SB Nation - Alterraun Verner

We're All Americans, But We're Not All All-Americans

Oops Pow Surprise — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:51:28 -0000

by Charlie Neibergall - AP

Iowa's Pat Angerer (43) celebrates with teammates Allen Reisner and Dace Richardson, right, after Iowa blocked a Northern Iowa field goal on the final play. Iowa won 17-16. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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As is usually the case after a 10-win season, the accolades are beginning to pour in for the Iowa Hawkeye football team. Everyone and their mom has an all-conference or All-American team, but the two that actually matter--Walter Camp and the AP--are now out. And for the 33th year in a row, the unanimous selection for player of the year is Frank Stallone*.

More importantly, the AP named three Hawkeyes to their All-American teams. While nobody made it onto the first team, thanks to Ricky Stanzi's ankle injury--come on, you know if he stays healthy and Iowa goes 11-1 and finishes at #5 or so, even the guys on defense get a little bit more of a bump--both Bryan Bulaga and Pat Angerer made it to the second team, while Tyler Sash made third-team AA as a sophomore. A fine moment for all three players (two of whom, as we insular and provincial types are quick to point out, are native Iowans).

Meanwhile, the Walter Camp Foundation agreed with the AP, naming Bulaga and Angerer to their second team as well and effectively establishing the two as the de facto MVPs of their respective sides of the ball. We have a little beef with each designation, but for wholly different reasons.

First, though Bulaga is by far the best pro prospect on the line as of right now and was utterly dominant in 2008, the reality is that even notwithstanding the 3-week absence as he recovered from thyroid issues, he struggled in 2009. Brandon Graham and O'Brien Schofield manhandled Bulaga. And while those are two very good defensive ends, so was Aaron Maybin, the 11th pick of the 2009 by the Buffalo Bills and Bryan Bulaga's personal prison bitch after Iowa-PSU 2008. There was a substantial dropoff in play by Bulaga in 2009, and voters just didn't notice it when it came time to hand out awards.

Meanwhile, Dace Richardson was actually very good in his return to the line, and he got a fair amount of media attention when mid-season awards were being handed out. Then his ankle was rolled up on against Michigan State, and he disappeared from both the depth chart and voters' attention. But why should he have been punished for an ankle injury while voters looked past Bulaga's absence of a similar length? It's all past reputation, and that's not really fair to guys who come from nowhere and work their butts off--especially in their senior year, where there's no chance for any payoff in the "rewarded in Year X for play in Year X-minus-1" system that's come to be when it comes to honoring offensive linemen.

What this comes down to is that if the AP were to select an Iowa lineman for All-American this season, we'd have preferred it be Dace--though we'll certainly "settle for" Bulaga instead. If both men are playing their last game for Iowa next month, as lots of speculation suggests, then they've both had stellar careers in the black and gold and we wish them well.

On defense, on the other hand, Pat Angerer didn't really establish himself as the most dominant player for that Iowa defense, but that's hardly through any fault of his own. After all, one usually does so by being simply better than his teammates, and the talent level on the Iowa defense this year was both so high and so consistent that it was hard to see Angerer as someone who was the best player on defense. After all, you could always come back with, "well why not Sash? Or Adrian Clayborn? Or Amari Spievey? Or A.J. Edds? Or, hell, Jeremiha Hunter?" We're not saying that Angerer was the 6th best player on the Iowa defense by any means--just that ranking the top 5 or 6 or so would be impossible, because the gaps would be so miniscule that personal preference could easily mean a 3- or 4-spot swing here or there and it wouldn't even be objectionable.

Angerer's accolades, then, come from two areas: 1) his name, which is everything you could ever hope for times infinity; 2) and his stats, which sort of sneak up on you for the same reasons mentioned in the previous paragraph. As mentioned before, he was 5th in the nation in tackles at 11.3 a game. That's pretty outstanding, especially since--as TRE noticed during the season--Angerer's real strength might have been in pass coverage, not run support.

Still, absent game-changing plays, it's somewhat difficult to notice the overall impact a player has on a game. And all of those game-changing plays seemed to happen to other players--most notably Sash and Clayborn, and to a lesser extent Spievey.

Thus we have a weird ambiguity about how we look at Angerer's standing as the most highly-lauded member of the 2009 Iowa defense. It's not that he didn't deserve it--far from it--but with a defense like Iowa's, you could basically pick a name out of a hat and feel relatively confident that you made a good choice. It was that kind of year. Effectively singling out Angerer for praise, then, seems unusual and almost a little unfair. Oh well. There are worse problems to have.

Full AP All-American teams are after the break.

