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It's been about 10 years since I visited El Paso, Texas, and though I don't remember much about the city, I'm pretty sure there's more fun to be had in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve.

The Bruins will be back home for all the parties tonight, though it's safe to say their favorite celebration was one day earlier in that western Texas town.

"New Year's came early," senior cornerback Marcus Cassell said after the Bruins' Sun Bowl win. "This is definitely better than any kind of party I can go to."

UCLA's victory over Northwestern certainly didn't generate the buzz of other wins this season. After all, Drew Olson threw three early interceptions, Maurice Drew sat out almost the entire game, and the Bruin offense didn't get much closer to the end zone in the fourth quarter than a security guard at the nearby Mexican border.

Still, it's kind of fitting that a victory falling so close to New Year's didn't turn out picture perfect or exactly match all the expectations. For all the things that didn't work out for the Bruins on Friday, there still stands a 10th win on their record that shows all the things that did. That alone makes the festivities in El Paso hard to top.

"Nothing beats this,' senior strong safety Jarrad Page said, and it's hard to argue considering how long it had been since the Bruins finished the year on this kind of high note.

Looking back at UCLA's experience at the Sun Bowl, it featured all the things found at a traditional New Year's bash that falls short of the hype, but is still filled with fun.

There were moments of craziness, with Olson single-handedly spotting the Wildcats a 22-point lead in the first quarter and then helping his team erase it before halftime. There were party fouls aplenty, with the Bruins whistled for three late hits and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. And there were scenes of sheer comedy, with Northwestern scoring two late-game touchdowns and Brandon Breazell answering both of them by returning a pair of onside kicks into the end zone.

"That was crazy, it was the exact same play," Page said. "I've never seen that before. I guess you just have to expect everything from this team."

More important than those single instances was the optimism Friday's game provided heading into the next year. A young and beleaguered defense held its own for most of the contest against one of the nation's better offenses. Freshman Kahlil Bell and sophomore Chris Markey each rushed for over 100 yards in Drew's absence. Heck, even the freshmen walk-on kickers were flawless with standout Justin Medlock suspended.

"It’s something they can build off for next season," Cassell said.

The best part of Friday's celebration, however, was its occasion. It was a party for Karl Dorrell, who picked up his first bowl win as a coach. It was a party for the senior class, which finished its career at UCLA on a positive note. And it was a party for the program as a whole, which reached the illustrious 10-win mark.

"We're sending this 2006 team into the future with a good vibe, a good feeling about the program," Olson said. "There are so many things that this win does besides boost our record."

When the Bruins return to Los Angeles, they will have plenty of opportunities to party some more. Forgive them if they're not that enthused about ringing in the New Year though. They may just be worn out from celebrating how great this last one has been.

With reports from Bruin Sports senior staff. E-mail Finley at afinley@media.ucla.edu.