UCLA will play a hurting team that should have won last week but didn’t. Their fans are used to it but their team is not. The season is early. The Rosebowl gives this hurting team a chance to rebound. A new opportunity for hope. Surely every team who gets to play at the Rosebowl gets a boost of energy. It is a special place with a legacy of football memories. They will come to try to make some more. The predicted point score does not matter. If they only win one more game this year they will try to make this the one.
We can’t let them do that. We have our own memories to make this year. Our own ship to right. We can’t let up or overlook an opponent. What has given us success this year should give us the victory again. A strong running game with a scrambling QB should be able to squeeze out another victory against a depressed and long travelled opponent. But I think they will be planning for that conservative gameplan and it will open the door for mistakes and turnovers.
So what must be done? We have to do what they won’t expect. Nico must perform. He has to come out on fire and execute as the heismann sleeper he is. He must be patient and stay and look for the open man and trust his new Oline. His awakening will take this team from a possible bowl team to a major Big 10 contender and gather some national attention.
So the game is bigger than a Big 10 opener at home. It is the resurgence of UCLA football. It starts the fun of coming to the Rosebowl each week to see what this team will do. To start to dream our own dreams again. We too have suffered long and hard.
So sorry Purdue. We do wish you well. Just not this week. We have our own history to make. And it starts on Saturday!
GoBruins!