First team
Offense
	   Quarterback -- Colt McCoy, senior, 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Texas.
	   Running backs -- Toby Gerhart, senior, 6-1, 235, Stanford; Mark Ingram, sophomore, 5-10, 212, Alabama.
	   Tackles -- Russell Okung, senior, 6-5, 301, Oklahoma State; Trent Williams, senior, 6-5, 318, Oklahoma.
	   Guards -- Michael Johnson, senior, 6-6, 305, Alabama; Mike Iupati, senior, 6-6, 330, Idaho.
	   Center -- J.D. Walton, senior, 6-3, 305, Baylor.
	   Tight end -- Aaron Hernandez, junior, 6-2, 250, Florida.
	   Wide receivers -- Golden Tate, junior, 5-11, 195, Notre Dame; Jordan Shipley, senior, 6-0, 190, Texas.
	   All-purpose player -- C.J. Spiller, senior, 5-11, 195, Clemson.
	   Kicker -- Leigh Tiffin, senior, 6-2, 212, Alabama.
Defense
	   Ends -- Jerry Hughes, senior, 6-3, 257, TCU; Derrick Morgan, junior, 6-4, 272, Georgia Tech.
	   Tackles -- Ndamukong Suh, senior, 6-4, 300, Nebraska; Terrence Cody, senior, 6-5, 365, Alabama.
	   Linebackers -- Rolando McClain, junior, 6-4, 258, Alabama; Greg Jones, junior, 6-1, 228, Michigan State; Eric Norwood, senior, 6-1, 252, South Carolina.
	   Cornerbacks -- Joe Haden, junior, 5-11, 190, Florida; Javier Arenas, senior, 5-9, 198, Alabama.
	   Safeties -- Eric Berry, junior, 5-11, 203, Tennessee; Earl Thomas, sophomore, 5-10, 197, Texas.
	   Punter -- Drew Butler, sophomore, 6-2, 201, Georgia.
Second team
	   Quarterback -- Tim Tebow, senior, Florida.
	   Running backs -- Ryan Mathews, junior, Fresno State; Dion Lewis, freshman, Pittsburgh.
	   Tackles -- Bryan Bulaga, junior, Iowa; Chris Marinelli, senior, Stanford.
	   Guards -- Rodney Hudson, junior, Florida State; Mike Pouncey, junior, Florida.
	   Center -- Maurkice Pouncey, junior, Florida.
	   Tight end -- Dennis Pitta, senior, BYU.
	   Wide receivers -- Mardy Gilyard, senior, Cincinnati; Danario Alexander, senior, Missouri.
	   All-purpose player -- James Rodgers, junior, Oregon State.
	   Kicker -- Kai Forbath, junior, UCLA.
Defense
	   Ends -- Von Miller, junior, Texas A&M; Brandon Graham, senior, Michigan.
	   Tackles -- Gerald McCoy, junior, Oklahoma; Jared Odrick, senior, Penn State.
	   Linebackers -- Pat Angerer, senior, Iowa; Brandon Spikes, senior, Florida; Sean Weatherspoon, senior, Missouri.
	   Cornerbacks -- Perrish Cox, senior, Oklahoma State; Kyle Wilson, senior, Boise State.
	   Safeties -- Taylor Mays, senior, Southern California; Rahim Moore, sophomore, UCLA.
	   Punter -- Zoltan Mesko, senior, Michigan.
Third team
Offense
	   Quarterback -- Kellen Moore, sophomore, Boise State
	   Running backs -- LaMichael James, redshirt freshman, Oregon; Jacquizz Rodgers, sophomore, Oregon State.
	   Tackles -- Dennis Landolt, senior, Penn State; Ciron Black, senior, LSU.
	   Guards -- Brandon Carter, senior, Texas Tech; Jeff Byers, senior, Southern California.
	   Center -- Chris Hall, senior, Texas.
	   Tight end -- Dorin Dickerson, senior, Pittsburgh.
	   Wide receivers -- Freddie Barnes, senior, Bowling Green; Demaryius Thomas, junior, Georgia Tech.
	   All-purpose player -- Dexter McCluster, senior, Mississippi.
	   Kicker -- Hunter Lawrence, senior, Texas.
Defense
	   Ends -- Jeremy Beal, junior, Oklahoma; Brandon Sharpe, senior, Texas Tech.
	   Tackles -- Brian Price, junior, UCLA; Dan Williams, senior, Tennessee.
	   Linebackers -- Sergio Kindle, senior, Texas; Cody Grimm, senior, Virginia Tech; Navorro Bowman, junior, Penn State.
	   Cornerbacks -- Brandon Harris, sophomore, Miami; Alterraun Verner, senior, UCLA.
	   Safeties -- Tyler Sash, sophomore, Iowa; Mark Barron, sophomore, Alabama.
	   Punter -- Matt Reagan, senior, Memphis.

*Did you know he was in Tombstone, a.k.a. the SINGLE GREATEST MOVIE IN HISTORY? And in a phenomenal scene, to boot.

Ranking the 2009 Pac-10 Football MVPs: Part I

Avinash — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:00:29 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

Mike Mohamed had some big plays this season. Was it enough to be a Pac-10 MVP?

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In case you missed it, here's Part 1: the LVPs of their respective teams.

This post got too long, so I had to split it into three. Here are the honorable mention categories and the Pac-10 players and units ranked #30 thru #21 (#20-11 coming this afternoon, #10-1 coming Friday morning). Let's dive into it.

Honorable Mention

Jeff Locke, Reid Forrest: You know your team's in trouble when your punters are higher than anyone on your offense. And in Forrest's case, you know your team is royally fucked when your punter is the only one on your team who appears on this list.

Donald Butler: Didn't really do anything spectacular this year, but 96 tackles will get you on this list.

Daniel Te'o-Nesheim: So will 9.5 sacks and 12.5 TFL. Too bad the Huskies defense ranged from 'sheer brilliance' to 'human atrocity'

Ed Dickson: I'll be nice as possible about this--FUCK ED DICKSON. AGGGGGHHHHHHHHH.

Damola Adeniji: Despite all the production of James Rodgers, he wasn't Canfield's main target on 3rd down. Probably because secondaries keyed in on Rodgers, Adeniji racked up 27 catches in that situation, 21 for first downs, 5th in the country. Only 49 catches overall, but considering he only had 1 last season, I'll say this is a slight upgrade.

Chris Polk: Finished this season on a tear: Five ninety+ yard games and a 1000 yard season overall. Hard to measure his impact though, since the Huskies lost three of those games and Locker and the defense were the focal points of the other two.

Trojan offensive line: Lost season for these guys. 17 sacks allowed, 40 tackles for loss allowed, only a top 40 rushing offense. Ho-hum for them. I would've dreamed of something like this for the Bears.

Mike Mohamed: Cal's most productive defensive player on a not-so-great defensive unit. You have to give massive props for a 100 tackle season (his 104 tackles were tops in the Pac-10). And he saved another Cal season from sliding into disaster with a crucial interception in the Big Game.

Kyle Williams, Dmitri Nance: Solid production considering their quarterback struggled to complete half of his passes. Plus I feel bad for Williams ending his career like that.

Syd'Quan Thompson: If Cal had ONE guy (Hagan, Hill, Nnabuife, Conte, Rope Guy, someone) step up at corner on the other side of the field, who knows how our season turns out. We sure as hell don't get lit up by Oregon, USC or UDub on defense (Syd's limited ability in the final game pretty much assured we were screwed against Locker).

He was still a fabulous open field tackler when he got the chance, and when quarterbacks threw to his side of the field, he usually shut down. Like Asomugha in Oakland, that kind of effort only gets rewarded with first team All Pac-10, and minimal impact on the box score. So while his talent is easy enough to gauge, it's really hard to measure his value. Which is why he's honorable mention and not on the top 30.

After the jump, here's #30-21. If there are any thoughts of players or units left off, or guesses as to who will end up in the top 20, leave them in the comments.

#30 Damian Williams, #29 Joe McKnight

via theoraclesays.files.wordpress.com

These two are actually the first since Bush and White to break 100+ all-purpose yards a game since Bush and Leinart. Solid seasons, but other than McKnight on the final drive against Ohio State and Williams tearing up Notre Dame, how many moments do you remember concerning these two? That kind of year for the Trojans. It's up in the air whether either will return too.

#28 Ryan Whalen

via www4.pictures.zimbio.com

6th in the Pac-10 in receptions, turned into Luck's best passing threat when Owusu went Section Eight in the biggest games. Thought about ranking him higher, but I don't have any Whalen moments to really justify putting him further up. Perhaps the Cardinal fans can refresh my memory...oh, wait, there are no Cardinal fans. #28 it is.

