This story has been written before. Three times, to be
exact.
It’s the one where UCLA stumbles out of the blocks,
bumbles around for three plus quarters, yet prevails in the end
with some magical burst.
But on Saturday afternoon, there was a slight twist to the
plotline, a role reversal of sorts. It was the kind that made the
comeback twice as improbable and the victory 10 times more
meaningful.
It was the defense, frequently besieged and often criticized as
the Bruins’ weak link, that led the charge.
That’s right. It wasn’t Maurice Drew’s
cutbacks or Drew Olson’s precision passing that kept UCLA in
the game, but the defense.
Normally dependent on its efficient offense in the red zone, the
defensive side picked up the slack. Usually accustomed to stringing
together a couple good series in previous comebacks, it executed
solidly for all four quarters in this one.
“It’s nice that we did rise up and play good
defense,” defensive coordinator Larry Kerr said.
“Hopefully it will build us as an entire team.
“Obviously, we’re stronger on offense than we are on
defense, but the defense has its role and it plays it hard. It will
definitely help our morale in showing we can contribute mightily to
a win.”
In comebacks against Washington State and California, the
defense chipped in like a miser skipping the tab and paying the
tip. But on Saturday, it footed more than its fair share of the
bill, waiting until the bitter end before even asking the offense
to contribute.
“We were able to stay consistent for the whole game, but
the offense was definitely consistent from eight minutes left in
the game,” safety Jarrad Page said, spinning the
offense’s efforts more deftly than a seasoned politician.
For more than three quarters, the only thing the offense did
consistently was set up punting situations. The offensive line
wasn’t blocking on runs, Drew Olson wasn’t connecting
on passes, and the whole operation was basically looking more
futile than a quantum-physics final.
Yet the Bruins still passed their test in the end.
“We feed off each other,” linebacker Justin London
said. “I’d love to see the boys get the groove back
real quick, especially when it’s on the line. But we
don’t doubt that they can.”
Saturday’s victory also erased another element of doubt in
UCLA fans’ minds. It showed that a three-touchdown deficit
with eight minutes left isn’t enough to put this team into a
grave. It demonstrated that an undefeated season can be kept alive
when the offense has an off game. And it suggested that
there’s some semblance of balance in these Bruins, an
absolute must for any team ranked in the top 10.
“We all complement each other,” lineman Justin
Hickman said. “When one’s down, the other has to step
up. That’s what we did. When it comes down to the end, the
offense came through like they always had.”
After the game, offensive coordinator Tom Cable responded to
questions about the defense carrying the load for a change.
It’s a conversation he probably couldn’t have imagined
having a few weeks ago in Pullman, Wash., when he ripped into the
unit at halftime for its lethargic performance. On Saturday, he was
asked whether it would have been appropriate for Kerr to do the
same to his group.
“It’s all about all of us,” Cable said of the
team. “If he had wanted to come over and kick someone in the
tail, I would have been right there with him. I’d be proud of
him to do that.”
Kerr never took the offense to task for its ugly first half.
Maybe because he knew how the story would end.
E-mail Finley at
afinley@media.ucla.edu if you turned off the television to study
quantum physics on Saturday.