After UCLA built a 17-point lead in the first quarter of Friday’s contest against Arizona State, I actually thought that I saw a glimpse of the fire that the Bruins so desperately needed last week against Washington.
If UCLA had taken down ASU, that would have made way for a huge matchup with USC on Saturday, with the Bruins’ bowl hopes on the line.
But, 55 Sun Devil points later, which triggered 89 teardrops from yours truly (I’m exaggerating – it was more like 27), that dream scenario was heaved out of the window.
I swore I was done with UCLA football.
But when I sat down to watch the USC-Notre Dame game Saturday evening, in which USC looked miserably terrible, if that makes any sense at all, I let myself fall into the age-old trap once again.
I started to think that this UCLA football team still had life. Just hear me out …
If you stood witness to the performance put on by the Trojans on Saturday evening, you can relate to my source of optimism. USC football has not only had a down year, the team has been abysmal by its own standards.
Mitch Mustain, who is filling in at quarterback for the injured Matt Barkley, looks like he hasn’t played football in months. He is really that out of sync.
The current Trojan rushing attack is laughable compared to when Reggie Bush and LenDale White were in the backfield. It doesn’t even measure up to the days of Joe McKnight taking the handoffs.
And as far as the receiving core, to sum it up, Ronald Johnson, USC’s best receiver, dropped one of the few nice balls thrown by Mustain all evening that would have presumably won the game for the Trojans.
To put it bluntly, the Trojan offense is below average without Barkley, and the defense has been bad all season, giving up nearly 28 points per game.
Do the Bruins have a legitimate shot at taking down ‘SC on Saturday? Would a Bruin victory over ‘SC pardon the atrocity that UCLA fans have been forced to endure this season? Is one win over an archrival enough to make up for a season full of letdowns?
It is, and I’ll tell you why.
For one, people tend to be prisoners of the moment. So if UCLA does defeat USC, a lot of the past blunders, such as the recent Arizona State debacle, will be forgotten.
Another reason is because it’s a rivalry game.
No matter how poorly UCLA may have fared this year, a win over its rival means more than another tally mark in the win column. It means bragging rights for Bruin nation, which at this point, should be top priority in UCLA’s locker room. The fans deserve it after what they suffered through these past few months.
The last, and most important, reason ““ at least in my eyes ““ is that fans thrive on hope.
When your favorite professional sports team is awarded the No. 1 draft pick, or your favorite college sports team lands the No. 1 recruit coming out of high school, your mind begins to function on hope. You hope that this means change. You hope that this is a sign of great things to come.
So, imagine what a win over ‘SC will do for the hopes of UCLA football fans.
People will latch onto the smallest thing if it gives them confidence. Fans are still holding onto the Texas win because it gave them confidence in this UCLA team. And even from a personal standpoint, in our everyday lives, we will take the smallest bit of positivity and use it to give us the confidence to succeed.
Wow, I sound like one of those motivational speakers, huh?
A win over ‘SC will certainly give Bruin fans a bright light to look forward to heading into next season. Forget the fact that the Trojans’ best player is injured, or that they have a new coach, a laundry list of sanctions and a bunch of other drama.
This is a rivalry game. People take victories any way they can get them.
So the fact that the Bruins and Trojans can’t make a real bowl game, obviously for separate reasons, has actually enhanced the mystique and excitement for Saturday’s matchup. L.A. football is on shaky ground, and one of these teams will be charged with the responsibility of returning it to prominence.
Saturday will give us a glimpse as to who exactly is willing to shoulder that burden.
E-mail Watson at [email protected].