#27 Arizona's receiving corps (Turner, Criner, Roberts, Dean, Douglas)

via www.azstarnet.com

Five guys with 30 catches or more? Now that's spreading the wealth around. By contrast, Cal had only one receiver (Jones) catch more than 30. Obviously, Cal isn't built to be a passing offense, but still, this is a far cry from two-three years ago. Sigh.

#26 UCLA's secondary

via images.ocregister.com

I know Rahim Moore led the nation in picks, and Alterraun Verner had another fine year--but how good are these guys? Other than shutting down Jonathan Crompton and whoever the hell Kansas State's quarterback is, the Bruins pass D has been surprisingly average. Even Kevin Riley burned them deep. I repeat, KEVIN RILEY BURNED THEM DEEP. Does this happen to good secondaries?

Oh well...at least Moore is capable of that "deep, longing, alluring, penetrating, soul-piercing, heart-tugging look".

#25 Tyson Alualu

via cache.daylife.com

Kind of hard to say how bad the Bears defense would've been without Alualu cracking apart the line. His efforts alone helped shut down Minnesota's passing game in a tight 4th quarter. Extra linemen often were forced to commit to him, and it opened up the rest of the front to get after Arizona and the Furd's high powered offensive attack.

Unfortunately, he never really had a Mebane-like force on the line--he couldn't really disrupt the passing attacks the way his predecessors did How much of that was dictated by scheme or by his own pass rush methods is beyond my knowledge, but Cal's pass rush was far weaker than anticipated, far weaker than the 27 sacks they put up this year.

Still a great season for Tice though--Cal's run defense was top-tier, and a lot of that had to do with #44.

(Story that really depressed me this week: Bear Insider's look at how close Ndamukong Suh came to being a Golden Bear. Imagine Alualu and Suh coming together in the 3-4 the last two seasons, particularly last year. I'm getting bummed out now.)

#24 Jahvid Best

via www.pe.com

For a guy who was supposed to be a Heisman hopeful, it's shocking to see Best not even crack the top 20. But that's how it is in a frustrating season for Jahvid, whose season seemed to peak in Minneapolis. Still had some spectacular runs, but running behind the crappiest offensive line in the Tedford era, it could've been way, way better.

#23 Chris Owusu

via a.espncdn.com

A menace for us, and a big game-changer for the Furd, having huge returns on almost every opponent this year. Surprisingly (and stupidly), everyone in the Pac-10 continued to kick to Owusu long after he demonstrated he would outrace their coverage to the end zone. The Furd ranked 3rd in the country in kickoff returns, mostly due to Owusu's skills.

He gets bumped down a bit because if he could just hang onto a few passes (he dropped big catches in EVERY conference loss), the Furd are going to Pasadena.

#22 Kai Forbath

via tnjn.com

Laugh all you want that a kicker cracks the top 25. When a Bruins fan describes him as your most consistent player...well, that says a lot.

Take a look at the games Forbath swung this season.
~13 of UCLA's 19 points in a 4 point win over the Vols in Rocky Top
~11 of UCLA's 23 points in a 10 point win over the Sun Devils
~6 of UCLA's 24 points in a 1 point win over the Huskies
~11 of UCLA's 23 points in a 14 point win over K-State.

Add in these stats
~26 field goals, second most in the country behind Alabama's Tiffin
~99th scoring offense in the country

Not hard to say Forbath was UCLA's offensive MVP this season, isn't it? Switch Forbath with an average kicker and the Bruins win four games? Three?

#21 Shane Vereen

via dlerium.smugmug.com

(Image from dmo580)

Surprisingly had more impressive performances than Best this season, cementing away a Cal victory in Pasadena and being the workload in two upsets over the Wildcats and the Cardinal. Best racked up big numbers against two of the worst teams in the country and an FCS opponent, managing only one great game this season against a bowl-eligible team. Although Best ended up with more rushing yards, Vereen had more all-purpose yards thanks to his kickoff returns and his own pass-catching abilities. Most importantly, when the offensive line collapsed, Vereen had more of the elusiveness to slip away from encroaching defenders.

Best might be the better talent, but Vereen was the more valuable Bear for this Cal squad...but only by a little.

Coming this afternoon: #20-11.

[UPDATEx2]Reggie Carter, Logan Paulsen & Bruin Seniors Let Down UCLA Football

Nestor — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:44:59 -0000

This is unreal:

The UCLA players decided not to practice today. They didn't tell anyone. Certainly not the coaches.
They jumped over the wall on the side of Spaulding Field and took off.
So, no practice update today.

If this is true Reggie Carter, Logan Paulsen - the captains of this team - and the entire senior class should be ashamed of themselves. This was a ridiculously, stupid tradition established during Donahue era, that epitomized UCLA football for being mediocre, mentally soft, and lazy. After the shenanigans from CRN's first year the senior "leaders" of this team swore it wouldn't happen again. Here is Reggie Carter in the DN last April (emphasis added):

"We were 4-8 last year. We can't afford to miss a practice," Carter said Friday. "Some guys argue it's tradition. Well, tradition started when they were winning. … Coach Neuheisel talked to me, and I said, `You don't have to worry about it. We're not going to do it.' If some guys try to slide away and organize it and do it anyway, we'll just go back in the locker room, rally them up and get back out here and practice, and deal with them after practice."

And Logan Paulsen:

When the Bruins did it last spring, the coaching staff was visible upset. Paulsen was one of the most upset about it, and has been a proponent of abolishing it this spring.

"My mentality regarding the wall is I enjoy coming out here (to practice)," Paulsen said. "Every one of these practices is special to me, and I don't want to be wasting an opportunity. I understand there's a lot of things that go into the wall, a lot of tradition, a lot of camaraderie and team building, but in my opinion these spring practices are too valuable to pass up on."

Well I'd like to hear from them what happened this time around. What changed guys? So were you guys lying back in April? Hey, here is a news flash Reggie and Logan. You are 6-6. We gave you benefit of the doubt and took encouragement as sign of progress. However, here is a news flash, you guys still haven't established any kind "winning" tradition yet and not living up to your own words is not going to help you either. This only makes you look like a total joke and full of hot air.

If I were Neuehisel I'd make sure to sneak in some two-a-days in next two weeks. This sends a pathetic message from this football team to rest of the world. It deservedly makes them look like bunch of phonies without any kind of substance.

The way it looks from outside, it doesn't look pretty and sends wrong messages from a program that is trying so desperately to get back on track. Again, Carter, Paulsen, ATV, Austin and the entire senior class should be embarrassed of themselves. This is not the way to go out and set examples for the underclassmen. Just pathetic. It will be interesting to see how Neuheisel treats this development.

GO BRUINS.

UPDATE (N): Neuheisel has made statements and frankly he sounds underwhelming:

Opening thoughts:
"A deal's a deal. When they were talking about it in spring practice, I said, 'Listen, the wall thing started in bowl practice. You get to bowl practice, then you can start to thinking about things like this.' So they did."

