For Rick Neuheisel and the UCLA Bruins, the game on Thursday night against the Arizona Wildcats may not seem like one with huge implications, but it truly is.
As T.J. Simmers of the Los Angeles Times explains, it's do or die time for both Neuheisel and UCLA football:
He lost a game he should have won in Houston to start the "Rick must go" campaign. But he's come back to win the games he had to win or get fired on the spot: San Jose State, Oregon State and Washington State.
Thursday night's game in Arizona is now the swing game. If the Bruins win, they still have a shot at seven wins; if they lose, they have no margin of error when it comes to winning six.
UCLA will enter the game as underdogs, believe it or not, and this may be a great motivating tactic for Neuheisel and his team as they prepare for the Pac-12 showdown. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday.
Arizona is a team playing their first game since firing Mike Stoops and emotions will be riding high in Tucson as the team attempts to save its season.
If the Bruins are unable to knock off the 1-5 Wildcats, it may be the end of their season, at least in a figurative sense. As for Neuheisel, he may get the Stoops treatment himself and not last more than a few days before losing his job. That will certainly serve as motivation for the head coach.
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