Huge win today.  IF we are not contending for the conference championship, we must be next year.  I have no doubt.  About a month ago, I told my friends that we would start 3-0 and beat SC* this year.  So far, I am half right.  A sign things improving and good coaching is when you win the games that you are supposed to win.  Since CRN's arrival, we have not lost any games that any reasonable expectations would deem that we should not win.  AND, on top of that we have hung in and even won some that we should not have one (i.e. Tennessee twice, Stanford).

 

I was very impressed with our goal line D today.  Another big day for Jerzy, BP, Reggie, and the Bozworth boys.  I very much under-guessed the amount of TO's we would have today.  Huge props to our boys on D coming out strong to start the game and keep at it to force four turnovers.  I love it.  This has been a fun team to watch.

 

Our offense wasn't always on the same page today (i.e. dropped snaps, an early snap?, penalties).  Actually, penalties were a problem on both sides.  Nine penalties for 70 yards, including at least two in potential game changing moments.  That was against two Tennessee penalties for 10 yards.  That disparity might also be a result of the home field, but it is still something that I am sure will be addressed in the weeks to come at Spaulding. 

 

I love that KP hit ten different receivers today.  We only had eight different receivers hit last week, and that was a game with some garbage time.  This is a sign of the offense coming together.  We are moving the ball around the field.  I loved the Chane Moline TD today.  It is interesting to note that three of of the ten receivers today had two receptions while the other seven each had one.  The three were two tight ends and a full back.  The other seven are all wide outs.  Classic Norm Chow play calling.  Let's keep this guy around for as long as we can.

 

Again, great win today on a day when all the pressure was on Lanie to win the revenge game.  

 

Go Bruins!!!

Help, I'm trapped in Phoenix this weekend for a wedding on Monday.  My hotel room does not seem to get the UCLA game today.  Does anyone have any clue if it is being televised and where a good place to watch it would be?

 

Thanks a bunch for any help anyone might have.

 

Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! 

Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! 

 

I apologize to those in advance who clicked on this fanpost expecting some trash talking.  This is not the case.

I am a waiter at BJ's in Westwood.  I have worked there for a little over two years.  We have celebrities come in every so often and I never seem to be phased.  However, yesterday during lunch, I approach a table with four guys at it and I recognize one of them.  It was Petros.  As I'm going through my routine "hey guys, my name is Jamie, i'll be helping you out, can i get you something to drink to start off" I kind of half smiled when I made eye contact with him.  He smiled back.  And I don't know what came over me but i said, "i know you."  He kind of laughed and said, "oh do you?"  I went on serving them like normal.  (in case anyone is wondering, he had black coffee and a small veggie pizza)  I pointed him out to some of the other servers and most of them didn't know who he was.  I told my manager and he got really excited.  He went over to the table, introduced himself, told them that he listens to his show every day on his drive home and that he was going to buy his table lunch.  They got a kick out of this.  

They sat there for a while writing today's radio show.  I'm not sure who the other three guys were.  I'm pretty sure one was not Matt Money Smith unfortunately.  Petros left first and handed me a 20.  Then the other three guys left me 40 more dollars before they left.  I was actually having a rough shift earlier and this was a great way to end it.  Many thanks to "P" and his crew.

I believe in giving credit where credit is due and for all the crap we give him (myself included), he was really a nice guy.

http://uclabruins.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/122907aae.html

GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS

We are going to the Vegas Bowl on December 22nd for a rematch with BYU. From Perleman's blog:

UCLA will play BYU in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl, a rematch of UCLA's second game of the season, in which the Bruins held off a late Cougar charge to win, 27-17.

No official announcement has been made on the status of head coach Karl Dorrell, but all signs point to his dismissal early this week and negotiations are ongoing with at least three current or former collegiate head coaches.

About finances, credible sources (who spoke on the condition they not be idenfied) indicated that ample support to hire a coach at market rates was available. Stay tuned.

That is all.

GO BRUINS

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/6871352

Foxsports has put together a "way too early projections" list of bowl predictions.  They have u$c going to the title game vs LSU in a "dream matchup."  And they have UCLA going to the Rose Bowl in a classic matchup vs. Wisconsin.  

