PASADENA — On their first offensive play Saturday night, the Bruins were outnumbered.
Taking the field with five offensive linemen, three wide receivers, a quarterback and a running back, UCLA left one receiver slot open toward the right sideline.
Redshirt senior wide receiver Shaquelle Evans took the field to make 11 and then was removed, not in a tactical error, not in a strategic substitution, but in remembrance of the Bruins’ fallen team member.
“That was the players’ idea and Noel (Mazzone)’s idea,” said coach Jim Mora. “Our 11th guy out there was ‘Pacman,’ and the players were fired up about doing that. I’m glad we did it.”
UCLA gained four yards on the play and 692 total yards – a school record – on the night against New Mexico State in a 59-13 blowout, but from start to finish, the loss of wide receiver Nick Pasquale rang throughout the Rose Bowl.
Before the game, the 58,263 fans in attendance held a moment of silence for the wide receiver, who died two weeks ago after being struck by a car in San Clemente, Calif. After the Rose Bowl’s public address announcer echoed with a “thank you,” dark blue No. 36 towels – a giveaway to the first 30,000 fans through the gates – were raised and furiously swirled in unison.
Between the first and second quarters, Mora presented Pasquale’s family with a framed No. 36 jersey. The touching moment was followed by a tribute to the fallen wide receiver’s life on the Rose Bowl’s main video board to the tune of Puff Daddy and Faith Evans’ “I’ll Be Missing You.”
Moments after walking off the field, its 25-yard line painted with an emboldened “Pasquale 36,” Mora said that no effort of recognition, no matter how Herculean, completely accounts for the loss of a player.
“I don’t think we can ever do enough to honor Nick and his family,” he said.
Breaking New Defensive Ground
It was a night of 2013 season firsts for the UCLA defense.
Sophomore cornerback Ishmael Adams came down with the defense’s first interception, which he returned for 52 yards to set up a short touchdown drive.
Senior outside linebacker Anthony Barr, after registering 13.5 sacks to lead the Bruins last season, finally recorded his first sack in the second quarter of Saturday’s game, taking down New Mexico State quarterback King Davis III, forcing a fumble and recovering a second Davis III fumble in one fell swoop.
Barr, who recorded three tackles in the game, two of which yielded a loss, said the sack was nothing special, just a sign of things to come for the remainder of the season.
“There was never a monkey, it’s going to happen throughout the course of the season,” Barr said. “I’ll get mine, but we got the win, and that’s all that matters.”
Sophomore safety Randall Goforth, on the other hand, didn’t have a statistically unique night, but was the first Bruin on the scene in a handful of plays against New Mexico State, tying for a team-high seven tackles, a forced fumble and two passes broken up.
Goforth spearheaded the efforts of a No. 13 UCLA (3-0) defense that prevented New Mexico State (0-4) from crossing midfield until four minutes had elapsed in the second quarter.
“We schemed pretty well for them this week,” Goforth said. “My job was to go out there and play fast, and I did.”
Way to go Bruins! I’m also UCLA ’85 so you are in my heart. All alumni want to see you as Pac 12 champs. Eight clap from Westwood!
Very proud of our Bruins! Class of 2000.