So the game is getting close to starting, the stands are nearly full, and here come our BYU cougars out of the locker room.... the cheering and screaming crescendos as the players come running out, bearing the school colors and the flag of 'Tradition'. For the '05 season BYU adopted a new theme for its football program, the new coach wanted to go back to the roots of good BYU football, adorning the old style 'Y' logo and using the tagline, "Tradition, Spirit, Honor" in many of their advertising campaigns. It's been a good thing for them, the team has done well and the merchandise has sold nicely... But back to the game, they all came busting out of the tunnel hyped up to a roaring crowd and waved their banner all over the place. It was a thing of beauty.Moments later, probably less than a minute after they roar had subdued, it was announced that the UCLA Bruins were now taking the field. Now if any of you know anything about college football, UCLA is a team to be respected. In the past twenty years they've only had five losing seasons. They hold a NCAA record for eight straight bowl victories. They have produced multiple NFL greats including hall of famer Troy Aikman. It's true that the past year has unnaturally pushed UCLA and BYU into an odd rivalry with the Bruin's regular season win last year at this same game, and then in the Las Vegas Bowl losing to the Cougars over a PAT... I'll admit there was a bit of rivalry felt going into the game, but what I heard as UCLA took the field saddened my heart. BOOOOO BOOOOO!!!! The crowed actually Boo-ed them, can you believe that!?!? I don't think we even got BOO-ed when BYU took the field at Husky Stadium last week, and here we are, loving, kind christians, demeaning our fellowman, and what for? nothing! nothing at all! Perhaps had they shown some hostility or said something unkind, but no, they hadn't. Our loyal blue bleeding fans couldn't allow that slightly lighter blue to taint their raging veins. (that reminds me of M:I 3, when the bad-guy says he'd bleed on the flag to make sure the stripes stay red.. when he is the one screwing them over.)
Truth be told, this un-sportsmen like conduct was short lived. I think those 'boo-ing' were soon hushed by their close companions who actually had a conscience. Eventually the game began and not a person in the crowd were ready for what was about to happen, and if they had, perhaps their reaction would have been different. In fact the intense rivalry continued for quite some time. Near the beginning of the game there was a UCLA pass that the wide receiver grabbed, bobbled, and caught just as he was landing out of bounds. The crowed was outraged to see the referee indicate that it was a fair catch and counted for UCLA first down. People were once again boo-ing and calling for a review of the play. It wasn't more than twenty minutes later when almost the same thing happened to a BYU wide receiver. He barley caught it barley in-bounds, but of course there were no calls for a review of the play. There wasn't anyone there to complain that he was practically out of bounds when it was caught, and play went straight on.
As the game waned sour for the Bruins the jeering from the crowd became less and less, but it was still into the end of the second quarter with a 35-0 BYU lead that the crowed was still overly upset at the referees giving penalties to BYU. Some people just couldn't conceive that UCLA should be given any respect at all. For me it was about the time that their field goal was blocked, retrieved, and gave way to another seven of BYU's points that I actually started feeling bad for them (regardless of what the crowd was doing). The BYU offence simply played flawlessly. The defense was rock solid. The home crowd was supportive and deafening at times, roaring for the D, and hushed in awe for offence. It was truly an amazing game, and yet it struck me odd that into the last quarter when BYU started to play it's second and third string players and UCLA still was not able to produce any points, nor stop the cougars from driving the painful score even higher. In the end, it was just a tough game for UCLA, and I think that those 'boo-ers' at the start of the game just may feel stupid for their childish act. Perhaps so... perhaps not. I for one hope that UCLA is able to recuperate and have a winning season despite this devastating loss.
My one other consolation for this game came from a KSL new slideshow from KSL.com (this is their picture). After UCLA had lost a TD to a fumble they started off the drive with a kickoff return of about thirty yards only to end in tragedy as fullback Trevor went head over heels into a tackle and upon finding himself on his head dropped the football, which BYU recovered and made quick work bringing it back to the end zone. The good part here was this picture, even after having fumbled, and amid the joyful cries of the BYU defense Trevor was not left alone, but helped up by none other than a BYU lineman. Well, thanks whoever that was. You're a hero in my book.
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