40-14.
Looks convincing, doesn't it? A 26 point win on the road against a team that, at least at the beginning of the year, was expected to be a top-25 caliber team. Even this morning that score would have looked impressive to even the most jaded of Bruin fans (myself included).
Okay, everyone with me say: "YEAH, BUT....."
Did we see any glimmer of hope that this team can be an elite team and actually contend for a Pac-10 title?
Did we see any slightest of chance that this joke of a West Coast Offense may actually work?
Did we feel any better about the leadership of this team?
Did we see anything today that actually made us feel good about where this program is headed?
No.
No.
No.
And definitely not.
I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but I know that there are many readers out there who, let me just say, are just slightly more optimistic about KDs coaching future than I am. And for those of you out there, consider this:
With just over 9 minutes left in the 4th quarter, the score was 14-12, Oregon St. It was just about the ugliest display of offensive football that I can remember in my 20+ years of watching football. Couple that with one of the worst PUNTING performances (Oregon St.) I have ever seen at ANY level (practically BEGGING us to score from midfield on just about every possession from the 2nd quarter on.) Then I witnessed one of the worst 5 minutes of football strung together by ONE PLAYER than I've ever seen in my life: Oregon State's Gerard Lawson, in that time span, did this:
1. Committed a horrible 15 yard personal foul out of bounds hit on our punt returner, leading to Breazell's go ahead touchdown.
2. Fumbled the ensuing kickoff, leading to another touchdown.
3. Fumbled the next kickoff, leading to yet another touchdown.
4. And if that wasn't enough, fumbled the next kickoff, which was mercifully knocked out of bounds by one of his teammates, keeping the ball. (Certainly demoralized at this point, OSU allowed a blocked punt shortly thereafter, resulting in the final score)
Wow. You would almost think that if there was betting of college football games that maybe a fix was on and.....wait, THAT would never happen!
No, my friends, just another weekend of Lavin...er I mean, Dorrellian football. A worthless win. Nothing more, nothing less.
And for those of you keeping score at home, Dorrell's unofficial Magic Number (to keep torturing us every fall) is down to 4. That's 8-4, which, as you know, at UCLA, is "good enough".
Stay under the radar, Karl! Stay under the radar.