The UCLA football team is one game away from becoming bowl eligible, but with news that Jim Mora has been relieved of his duties, the players have a lot on their minds but also a lot to prove.
Both the California and UCLA football teams are 5-6. The winner of Friday’s game will become bowl eligible (hence the term ‘Bowl Eligible Bowl’, tell your friends you heard it hear first). The loser gets to go home and prep for next season.
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This is a crucial game where UC sibling rivals try to extend their seasons for just one more game. For Cal, getting to a bowl speaks volumes about what first-year Cal head coach Justin Wilcox has done for his program.
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As for UCLA currently, they do not have a permanent head coach. Jim Mora was fired yesterday after a second straight underwhelming season. Last year, the Bruins went 4-8 and did not make a bowl game. This year, they are depending on a win in the Bowl Eligibility Bowl to stay alive and get that extra game for themselves.
Though the team is embattled, they must forge ahead. This is the perfect time for the remaining coaches and players to pull themselves up by their boot straps and finish what Mora started.
This Friday, Jedd Fisch, who was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season, will lead the Bruins into the Rose Bowl, a place they have not lost all season long (5-0), and try to get that win. But it is not just a win, it is a chance for UCLA to prove they are more than their record reflects.
Last Saturday, they played their best game of the season against USC, which showed their fight, fight, fight. Proof they have a little bit left in the tank after a long season that has currently produced a losing record.
Another interesting tidbit is that this game is Senior Day, a game Mora had never won. That could change. Every single UCLA football player should want to play at 110%, but that should go double for the seniors.
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The players have a lot of pride and with everything surrounding them, this is their chance to come out and fire away at the Golden Bears. Get a win, get a bowl. The season is not over. Go Bruins!