After suffering its sixth loss of the season against USC Saturday, UCLA lost a slim chance to reach the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1999.
Now the Bruins will have to settle for a more familiar destination where they’ll face a familiar opponent.
On Sunday, UCLA (6-6, 5-4 Pac-10) accepted a bid to the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl, to be played on Dec. 22 at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. It will be the third time in six seasons that UCLA has played in the game.
The Bruins will play BYU (10-2, 8-0 Mountain West Conference) in a rematch of a Sept. 8 game that UCLA won, 27-17. UCLA lost 24-21 to Wyoming in their last trip to the Las Vegas Bowl in 2004. The Bruins beat New Mexico 27-13 in 2002.
“UCLA is extremely happy to be playing in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl,” coach Karl Dorrell said in a statement released by the athletic department Sunday evening.
After the 24-7 loss at USC, the Bruins just wanted another chance to play.
“Yeah, I’m always down to play football,” linebacker Reggie Carter said in the locker room after the game. “Look at me, I’ve got one more game to play this year so I don’t mind that at all. Get some time to rest and prepare for whatever bowl game we go to.”
The Bruins may not have reached a bowl if it weren’t for Arizona’s loss to Arizona State. Instead, UCLA was one of six Pac-10 teams to reach a bowl game.
The conference champion Trojans (10-2, 7-2 Pac-10) will play Illinois (9-3, 6-2 Big Ten) on Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl.
USC is the only Pac-10 team that will play in a BCS game.
Arizona State (10-2, 7-2 Pac-10) will play Texas (9-3, 5-3 Big 12) in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27.
Oregon State (8-4, 6-3 Pac-10) will play Maryland (6-6, 3-5 ACC) in the Emerald Bowl on Dec. 28.
Oregon (8-4, 5-4 Pac-10) will play South Florida (9-3, 4-3 Big East) in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31.
California (6-6, 3-6 Pac-10) will play Air Force (9-3, 6-2 Mountain West Conference) in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 31.