On the players keeping it quiet (as Kai Forbath walks by smiling):
"They did a nice job of this one, keeping it under wraps. Look at Forbath with the big grin. I do compliment them on the choice of days. When you're still in kind of the get-back-into-football mode, and young guys are getting their chances to work, I think it was a wise day to pick. I'm pleased with the leadership in terms of the choice. But obviously I would have loved to practice."

On the history of The Wall:
"This happened many years ago. Kenny Easley led the group over the wall, and it was a good thing. I enjoyed it more as a player than as a coach, though, I'll be honest with you. There's no question about that. Sometimes coaches forget what it was like as a player. I try not to do that."

If this is all we get from CRN, it will be the first strike against him as the head coach of this football program. If he and his coaches were involved in this, then they also look like total hypocrites after talking up the importance of bowl practices in public.

He needs to hold players like Carter and Paulsen accountable, who right now looks like total liars based on their actions. I don't care Kenny Easley did this back in the day. I care that Carter and Paulsen straight up lied on this issue. We shouldn't accept that and Neuheisel needs to hold them accountable for it. If he doesn't, I will lose a lot of respect for him from hereon out. GO BRUINS.

UPDATE II (N): LAT has more on this and it's not pretty. First up, here is senior "leader" Terrence Austin:

“We kind of wanted to have a complete season and decided to get this in,” Austin said. “We promised coach we wouldn’t do it unless we got a bowl. We decided to get it out of the way early so we could get back to work for the Washington, D.C. game. We didn’t want it to interfere with business.”

That sounds as lovely as Austin's punt and kickoff returns. Way to show leadership Terrence. Not. Apparently Kevin Craft might not have been on board while Paulsen gave a "no comment":

Not all players seemed on board with the plan. Asked if he was aware of the plan, senior quarterback Kevin Craft said, “no," tersely. Senior tight end Logan Paulsen declined to comment.

Not good enough and it's reflective of their mediocre play on the field. It still looks make Paulsen look like a liar based on what he said this past spring. Meanwhile, Neuheisel sounds underwhelming and frankly weak:

“They caught us all by surprise with this one,” Neuheisel said. “I do compliment them on the choice of days, when we are still getting back into football mode. I am pleased with the leadership in terms of the choice.”

Not the kind of "leadership" we want to see around UCLA football coach. That explanation doesn't fly and will not do much to gain confidence in a football program, which at this moment looks like a total joke. Pathetic. GO BRUINS.

Something Special Brewin? Malcolm Jones Honored As Gatorade National Player Of The Year

Nestor — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:08:15 -0000

Many of us have followed college athletics long enough to know that we shouldn't always get too excited about hype around big time recruits. It is especially true these days in the world of college basketball. Sometimes recruits in hoops such as JF, AA, and KL live up to all the hype. Other times, well I don't think I have to go through the details of the Ben Ball ~~warriors~~ class of 2008 (you can also read the comments in this thread which will go back much further).

Same dynamics also play out in football to a certain extent (even though in football it takes recruits traditionally a year or two to make discernible impact in the program). I think we can write post after posts on who has worked out (MJD, Brian Price, Akeem Ayers, Rahim Moore, XSF) and who hasn't (Ben Olson, Aundre Dean ) in recent years in Westwood. Yet, every once in a while we read and hear about a recruit in football or hoops, and we can't help but hope for something special when everything looks and sounds right about his arrival to Westwood. Well, if you haven't yet then meet Malcolm Jones. He just became the first UCLA football recruit ever to be honored as the Gatorade National High School Player Of The Year:

The LAT writeup provides the eye popping numbers:

Jones, a running back-linebacker, has scored 109 touchdowns in his four-year prep career. This season, he has rushed for 2,156 yards, putting him 40 yards short of tying the single-season school record held by Marc Tyler. He has 36 touchdowns and is nearing 6,000 yards rushing in his career.

Jon Gold from the Daily News had the following comment from MJ's team-mate on how emotional he was yesterday:

"You should have seen the expressions on his face when he was walking out of class," Oaks Christian quarterback Nick Montana said with a wide smile. "He was with his family, biggest smile on his face; I haven't seen him smile like that in a while. He was tearing up a little bit - it was awesome to see."

Well congrats to Malcolm from the entire BN. We have a little more on him after the jump.

Gold sheds a little more light on Malcolm as a student and person off the field:

Jones maintains a 3.46 grade-point average and announced in early October that he would play for UCLA, choosing the Bruins over expected front-runner Stanford. Additionally, Jones is a peer tutor and a youth basketball volunteer referee.

"He's realizes I think that he's really blessed," Marshall Jones Sr. said. "He takes his blessings as something he should utilize for the good of himself and others. And that's what makes me proud of him.

"He's a better person than he is a football player."

He also has the right perspective heading into UCLA next season:

"I really wanted to go to a school where I can really make a name for myself, not just be the "next" star running back at a USC or one of those big-time colleges," Jones said. "I want to prove to everyone that I can really help turn the program around, get them back on top."

Sounds like a Bruin already. lol Here he was few weeks ago reflecting on his team's season, his commitment to UCLA, and the looming CIF playoffs:

Well, Malcolm is going to lead his 13-0 Oaks Christian team into tonight Northwest Division championship game against Gardena Serra. He has played on three consecutive section championship teams.

In terms of some previous history on this award, I should note in hoops it was KL and Jrue Holiday who were also honored as Gatorade NPOY (as I said in my opening grafs, we have mixed records). Previous honorees as Gatorade NPOY includes names such as Peyton Manning, Emmitt Smith and Jeff George. The list also includes Matt disrespected Barkely (won the award in his junior season), who hasn't really done all that much considering the talent he was surrounded with at Southern Cal.

All that said, it's still a big deal. As noted above Malcolm is the first Bruin recruit to win this award. As excited as we all are about him, what I am even more excited is listening to him, he comes as as the perfect Bruin in the mold of ATV. Keeping my fingers crossed, Malcolm experiences the same level of success as our current senior captain both on and off the field starting next year at UCLA.

GO BRUINS.

UCLA's Price Is Right For The Pac-10: Brian Headlines 11 Bruins Honored As All Pac-10

Nestor — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:13:22 -0000

hicalliber is already on it but this deserves lot more attention. This is not a surprise but still worthy of a huge celebration on Bruin Nation. Here is our Pac-10 Defensive Player:

The official announcement came out earlier this afternoon which included lot of good news for the football team. Not only Brian Price was named Pac-10's Defense POY, he was part of a group of 11 Bruins named in the All Pac-10 team. Five of them were first-team selection:

UCLA junior defensive tackle Brian Price has been named Pac-10 Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year by vote of the league's coaches, it was announced today.

