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Craig Bragg breaks a Lobo tackle in a 3rd quarter punt return to put UCLA up 13-6

UCLA needed only to look at the unusual figure on the sideline to realize the significance of their Christmas Day Las Vegas Bowl matchup with the New Mexico Lobos.

More popularly known as the man who waves a bright white towel on the sidelines, Ed Kezirian’s football head coaching career was beginning and ending over the duration of one game.

Indeed, it was a game filled with beginnings and endings.

The ending of their college playing days for the seniors, and just the beginning of the underclassmen’s careers.

The ending of one UCLA era, and the beginning of another.

Even early in the third quarter, with the game tied, 6-6, UCLA wide receiver Craig Bragg received a punt at the UCLA 26. He started forward and was immediately met by three Lobo defenders. It was seemingly just another ending of a play in a game —to that point — was filled with uninspired Bruin plays. Instead, it turned out to be just the beginning of UCLA’s victory march.

“When Coach Toledo recruited me, I remember him sitting in my home, and telling me, ‘Craig, we need a gamebreaker,’” Bragg said. “I may not catch 10 balls a game, but if my team needs a big play, I take it upon myself to do that.”

With a quick spin, Bragg left all three defenders grasping at dirt. Bragg bounced to the outside and found nothing but green pastures. He scored on the 74-yard touchdown return to give UCLA (8-5) a 13-6 lead en route to a 27-13 bowl victory. The play proved to be the momentum turner the Bruins were searching for.

UCLA’s offense struggled, managing only 167 yards in contrast to New Mexico’s 282 total offensive yards. UCLA’s 27 points disguised an anemic offense that was helped greatly by stalwart defensive play and stellar special teams.

“I do wish we scored more points,” senior right tackle Mike Saffer said. “But they blitzed on almost every play, and you never know who is coming. With their crazy defensive scheme, it’d be hard enough for a senior quarterback, let alone two freshmen quarterbacks.”

To compensate, UCLA relied on its defensive play. Lobo running back Dontrell Moore entered the game with 1,117 yards, but could only add 17 yards on 14 carries to that total. Freshman safety Jarrad Page’s interception returned for a touchdown gave the Bruins a 20-6 edge and essentially sealed the game. UCLA’s only other touchdown —when running back Tyler Ebell did his best Mighty Mouse impression on a one-yard plunge to give UCLA a 27-6 lead — came as a result of a fumbled forced by senior cornerback Joe Hunter and the recovery by linebacker Brandon Chillar.

“We wanted to shut down the running game and force them to pass, and we did a good job of that,” senior linebacker Marcus Reese said. “New Mexico has a great defense, but we just wanted to outdo them. In the end, I think we made more plays than they did.”

The Bruins struggled to shake off the rust in the first half. The Lobos scored on a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Desmar Black, albeit the extra point by Katie Hnida — the first woman to ever play in a bowl game — was blocked by Chillar. However, UCLA kept pace on the field and on the scoreboard through the leg of senior Nate Fikse, whose punting and placekicking allowed the Bruins to stay in the game.

“I wanted to go out with a bang, and the only way I could do it was with punting and placekicking,” said Fikse, who converted on field goals from 49 and 39 yards.

It has been just over two weeks since UCLA’s last game, and since then, turmoil and change has swept over the football program. Head coach Bob Toledo was fired, and Kezirian was appointed in his place on an interim basis. Assistant coaches were burdened with insecurity about their futures with the program in addition to preparing and executing the game plan. As such, questions were raised about the team’s focus. The victory, however, dispelled those notions and got the post-Toledo era off in the right direction.

“I’ve always wanted to be the richest man in Las Vegas and, today, I feel like I am,” Kezirian said. “This one is for everybody at UCLA — the fans, the players — but especially for the seniors and assistant coaches. I love UCLA, and while it’s always great to be a UCLA fan, it’s especially great today.”

“I would also like to announce my retirement, effective midnight,” added Kezirian with a laugh. Kezirian will end his head coaching career as the winningest coach in UCLA football history, at 1-0.

For the seniors, the bowl was the last time they donned UCLA uniforms. Unlike in past years, when seasons were marred with late season collapses, the team finished with a bowl victory and did better than preseason expectations, considering the youth of the team. The underclassmen, such as Bragg and Page, credit it to the seniors. The seniors say it’s because they’ve seen it all.

“We’ve seen everything,” senior defensive tackle Steve Morgan said. “We’ve had a run at a national championship. We’ve been through that painful 4-7 season. In past years, guys might have tanked it, but we weren’t going to let that happen. We started the season strong, and we ended on a good note.”

Coming off the two blowout losses to USC and Washington State, the bowl victory erased much of the bitter taste following those two games. A new Bruin era dawned as the sun set on Sam Boyd Stadium.

“Hopefully, we build on this and go on to bigger and better things,” Bragg said. “While we’re excited about what’s come, right now, we’re just going to going to enjoy this victory.”

Saffer, the emotional leader of the team, marched around after the game with the Las Vegas Bowl trophy, howling every few seconds.

“I think we’ve set a great foundation for the future of this program,” Saffer said.

While he won’t be around to see the beginning of the new UCLA era, he will be ending his college football career the way he hoped — with a bowl win.