UCLA Bruins v Va Tech Hokies Game Thread

Our UCLA Bruins will try to cap off the 2013 season with one final victory today in the Hyundai Sun Bowl in El Paso. The Bruins will face the Virginia Tech Hokies in the first ever meeting between the two schools. This is the 80th Sun Bowl and kickoff is at 11:10 Pacific.

The game will be televised on CBS, with Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson handling the call. T Bruins' radio home 570AM will broadcast the game in Los Angeles, the Nevada Sports Network syndicate of stations will carry a nationwide and internet broadcast, and SiriusXM Channel 91 will carry the game on satellite. The Bruins Official site will carry live stats.

You can see our Sun Bowl editions of Spaulding Report here and our VA Tech previews here. The official UCLA Bowl media guide can be found here.

Though bowl games often are a lot of ceremony, this game has some pretty important tangibles for the Bruins. Today is a chance for them to reach a (legit) 10 win season, a goal they have reached only once in the last 14 years, and secure a possible top 15 ranking in the final polls. After finishing Mora's first year with 3 consecutive losses, the Bruins can close out this year with a pair of wins and take another step in the development in this program. And today's game can generate some inportant final perceptions as the Bruins enter the last month of the recruiting sweepstakes.

Finally, today is our final chance to see a fantastic group of seniors, including Anthony Barr, Cassius Marsh, Jordan Zumwalt, and Shaquelle Evans, all of whom share their reflections on their U.C.L.A. days on the Official site. Those four, plus Darius Bell, Stan McKay, Brandon Sermons, Damien Thigpen, Keenan Graham, Isaiah Bowens, Jordan Barrett, and Grayson Mazzone (who is out following ACL surgery) have been through some rough times in our football program and deserve to go out with one last win. Also, there is the question whether Brett Hundley and Xavier Su'a-Filo will leave early for the NFL. Cue the drinking game for every time the announcers ask if this is Brett's and X's last game (please no, please no!).

It's been a good season. Let's cap it off with a Sun Bowl win for Ten.

Here is our first half open thread. Have at it.

GO BRUINS!!