A total of 11 Bruins were named to the All-Pac-10 teams. Joining Price on the first team were senior linebacker Reggie Carter, sophomore safety Rahim Moore, senior cornerback Alterraun Verner and junior place kicker Kai Forbath. Forbath and Price were two of the three unanimous selections to the first team.

Redshirt freshman punter Jeff Locke and senior wide receiver Terrence Austin were selected to the second team, the latter as a kickoff returner. Four Bruins were named honorable mention - sophomore linebacker Akeem Ayers, senior linebacker Kyle Bosworth, sophomore wide receiver Nelson Rosario and freshman offensive tackle Xavier Su'a-Filo.

UCLA had more first-team defensive selections (four) than any other school in the conference.

You can read more from the official press release here.

Congrats to Brian, Reggie, ATV, Austin, and Bosworth. That's a wonderful way for them to leave Westwood after what they have given us last 3-4 years. We will have to wait to see what happens with Kai, as he might be testing the waters during the off season. Meanwhile, can't wait to see how Rahim, Akeem, Nelson, XSF, and Locke build on the success from this season.

For now though let's hope the Midshipmen comes though on Saturday so that we get to see these guys for one more time to close out the year. Go Navy. Oh and don't forget to congratulate our boys in this celebratory thread.

GO BRUINS.

Remembering Those Images For Next 370 Days

Nestor — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:38:04 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Chetey Petey's Trojan thugs taunting away from the other side of field

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I am throwing this up because I want to have this image and the caption underneath seared into everyone's brain for next 370 days. Again I realize people can raise genuine questions on about some aspects of our coaches' scheme from the offensive side last night (for instance, I am still trying to figure how can someone confused Chane "Train" with a "Cheetah" lol). Yet at the same time, I also believe our coaches game plan was sufficient enough for us to win the game. Watching JetSki fumble in one of his three carries hit home the point why coaches were going with Chane Moline most of the night.

If not for Prince's ill advised throw the score would have been tied at 0-0 at half time (at least 3-0 in our favor if the referees weren't persuaded by the Pom Pom's lobbying and the homer announcers egging it on television). Then in the second half it was Logan Paulsen's brain cramp that forced Prince to scramble in a second long situation leading to the shoulder injury that caused the second pick. Yet despite all that we were in the game closing within 7. If anyone doesn't think this program hasn't taken a step forward from last season and specifically from last year's game against these classless thugs, then he or she has some other agenda.

Is there reason for frustration? Of course there is. Not only were we in the game, but it was there for us to take it. We had multiple opporunities to seize the momentum and just blew it. That makes it hurt even more this am. However, is everything lost? Hardly. What Chetey and his classless thugs did yesterday was send a clear cut signal about how worried they are about the work Rick Neuheisel and his staff have done in Westwood. They are worried enough that they felt compelled to throw that unnecessary bomb and then proceeded on to jump around like animals, raising their collective middle finger not just to the entire Bruin Nation, but to the world of college athletics.

While folks here have every right to be angry and disgusted with those scumbags from cross town, I'd advise to adopt the frame proposed by BlueMe this am:

Now, the focus should be getting better. It starts with a possible bowl game and ending the season on a positive note. Then it continues in the living rooms of recruits, pitching this program and university like never before. Then it goes to the weight room. Then to Spring Ball. Then on to next season, culminating finally in the Rose Bowl next year.

EVERY WAKING MOMENT between now and kickoff at the Rose Bowl 365 days from now, the focus needs to be KICKING SCs ASS!

Well we have 370 days more to go but everyone here should get the point.

We will find out about our bowl outlook very soon. I am not all that anxious to figure it out. If someone wants to do it, go for it. If we get into one, I hope our guys can do everything they can to take advantage of those two weeks of practices and send of kids like ATV, Carter and Brian Price (after all the heartbreaks he has been through in his life he more than anyone deserves a great life thanks to the financial security in the NFL) off to a great note.

Rest of the Bruin athletes, students, alums and fans, we all need to ready for next season. We have 370 days. We need to make sure those images like the one above in closing mins is burnt into our collective Bruin conscious for rest of our lives.

GO BRUINS.

BN Gameday Roundup: Nothing To Lose For UCLA (As Pressure Is On Pom Pom)

Nestor — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:15:52 -0000

As I said yesterday this is going to be a long day to wait for the 7 pm (10 pm for many of us) kickoff tonight. I have the same feeling in my stomach right now I used to have back in the 80s and 90s. The feeling of anxiety and not knowing what to expect (which is very different from the mindset I used to find myself in during Toledo's later years and the entire Dorrell years even though conceding the game never entered my mind).

Heading into this year I didn't think we would have the opportunity to shift the paradigm in this rivalry in Neuheisel's second season in Westwood. Well here we are on this Saturday heading into this game with a sincere believe that not only can we pull out a victory, but we also have an opportunity to change the dynamic between these two programs.

The pressure is on Pom Pom tonight. There is no doubt about that as even outsides such as Bill Dwyre is noting the obvious (emphasis added):

UCLA's coach gets more of a pass for the current state of affairs because he's in only his second season, because he's rebuilding, because he can accurately point to signs of progress.

That luxury does not exist for USC's Pete Carroll, who has ruled the Pac-10 for seven of his nine years and who is both blessed and cursed by high expectations. You live by the swagger and die by the swagger, and Carroll is clearly the man on the hot seat Saturday, especially with two weeks to prepare for a Bruins team that doesn't appear to necessitate much preparation.

Doesn't get any simpler than that. If our guys cannot get it done tonight, the world will not end. However, if the Trojans choke in their home stadium against Neuheisel, the world will come crashing down on Pom Pom. It will be the final death knell on a 7 year run built on a string of blockbuster (alleged) cheating scandals.

As for our guys, concentration is the word of the day:

"This is a different chapter of UCLA football,'' Neuheisel said. "The knowledge that things are possible is definitely important. It's not superhuman to get things accomplished. It takes great concentration, and then going out and making it happen. Our guys, I think, will be ready for that kind of ballgame.''

That was from the AP writeup in which CRN channeled a little BruinsNation:

"It's a great tradition, and I think the colors are absolutely beautiful,'' said Neuheisel, a quarterback for the Bruins in the early 1980s. "When I grew up, the Ohio State-Michigan game was in the mornings and the USC-UCLA game was in the afternoons, and that was what you watched. The colors in the USC-UCLA game just jumped off the screen, and this was before HD. The combination was just magical, in my mind. I think Pete thinks so as well, and that's what we've got back to.''

