Sometimes, you need luck.
A pass meant to be thrown away falls into a receiver’s hands for a touchdown. Another pass, underthrown, slips through a defensive back’s hands and into those of its intended target for a score.
Sometimes, you need to be the smarter team.
A faked spike freezes the defense, buying the extra millisecond the receiver needs to get separation and make the catch.
UCLA needed all of it Sunday night at the Rose Bowl — luck, smarts and a heaping dose of resolve leading to the biggest comeback in school history for a 45-44 victory over Texas A&M in an unforgettable season opener that gave those who had lingered from a crowd of 64,635 something to stick around for besides the postgame fireworks show.