This just goes to show (again and again) that the national media fully understands how much talent this 2007 Bruin team has.  That paired with a very favorable schedule ought to make for a very successful year.

The article says:
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The call is for Wisconsin to win the tie-breaker with Michigan, and come up with the wins needed, to get to Pasadena, but Penn State, Ohio State, or even Iowa, who misses the Wolverines and the Buckeyes, could slide in. With USC the call to go to New Orleans, UCLA would be a dream choice to create a Big Ten/Pac 10 matchup. Of course, if USC plays for the national title, the Rose would get the first choice of at-large teams and might be interested in selling out the place with LSU fans, if the Tigers aren't staying close to home in early January.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Bumped from the diaries. -N

My name is Jamie and I play drums in the band.  I've been to almost every home game since attending UCLA (I'm a grad student now and I did my undergrad at UCLA as well).

I'm here today to voice my disappointment in the lower deck student section.  This is not just about this year, this has been every year.  WEAR TRUE BLUE AT EVERY GAME AT PAULEY.  I'm not addressing everyone who goes to games.  I'm talking about the students who have the privilage of sitting courtside to watch the greatest college basketball team ever at the most legendary venue ever.  Isn't it required to wear true blue to sit there?  Don't you get free (or heavily discounted) true blue den shirts with a flash of your ID?  I bought one for five dollars.  A grey or pink shirt that says UCLA on it does not count.  As far as college team colors go, blue is not a very strong and imposing one.  I hate to say it, but our crosstown rival's colors really do pop out at you, and they do a good job of uniformly wearing it.  In order to create this type of imposing threat and a home court advantage, a uniform shade of blue (which is readily available to you) needs to be worn.  

Another thing: learn to cheer.  There I said it.  "but jamie, I do cheer... at the beginning of the game and when the team is doing well."  Exactly.  

Last year, a thirty piece pep band went to the women's Pac-10 tournament in northern California.  Against all odds, we made it to the title game against Stanford.  Our team was down for the majority of the game, absolutely getting out played by a better team.  But our little 30 piece pep band did not stop cheering the ENTIRE game despite being the only UCLA fans (besides the parents of the team) facing a sea of cardinal.  The place was jam packed full of Stanford fans.  There was a distinct home court advantage.  We won that game.  And if you ask anyone that was there, I guarantee they will agree that the victory was sparked by our support when things did not look good for our team.

My point is, you DO make a difference.  I'm talking about yelling every time the other team has the ball.  I'm talking about organized cheers when our team has the ball.  The key word there is organized.  Every time one of our two cheers is started, it does not last very long because for whatever reason, it is the nature of people to speed up.  U  C  clap  clap  L  A  clap  clap  becomes UuCclapclaLpAa.  And then people give up.  I'm sure I'm fighting an impossible battle here, but I'm serious.  If you don't speed up the cheers, they will stay together and be an imposing home court advantage.  And keep cheering all the way through the game.  Just because we are blowing out a team by 20 points, doesn't mean it's time to stop (or worse yet, go home).  Keep cheering so we can beat them by 50.

It's also good practice, there will be games where we are going to be down.  The cheering cannot be a reaction to our team doing well to get back into the game.  Our team getting back into the game is a byproduct of their fan support.  That's called a home-court advantage.  Let me repeat: cheering should not be a reaction to things going well on the court, but the other way around.  Obviously you are going to get louder when things go our way, it's an awesome feeling to see Josh nail that three from right in front of the other team's bench to put us in the lead.  But when we are down, the students need to set the tone that we are still there with our team.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox for now.

This is not about Bruin vs. Bruin.  I am not trying to make any enemies.  I am trying to create a unified home court advantage that can impose its will onto any team that comes into Pauley Pavillion.  The students are an example to the rest of the crowd.

Go Bruins.

FSN is now on the Big Ben band wagon as he is now "getting votes" for their Heisman Watch list.

After originally leaving UCLA out of their Bowl Projections, FSN now has us going to the Sun Bowl as  the 3rd place team in the Pac 10 behind SC and Oregon.