Yeah, we made the OSU-Michigan and UCLA-Southern Cal double header reference two days ago on BN as well. Just another example of how our football coach knows collectively what we are all thinking and vibing heading into our football games. Some other quick game notes after the jump.

There is nothing earth shattering in the LA Times today. Chris Dufresne is calling the matchup too close to call:

USC offense vs. UCLA defense

Despite all that five-star talent, the Trojans rank No. 58 nationally in scoring offense at 27.5 points a game, and can expect stiff resistance against a UCLA defense giving up only 20 points a game.

UCLA offense vs. USC defense

Oregon and Stanford gashed USC's defense with relentless running games that put the Trojans on their heels. To win, UCLA needs to control the ground and then be ready to pass when the defense creeps up.

Special teams

The kicking advantage belongs to UCLA with Kai Forbath leading the nation in field goals and Jeff Locke ranking ninth (44 yards a kick) in punting.

Over at the Daily News, Jon Gold has a good quote on Logan Paulsen and ATV's frame of mind:

"In their minds, they're still way better, they're still more talented," senior cornerback Alterraun Verner said. "Our mentality is that we're still going to put up a fight. There's no change in mentality. They're still the Trojans and they beat us the last couple years."

UCLA can take solace in the fact this is a totally different USC lineup.

The Trojans had 11 players selected in March's NFL Draft, including five in the first two rounds, with quarterback Mark Sanchez going fifth overall to the New York Jets. This, after 10 Trojans went in 2008, with four first-rounders.

Still, despite losing so much talent and despite UCLA's rise, USC enters the game as a 13-point favorite.

"They're just younger this year," Bruins senior tight end Logan Paulsen said. "They play the same stuff, do the same thing, still have the same mentality. You can see the transfer. You just have to keep in mind you're not playing Rey Maualuga or Brian Cushing."

The players have changed but the jerseys won't.

Yes, I cannot wait to see the blue jerseys in the Mosoleum tonight.

As for our game day traditions here on BN, we will put up a pre game thread around 12:30 pm PST to take in other game actions. Our game thread will go up around 6:30 PST. Of course don't forget to get your pre game guesses in half an hour before kickoff. Enjoy your Saturday.

GO BRUINS.

Spaulding Roundup: Relaxed Barkley Calls Bruin Defense "Beatable," Calls Preparation For UCLA Not "Too Tough Mentally"

Nestor — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:12:48 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

He is really relaxed folks.

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Yesterday we found out Trojan safety Taylor Mays doesn't think all that much about the UCLA-U$C* football game. It's "not that big a deal" for him apparently as he cares more about the Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State. Well today we are finding out Mays teammate Heisman Barkley is not all that worried about taking on the Bruin defense (emphasis added):

"They play a pretty base defense, which is not going to be hard to see," Barkley said. "They're just going to play hard and get after you.

"So it's not going to be too tough mentally. . . . They're secondary is very impressive but, again, they're beatable at times."

All he left out was mentioning how he envisioned the Trojan offense slicing right through Price, Carter and Ayers. Barkley is feeling confident and good about himself because he will have Damien Williams and Anthony McCoy back in the lineup:

It was difficult to tell who was happier Tuesday -- USC receiver Damian Williams or quarterback Matt Barkley.

Williams went from doubtful to probable for Saturday's game against UCLA at the Coliseum, doctors clearing the junior to play after he tested his injured right ankle in practice.

"I didn't do anything totally crazy, just try to see if I can cut and move and how fast I can run," said Williams, who did not play in the Trojans' 55-21 loss to Stanford. "Straight ahead, I'm fine. There's a little discomfort cutting but not too much."

The return of Williams, coupled with tight end Anthony McCoy's progression toward a return to full strength, would help Barkley and the Trojans offense immensely against a surging Bruins team that ranks first in the Pacific 10 Conference in scoring defense and turnover margin.

Well, no doubt the Trojan offense will have an upper hand IMO if Williams and McCoy are 100 percent. They can give them that balance to complement the threats posed by McKnight and Bradford. Given what we have seen from our defense since the Tennessee game, I am still weary about our front-7 going up against their running attack. Although Barkley's comments about UCLA playing a "pretty base defense" is a little funny given what we saw last weekend at the Rose Bowl. The kid has a point since we have been voicing frustrations about it the whole season, but it's kind of odd to make that statement so publicly as an opponent after UCLA is coming off couple of games in which they mixed it up a little. Whatever, I am sure our guys will take note of Mr. Barkley's relaxed mindset.

Speaking of our guys, CRN and Brian Price are not discounting Trojans despite their recent struggles:

Despite the recent struggles, UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel was quick to assert that the Trojans remain as physically talented as any team in the country.

"They aren't impostors wearing that uniform," he said. "We will have to play our best to stay close and hopefully get the game into the fourth quarter."

That's a big reason why Price, while willing to talk about how much USC annoys him, isn't willing to trash talk the Trojans as a program.

"They're still dangerous," he said. "We can't take them lightly because they lost a couple of games. They're not the same as they were a couple of years ago, but they are still 'SC."

They are still '$C* indeed. More on those clowns and other notes around this game after the jump.

Brian Price also noted what Taylor Mays apparently had to say during their bonfire in South Central:

"They had a bonfire I guess and he was saying that just because they lost a couple of games that they're still 'SC and we're still UCLA so they're going to beat us," Price said. "Something like that. Something disrespectful. I found it funny, but we're going to use it to our advantage."

Price then observed:

"You can't talk trash after getting dominated by Stanford and Oregon like that," he said.

LOL, and he also added:

"As the years go by, you grow to dislike them even more and more," he said. "They're so cocky and arrogant."

Man. I am going to miss the Big Bear. I don't know about but right now I am having a hard time sitting still till Saturday night to see the kind of emotion Price comes out with in (our home uniform) at the Mosoleum. You can sense the emotion that is already roiling up within him for this game.

As for this team-mates on the other side, the OL is looking to build on the performance from last weekend when they wore down the number 15 ranked defense in the country. Although the Bruins didn't rack up the explosive numbers from preview 9 quarters, they were grinding it out throughout the second half. It appeared Palcic's boys were softening up the ASU defensive front by pounding them away, and opening up holes for Chane the Train Moline. More importantly they were caught behind the line just 5 times. Not too shabby for the rebuilt OL that has been developing throughout this 09 season. From Jon Gold in the Daily News:

"Our defense allowed us to play more conservatively, and then our O-line did a great job protecting," Moline said. "At first there weren't too many holes, but the offensive line wore them down a little bit. As (senior fullback) Trevor Theriot said, it was old-style, power football."

If Tuesday's practice was any indication, it will continue to be.

Moline appears to be the Bruins' man of the moment this week as well after his first start following a three-carry, three-touchdown performance against Washington State in Week 10.

