“There was a coach here, a basketball coach here, Wooden, I think his name was,” Kelly said wryly, referring to John Wooden. Their second late-season surge in as many years has left them on the verge of UCLA’s biggest game since late in the 2015 season. “Coach Kelly has said it before — there’s nothing better than to get the chance to play big-time games in November,” Fernea said, revealing a phrase the coach has never uttered with the media since his arrival at UCLA. Week after week, loss after loss, their sustained effort in practice made their teammates realize they had not given up. “Watching those guys really inspires everybody, even the young guys, to be ready,” said Jason Harris, a graduate transfer linebacker.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 16, 2019 00:56 UTC