot their horns declaring that win as some kind of accomplishment. The only way at this point after the embarrassing, abomination of collapse last weekend, this program can claim the 2005 season to be a successful one is if they either end the streak on December 3rd or win the bowl game in addition to the game today at the Rose Bowl. Otherwise, we are not in the mood right not to hear how the players are bonding with each other and feeling good about themselves and the program. Because right now the results from the field are giving us a different picture. They need to win this gimme game today and then get ready for USC. It is the USC game, which will be the judgment day for Karl Dorrell and his football program. Like it or not ... those are the standards here at BruinsNation. We are not going to be doing jumping jacks from a win over ASU playing with its backup QB and a shitty defense. This is a game any good UCLA football team should win at home. It should be a gimme. The fact that Dorrell and his minions are already trying to pre-spin a win in this game as some kind of "happy ending" just goes to show how he is trying to change the culture of UCLA football to just be gratified by winning games over mediocre teams and not have the expectations to win in the only game that matters. Anyways, let's get a win today and get ready for judgment day for Karl Dorrell on December 3rd. We will see that day if the Bruin program has actually turned the corner. We are not going to get the answer on that today - we are just looking for and expecting an easy win.