After a disappointing finish to the season with four straight
losses, the UCLA football team has been granted one last chance to
salvage another heartbreaking year.
The Bruins received an invitation Tuesday to the Silicon Valley
Classic, which will be held Dec. 30 San Jose, where they will
likely face Fresno State.
Although the Bruins once held hopes for the Rose Bowl, reality
stepped in, and the end of their season was a bit more mediocre.
UCLA graciously accepted the bid to San Jose.
“This bowl will give our seniors the opportunity to leave
UCLA on a good note,” coach Karl Dorrell said in a
statement.
“For our younger players, they can gain valuable
experience with additional practice time. I also feel that playing
in a bowl is a benefit in the area of recruiting, because it gives
the young men we are recruiting the opportunity to come to campus
and see the future of our program.”
While both the Bruins (6-6) and Fresno State (8-5) were offered
invitations, only UCLA is a lock. The Bulldogs’ trip to San
Jose will be contingent on an NCAA rule that stipulates two Big 12
teams must make a Bowl Championship Series game.
With both Oklahoma and Texas currently ranked in the BCS at
first and sixth respectively, Fresno State appears to be safe at
Silicon.
Though unlikely, if either Oklahoma or Texas should fall, Boise
State (currently scheduled to play at the Fort Worth Bowl) would be
moved to the Humanitarian Bowl, pushing Tulsa to San Jose to face
UCLA.
Though a lock now, the Bruins weren’t always breathing
easy these past two weeks. Tied in the Pac-10 standings with
Washington at sixth, the Silicon committee had a choice between the
two schools.
“A lot of factors came into play,” said Greg
Jamison, the bowl chairman. “It was a combination of
head-to-head competition, the number of people we think could come
to the bowl, alumni in the Bay Area, and who could
travel.”
With UCLA crushing Washington 46-16 earlier in the season, and
having a strong alumni base of more than 25,000 in the Bay Area,
the Bruins held an edge over the Huskies in every area. They also
have over 20 players from the surrounding areas.
“We have such a strong alumni presence and think we can
mobilize the Bay Area Bruins to get fans in the seats,” UCLA
athletic director Dan Guerrero said. “We’re also going
to do things to enhance the opportunity for our students to go to
the game.”
UCLA will receive $575,000 for participating in the bowl game,
but most will go toward expenses.