Football Preview: Bruin optimists stay faithful

After getting off to a fine start this season (4-1, 2-1 Pac-10)
the Bruins’ football team has dropped four straight games,
plummeting them to 7th overall in their conference.

Overworked defense and missed opportunities in the red zone by
the offense has been the story of the year.

While it may be frustrating for the players and coaching staff,
the losing streak is starting to take its toll on the fans,
students and alumni alike. While some spectators remain eternally
optimistic, others have expressed their discontent and lack of
faith.

Outnumbered and underrepresented, those who remain optimistic
are such with some amount of uncertainty.

Fourth-year psychology student and Den president Matthew
Crisafulli is optimistic. “These are the times we need to
support our team the most,” Crisafulli said.
“Unfortunately these are also the times when it is hardest to
be supportive.”

Hopefuls like Crisafulli argue that criticism is not the answer.
Rather, they share a common belief that the difficulties
encountered this year will serve to benefit the team next year.

For example, while others view the loss of first-string
quarterback Ben Olson as a great disadvantage, optimists point out
that it has given second-string quarterback Pat Cowan invaluable
experience.

Carl McBain, who graduated from UCLA in 1941, is currently a
donor for the football team, and is one of these optimists.

“It’s a rebuilding year,” McBain said.
“In general I am happy with this year’s team
considering there are few seniors and several freshmen and
sophomores.”

With the loss of seniors Marcedes Lewis, Drew Olson and junior
Maurice Jones-Drew this statement is certainly indisputable.

There are only three senior starters on the team and just 13
seniors overall. Consequently, the Bruins will retain most of their
team next year. In essence, optimists argue, the upside to the
heartaches of this season is a year of experience for the young
players who will be returning next season.

For some, however, it is clear that faith in the team has been
more difficult to come by.

“I do not think they’re going to win another game
this season,” fourth-year psychology student Antonio Vallejo
said. “At the end of last season the players had more to look
forward to, which is clearly not the case this season. The team is
simply lacking motivation.”

He went on to argue that motivation and morale of the team is
lower this season because the players do not have a key figure to
look to as they did last season.

Faith, or lack of it, is also evident in the decline of
attendance. Fewer Bruins are going out to the Rose Bowl to support
their team.

If the two sides agree on one thing, it is that change and time
are necessary. Collaboration is a must. One of the main reasons for
the team’s inability to win games against its conference
opponents this season has been the lack of coordination between the
offense and defense.

“Both sides of our team need to sync up and play well at
the same time,” fourth-year computer science student and Den
member Christo Rose commented.

Other suggestions point to the ineffectiveness of Coach Karl
Dorrell and his staff. In his four years as coach, Dorrell has yet
to produce a win against a winning team on the road or a win over
USC, and he has not gotten to a BCS bowl game. For some, Dorrell is
simply not living up to expectations. However, for others, like
McBain, Dorrell is the same coach he was last year, minus the title
of Coach of the Year.

“It is unfair the way Dorrell is being portrayed by the
media,” McBain said. “If we had a winning team he would
be called a genius, quiet but brilliant.”

The Bruins will close out the remainder of the season against
Oregon State, Arizona State and USC. UCLA has the opportunity for a
winning season if they are able to win the last three regular
season games. Fans are not as preoccupied with Oregon State and
Arizona State as much as they are concerned with USC.

The hope among Den members, students and alumni is that the
Bruins can defeat an overconfident USC team at the Rose Bowl. If
UCLA can pull off a win in their final regular game of the season
at home against the Trojans, more fans are bound to be optimistic
for next season.