PASADENA, Calif. -- The Rose Bowl stands are filled with blue. No one is sitting down. UCLA players are jumping to the beat of the music on the sideline. The student section is packed, coursing with energy, ready to erupt. The game against Maryland is hanging in the balance, tied at 17 with 40 seconds left. A winning streak is on the line.
The scene is in itself a victory -- a rare sight that would have felt impossible just a few weeks ago, when the bleachers at the historic venue had emptied with ease, when the chants that echoed belonged to the opposing team, the scoreboard spelled ridicule and the future at UCLA appeared dire.