"Chane's been the man these past couple weeks," Maiava said. "His ability to read the holes and read the blocks is probably the best on our team.

"He's a senior and this means the most to him. Coach talks about keeping drives alive, and if we can keep just getting first downs all the way to a touchdown I'm OK with that."

While the conservative approached worked against ASU, especially after our defense gave us a cushion with 2 TDs, we can't count on that for Saturday. We will need lot more than Chane (as dependable as he can be) and CRN knows it:

UCLA used a safe-and-sane offensive approach in a 23-13 victory over Arizona State on Saturday. The Bruins had fullback Chane Moline at tailback and ground out yardage.

"That remains to be seen," Coach Rick Neuheisel said when asked if a similar game plan would work against USC. "I don't think we can do it wholesale. I think we have to mix things up. I just think we're going to need more explosive plays. That's going to require more than just having our 'bigs' on the field."

I am going to guess CRN and Chow will mix in substantial doses of JetSki, Franklin, Coleman and perhaps Thigpen from Saturday. I really hope this will be the weekend when the penalties will be minmized and all aspects of offensive execution will come together. If there is a game to make that happen this is it.

We have talked about defense and offense in this roundup. So, I will end with the special team which can potentially play a huge part this Sat. So far (except for kickoff coverage and returns) they have been solid:

An edge that UCLA appears to have over USC is on special teams.

The Bruins have the top field-goal kicker in the nation (Kai Forbath) and the nation's ninth-ranked punter (Jeff Locke).

They also excel in the ability to change momentum with blocked kicks.

The special teams, under coach Frank Gansz Jr., have blocked five kicks this season, three field goals and two punts, with two resulting in points. A blocked field goal by defensive tackle Jerzy Siewierski was returned for a touchdown by Alterraun Verner against San Diego State. Linebacker Sean Westgate blocked a punt for a safety against Washington State.

"I love the man-on-man part of it," Westgate said about his punt blocking success. "You have to find a way to beat that guy any way you can. Then I get up and get to where the guy is kicking."

Well let's hope the Bruins can use the edge offered up Sean Westgate and rest of our special teams. Foster actually has a solid write up today on our kicking game featuring Fortbath, Locke, Reese (holder) and Younter (long snapper). Those guys have been money all season and we are going to need them in a huge way on Saturday, if it shapes up to be a classic nailbiting game.

I think the key will be for our team to keep it close early on. If we can slug it out in the trenches early on and turn this into a street fight at half time, we will have a shot. We need our defense to come out and attack the Trojans just like they went after it against Hardesty and Tennessee. They need to play out of their minds while on offense Prince and co. need to keep building on the confidence they have gained in recent weeks. Again, just gotta keep it close at half time and then look for the opportunity to pounce. We will have the mental edge as the pressure right now despite all the talk from South Central is all on Pom Pom.

GO BRUINS.

Spaulding Roundup: UCLA-U$C* = "Not That Big A Deal" For Trojan Safety Taylor Mays

Nestor — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:52:01 -0000

More photos » by Matt Sayles - AP

Apparently this weekend's game is "not that a big a deal" for ~~Thorpe award finalist~~ Taylor Mays

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So it sounds like the Beat $C* bonfire (despite the poorly planned timing) turned out all right. Some good comments on the experience here, here and here. If you were there and took pictures and video, would love to see via fanposts or fanshots. It will get rest of us - who are away from LA - even more jacked up for Saturday.

Apparently all of this emotion and build up around this game don't mean all that much for marquee defensive player from cross town Mr. Taylor Mays. Found it in the Trojan beat report in today's LA Times (emphasis added):

Mays said the Trojans were "where we need to be" as they resumed practice. This will be Mays' fourth USC-UCLA game, but the Seattle native and son of a former Washington lineman remains more familiar with the Washington-Washington State rivalry.

"I didn't grow up a fan of USC or UCLA so it's not that big a deal to me. I know more about the Apple Cup," he said.

Well then. Not sure what to say in response to Mr. Mays. Apparently even though this game or the history around is "not that big a deal" to Mr. Mays, per the LAT report he might have "extra motivation" this weekend because he wasn't name as one of the finalist for the Thorpe Award, presented annually to college football's top defensive back. Apparently just because someone is a superstar from Chetey's program, it automatically entitles them to get slotted as one of the finalists for prestigious post-season awards.

Well we have no doubt Mays and his team-mates are going to come out (head) hunting on Saturday. They are going to come out breathing fire despite the typical Trojan bites they are serving up in the press this game week. Chetey knows that he cannot afford to lose this game because if he chokes on Saturday ... well the picture will not be pretty (plus who knows those NCAA "inspectors" enjoying the campus cafetaria in South Central might just feel a tad bit emboldended if their beloved Trojans look a little more vulnerable). So yeah, they are going to be in a desperate state of mind. As for our guys, our seniors know how special this game can be (remembering 13-9) and they are channeling in different approaches to get the young pups ready for hopefully what will be the game of their lives. More on the mindset of our seniors and our head coach after the jump.

Chane Moline remembers what it felt like when he was at the Rose Bowl in 2006:

"I thought I knew how huge it was, then I played at the Rose Bowl that day," Moline said. "That was an eye-opening experience."

Reggie Carter had his special moments from the waning moments of the game:

"That was probably the first time I've cried because I was happy," Carter said. "It was a minute left, we got the pick and the game wasn't over yet and we're at the game crying. I couldn't stop. I'm thinking, `It's not over yet,' then once that clock set zero, it was unbelievable. I started to breathe again."

Most importantly ATV recalls what it took for the Bruins to actually win that game:

We didn't turn the ball over, we played sound defense, they went for it a couple times and we came up with big stops," Verner recalls. "As a whole, we played smart. We did enough to win that game."

Bruins will have to replicate that formual again this Saturday if they want to compete and pull out a huge upset (which I believe they are capable of). As discussed yesterday we will need our defensive guys to stiffen up early. We can't be in the feeling out mode we have been in to start games all season. I really hope Chuck Bullough instead of waiting to adjust against the Trojan offense, will come out and attack early with throwing different looks from our base defense.

We can't allow Barkely to get comfortable. Just can't do that. I'd also like to continue to see us bringing Akeem around the edge and perhaps do the same with Price at the end as well, so that we can contain McKnight explosions to the outside. Also, speaking of containing Trojan weapons, Klein (from the LAT) has the following update on Trojan receiver Damien Williams:

Receiver Damian Williams tested his injured right ankle with some light jogging, but remains doubtful for UCLA.

Williams, who sat out against Stanford, spent the weekend watching TV, icing his ankle and stretching during commercials. He said he felt pain Monday, "but it wasn't, like, excruciating."

