“˜Fantastic Four’ lift Bruin respectability

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Scott McEwan had just hooked up with Craig Bragg on a 39-yard,
second quarter scoring play when a Fox Sports Net television camera
panned up into a jubilant UCLA student section. Framed in the shot
was a Bruin fanatic decked out in a blue wig and everything his
closet had to offer that might scream “Go
Bruins!”

Basking in the glow of his 15 seconds of fame, the fan in
question ““ bless his heart ““ didn’t launch into
the customary “Oh my god, I’m on TV”
cliché-ridden outburst (i.e., “We’re number
one!” or “The Bruins rule!”). Instead, he leaned
over the railing in front of him and screamed at the top of his
lungs, “We don’t suck anymore!” Talk about a man
with his finger on the pulse of the Bruin faithful.

UCLA’s regular season finale against Arizona State on
Saturday was all about vindication and redemption; it was about
setting the record straight. But more than anything,
Saturday’s game was about the Bruins letting themselves,
their fans and anyone else willing to listen know that they
“don’t suck anymore.”

And make no mistake, after four consecutive losses, including
the thrashing at the hands of USC, it was something that needed to
be said. By day’s end, the message had been delivered loud
and clear.

A rejuvenated Bruin offense amassed 536 yards of total offense,
27 first downs, and most importantly, posted 52 points on the
scoreboard. All this from a unit that played without its star
tailback, starting quarterback and received little or no
contributions from the receivers listed one and two on the depth
chart for much of the season.

Instead, the team was led by the unlikely quartet of quarterback
Scott McEwan, wide receiver Craig Bragg and running backs Akil
Harris and Manuel White Jr.

The Bruins’ newfound “Fantastic Four” all
started the season as backups ““ a rag-tag group of clipboard
holders, special teams performers and after thoughts. But Saturday,
they joined forces and couldn’t be stopped.

McEwan (aka Mr. Fantastic) was the quiet, unassuming leader. In
times of great peril (i.e. with behemoth defensive lineman bearing
down upon him), McEwan was always able to wriggle free and stretch
the ball downfield against a hapless Sun Devil pass defense.

His long passes usually landed in the hands of Bragg (aka The
Human Torch). The lighting quick wideout took a flame-thrower to
the ASU secondary all day, burning up the field to the tune of
seven catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

When the Bruins weren’t “fighting evil”
through the air, they pounded the Sun Devils into submission on the
ground.

Harris (aka Mr. Invisible) sliced and slashed all over the
field, seemingly invisible to ASU tacklers. All tolled, the elusive
sophomore tailback piled up 138 yards on 22 carries, including a
first quarter TD run that saw him “disappear” through a
pile of blockers and emerge in the endzone.

Meanwhile, White (aka The Thing) bullied and battered his way
into the endzone twice and finished the game with 85 rushing yards.
His thick lower body, which looks as if its been chiseled out of
granite, enabled him to continually plow through the Sun Devils
porous front seven ““ he broke more tackles than a politician
breaks promises.

The heroics from the “Fantastic Four” produced a
decisive victory for the Bruins and pushed their record for the
season to a respectable 7-4. Sure, the team may not go to bowl. And
sure, after a 6-0 start, finishing 7-4 is more than a little
disheartening. But look at it this way, if nothing else, the
Bruins’ season-ending win did send a long overdue message to
the rest of the college football community.

“Hey everyone, we don’t suck anymore!”