Bruins get burned by FOUR Sun Devil Defensive TD’s, as Black Friday defines UCLA’s Season of Giving
While many were at the Mall, the Bruins were getting mauled — on the scoreboard — as UCLA lost to Arizona State 34-9. The Worst Defense is a Bad Offense, and the Bruin Offense committed four errors in the game that turned directly into Sun Devil Touchdowns. Those were ASU’s ONLY Touchdowns, as the Bruins’ Defense played one of its best games of the year, but thanks to the four big Turnovers, it was a wasted effort.
UCLA stifled ASU’s Offense, as heralded QB Rudy Carpenter looked very ordinary. The Devils couldn’t run on the Bruins, so Carpenter tried to pick on the Bruins’ weakest link, Cornerback Mike Norris. But on this night, Norris was up to the challenge, successfully breaking up several big pass plays, and even snagging an Inteception on an attempted deep strike. ASU’s Offense was able to muster only 2 Field Goals, but put together with four Defensive TD’s, it was more than enough.
The Sun Devils returned a Kevin Craft fumble for a TD, and then returned three INT’s for TD’s, including one for 100 yards. The Bruins, who actually had more yards gained and more sustained drives than ASU, were within one score in the 4th, until the meltdown made the Bruins officially IN-eligible for a Bowl game this year.
Of course, to BE eligible, UCLA would have had to also beat sc, which is not being foreseen by even the most avid Bruin fans, so losing to ASU didn’t really mean all that much. One play seemed to sum it all up for UCLA: The Bruins’ DEAF Running Back Derrick Coleman allowed a ball to be knocked away from him – to be returned for a Devil TD – because when he saw the other players stop playing, he assumed incorrectly that the whistle had blown. The Bruins gave up their only lead, because of the whistle that DIDN’T get blown, that WASN’T heard by thier deaf Tailback.
This loss does not get blamed on Coleman, or even Craft. It’s amazing and impressive that Coleman has made it as far as he has – overcoming his disability – and Craft, despite some bad decisions, bad passes, and bad tackling, is under constant duress, and taking an absolute beating. He could barely get off the ground after getting a stinger during the game, and looked like a 95-year old man with arthritis sometimes after that, while continuing to sustain bone-jarring hits.
Unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. On December 6th, the trojans come to the Rose Bowl for what sets up to be a slaughter of epic proportions. ON PAPER, the Bruins will certainly not score a Touchdown. They will get maybe one Field Goal, and that’s only if Sanchez throws a careless pick in his own territory.
And without any help whatsoever from the Bruin Offense, the Bruin Defense will be defenseless against the gang of trojan mercenaries as they repeatedly march down short fields to easy Touchdowns. As a Bruin FAN, how do you prepare yourself for 77-3?
The last time the Bruins surprised everyone was when Tennessee came into the Rose Bowl, and UCLA pulled off an Overtime victory, in Neuheisel’s first game. How nice would it be to book-end that upset home victory with one more? Impossible? Well, the previous shocker supplied by UCLA was their 13-9 miracle upset of sc in the Rose Bowl two years ago.
Getting back to reality: Worrying about the inevitable is not going to do any good, so just be happy that it’s Basketball season, and be happy that these photos still emerge, even after brutal losses, when you need them most. Just wait untill next week.
Comments
3 responses to “BLACK FRY-DAY BRINGS MANY UNHAPPY RETURNS”
Well if for no other reason the game was memorable for the 4 defensive TDs. These photos are better. Thanks.
Easily the most embarrasing defeat I’ve ever witnessed in my 40-plus years alive. If Kevin Craft starts again next week against the condoms, it may turn ot to be the biggest slaughter in the rivalry’s history.
Go Bruins and GO BRIANNA!!!!!!!!!!!