These past few weeks will stand as a complicated memory in the mind of Mike Fafaul, the redshirt senior quarterback whose long-awaited opportunity came amid UCLA’s painful slide to its worst record in coach Jim Mora’s tenure.
“It was a tough season. It didn’t go the way I wanted it to go, but I got an opportunity I waited a long time for, and I gave it all I had,” Fafaul said. “At the end of the day, that’s got to be enough. I would have loved it to go a different way but it is what it is.”
It might be easier for the rest of the Bruins’ departing seniors, who Mora implored to think about their entire time in the program rather than this disappointing final season.
“What I told the seniors and what I told the team was thank you for all that they meant to UCLA football,” Mora said. “When you look at the body of work of these young men that will not be playing for us anymore, it’s pretty significant what they’ve been able to accomplish in their four short years.”
He was talking about guys like Jayon Brown, a former three-star recruit who emerged as a stalwart at weakside linebacker for the Bruins. With his team-leading 14 tackles Saturday night at California, Brown brought his season total to 119, the 16th-most in a single season in school history.
Brown embraced Mora’s call for a more holistic view of his time in the program.
“It’s been a rough season,” Brown said. “But throughout my four years here at UCLA, I will never forget it. It has been great and I am glad I came here.”
Defensive end Takkarist McKinley only spent three years in the program, but made perhaps as great an impact as anybody, emerging as a potential first-round pick with a dominant senior season that included 10 sacks, 18 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.
“It sucks we went 4-8, and we are not bowl eligible,” McKinley said. “But I enjoyed my three years at UCLA and wouldn’t trade it in for anything. It has been a blessing to be here.”
Aside from Brown and McKinley, the Bruins will lose team leaders like left tackle Conor McDermott, center Scott Quessenberry, defensive tackles Eddie Vanderdoes and Eli Ankou and defensive backs Randall Goforth and Fabian Moreau.
“We should all be thankful – they showed commitment and they created a standard and a culture around here that we’re going to build on,” Mora said. “Unfortunately, it’s masked by the disappointment of our record this year.”