The loss of a loved one is never easy to cope with, no matter the relation. The UCLA Bruins lost a beloved member of their family on Sunday, September 8th. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Nick Pasquale was fatally struck by a car while he was walking in a residential neighborhood. In honor of the fallen teammate, UCLA football players wore a No.36 patch on all their jerseys. The Bruins, led into battle by Brett Hundley, played a game that will never be forgotten.
UCLA had an early match up on the road against Nebraska less than a week after the passing of a teammate. Emotionally and mentally, the team should have been shattered. Initially, they were. The Bruins looked abysmal for most of the first half, letting Taylor Martinez throw three touchdowns while producing little offensive success of their own, but there was still plenty of football to be played. Brett Hundley drove the Bruins downfield at the end of the second half with a Houdini act in the pocket that led to a first down run followed by a beautiful placed strike down the right sideline. Two plays later, Paul Perkins pounded it in for a touchdown and UCLA had suddenly awoken.
The drive had sparked a fire within the UCLA squad, both on offense and on defense. Brett Hundley had a newfound confidence that he had not had earlier in the game. With the Bruins next four possessions, he marched them down the field for touchdowns as he delivered well placed throws, backed by the strong support of his running backs. Following the third touchdown of the streak, a twelve yard pass to Phillip Ruhl, Hundley payed tribute to his fallen brother. He pulled out a towel with Pasquale’s number and waved it almost like a victory flag.
All the while, the Bruins defense had been stopping the Cornhuskers in their tracks and did not allow anymore points after the half. They too had a newfounded fire within them, a desire to win. Pass rushers became fiercer, linebackers grew relentless, and defensive backs refused to allow Martinez to complete passes. It was a new UCLA team, a team that knew they could not let their former teammate down.
By the time it was all said and done, Hundley and the Bruins stood tall with a 41-21 victory over the Cornhuskers. Despite starting the game on the wrong foot, being on the road in a deafening BIG 10 stadium, and having to cope with the tragic loss of a teammate, the Bruins battled on in honor of Pasquale’s memory and certainly made him proud. Pasquale will forever live on in the hearts of the Bruin family and he will never be forgotten.
(Brett Hundley vs Nebraska: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWFM7t_1SUs — Courtesy of Nick Page)
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