The question that had faced UCLA all week confronted it again Saturday with the Bruins seeking one final stop in their season opener: What would Noel do?
Noel Mazzone, the former Bruins offensive coordinator who had departed earlier this year for Texas A&M, needed his new team to go one yard on fourth down to beat his old one.
UCLA’s defenders played the probabilities in their heads … after quarterback Trevor Knight ran untouched to his left for the touchdown that gave the Aggies a 31-24 overtime victory at Kyle Field, wiping out the feel-good vibes generated by the 16th-ranked Bruins’ frantic fourth-quarter comeback.