"I don't want to get my hopes up and not play," said Williams, USC's leading receiver and punt returner. "I'd rather say I'm not playing and then play. . . . You never know."

Coach Pete Carroll wants to believe that Williams will be on the field against the Bruins. The junior played through a hamstring strain against Oregon and Arizona State before suffering a high ankle sprain against the Sun Devils.

"He's the kind of guy that will find a way," Carroll said, comparing Williams to NFL veterans. "It takes experience and a kind of wherewithal to realize you don't have to be 100% to play. Damian's a little bit like that."

So to translate Chetey's sweet talk - Damien is going to play. He will be in there (even if he is not feeling healthy). Petey wants him in because after all it's a must win game for Pom Pom.

Meanwhile, CRN sounds pretty relaxed heading into Saturday. He knows he has already met the baseline expectations for this season that will help him to close out on a strong on the recruiting trail. He also knows he and his team doesn't have much to lose this Saturday:

"You talk about signature wins after you have them. Those are things you go back to," he said. "I don't think you ever talk about that on the front side. You're working your tail off to do your best every game. Who knows what will happen?

"All I know is we're going to play our best. We're going to prepare our best. Hopefully, it will be good enough. If it's not, we'll get ready the next chance. Some other game will have to be the signature win."

Sounds about right. An upset in this game will of course will more than just a rocket boost for the UCLA football program. It will effectively turn the table on recruiting dynamic for a while. Yet the heat is really on Southern Cal because if they cannot hold serve in this game after the kind of season they have had ... well as I said we will leave the Trojies to imagine those consequences.

Lastly, just in case there was any doubt, here is the report from Jon Gold on UCLA wearing its home uniforms this weekend:

UCLA will wear its home jerseys at the Coliseum on Saturday, part of an agreement USC head coach Pete Carroll made before last season's game that led to a rule change by the NCAA.

Last season, the Trojans wore their cardinal and gold jerseys in the Rose Bowl and were penalized with one stripped time out, while Neuheisel quickly evened the score by calling a timeout of his own.

After the season, the NCAA decided to lift the rule that required visiting teams to wear white, making it a game-by-game decision by individual conferences.

Carter, though, remains color-blind.

"Cardinal, blue, red orange, I don't care what I'm wearing," Carter said with a smile. "It's great to be wearing our home jerseys. But if we wear yellow jerseys, I'd be OK as long as I could hit somebody."

Gotta love Reggie's passion. It is going to be something special watching the UCLA play in that setting in Bruin blue. Then again apparently all of this "not that big a deal" for Mr. Taylor Mays.

GO BRUINS.

Plus 2: Bruin Defense Throttles ASU To Deliver UCLA's 6th Win In Neuheisel's 2nd Season in Westwood

Nestor — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:52:45 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

Akeem - the Missile - Ayers celebrates his TD. He had another spectacular weekend in UCLA blue.

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Flashback to October 25 of this season when following a deflating loss against Arizona, we put up the following laying out how Rick Neuheisel had to deliver 6 wins this season:

All I can say at this point, I am going to wait and see whether the coaches can deliver 6 wins. I still think we have a shot of getting to 6 wins by taking care of business against Washington and Arizona State at home, and then executing our game play against (what I think will be an inspired Cougar bunch) Washington State in Pullman. If Rick Neuheisel wants to make a tangible case that UCLA football is headed towards right direction under his leadership, he needs to get us those three wins in 2009 and then build on it with at least 7 wins (and a victory over Southern Cal) in 2010. He has to get it done.

Well heading into that special game of the regular season (no reason to calling that game against the Trojies big, we will just call it special), it looks like Rick Neuheisel has gotten it done. His team delivered that 6th win (becoming bowl eligble), by slugging out Arizona State Sun Devils by a score of 23-13. Here is the box score. Well here is our official thank you coach for getting that done.

In his second season in Westwood, Neuheisel has now established tangible signs of improvement by winning 2 more games, and showing progress in number of different aspects of the team (not including his fantastic recruit effort to date). In other words Neuehisel now has "plus 2 factor" to pitch to more recruits and fire up the alumni/student base in Bruin Naiton. Not only that. During the three game win streak this November, Rick Neuheisel's program proved to rest of the world, despite the constant negativity and hit jobs from the traditional media, his players and coaches never gave up on each other.

Bruins kept fighting, scratching and clawing away, showing the relentless optimism and tenacity of their head coach in the face of skepticism from most of outside world not bleeding Bruin blue and gold. That is something everyone in this community and the greater Bruin family should be proud of towards the waning weeks of Neheisel's second season in Westwood. More on the game and thoughts on "Beat $C*" game week after the jump.

So the Bruins get it done on senior day riding the efforts of ATV, Akeem Ayers, Chane Moline, Reggie Carter and Brian Price. 17 of our 23 points came courtesy of explosive efforts of our inspired defense. Here is our box score. As mentioned in the second half thread, it was ATV setting the tone with his pick 6 and fumble recovery. Then it was Akeem Ayers and Brian Price teaming up to blow up the Sun Devil offense. Price and Ayers were nothing short of spectacular. What Price did was even more special made by the fact that it was probably his last game at the Rose Bowl.

On the offensive side, Bruins were able to move the ball against Arizona State's vaunted defense. However, just when it looked like they were getting in rhythm they kept coming just a little short because of self inflicted mistakes and penalties (as a team today we were penalized a whooping 11 times for 100 yards). Still we got a decent effort from Kevin Prince who did manage the game well, by picking up some tough and gutty yards on the ground. And it was Chane - the Train - Moline, who helped us eat the clocking by grinding out 84 yards in 25 carries. Not bad for his last game in the Rose Bowl.

Bruins now of course get ready for Petey's bunch who has had a week to lick their wounds after getting embarrassed and humiliated by the Trees a the Mosoleum. There is no doubt Chetey is going to have his boys fired up as he knows that if he somehow chokes against UCLA as the underdogs, his illegal (allegedly) empire officially crumble in the City of Angels.

This week is going to be fun getting ready to play the most scandalous and (allegedly) corrupt program in college athletics (and an underachieving bunch in recent seasons). There is no doubt the Bruins will have a great week practice building on the positive vibes from today and a 3-0 record in November. We still have a lot to work on. We have to clean up our mistakes on offense. We still can be more polished with our special teams and we will continue to come up with ways of being creative on defense (as we have seen some hints of it in last couple of weeks).

Of course will we have lot more on this in game as we get ready for an amazing game week. It is going to be fun. It is going to be emotional and it is going to blow up this place with anticipation. With that let's get the post game senior day victory party started. If you have quick thoughts, takes fire them up here. If you have detailed observations and reflections you want to share, please put them in fanposts. I will leave with this quick thought... BEAT $C*.

GO BRUINS.