UCLA’s visit to Arizona on Oct. 20 was a complete disaster for the Bruins. The 48-12 blowout defeat to a team that had lost 10 consecutive games to FBS teams and had just fired its coach had no redeeming value for the program and its embattled coach, Rick Neuheisel. ESPN’s typically measured Rece Davis, who was doing play-by-play, opined: “Somebody in a gold helmet has to show some pride.” He was right. The Bruins looked like they were tanking it. That they didn’t care. And that almost certainly would earn Neuheisel a boot out of Westwood. But there’s often a disconnect between easy fan and media judgments and the reality of a locker room. UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince called the loss at Arizona “devastating,” but he firmly rejected the notion of the Bruins mailing it in because they no longer cared about Neuheisel’s fate. “We definitely like Coach Neuheisel and want him to stay. There’s no question about that,” Prince said. “There was nothing like us going into the Arizona game and saying, ‘Hey, let’s tank this so Neuheisel doesn’t keep his job.’ That’s absurd. I know that fans probably think that. The Arizona game? Sometimes things just happen. Fans will make up conspiracy theories, but at the end of day we want to win games and we don’t want any changes here. We like the coaches we have.” That, of course, could just be good-soldier speak. After all, Prince isn’t the sort to trash talk his coach, or even provide a non-answer that allows folks to read between the lines. It strains credulity to believe that Bruins are in lockstep in support of their coach and his staff, which features two new coordinators this season. But then a 31-14 win at California happened, the first time this season the Bruins played well in all three phases. Further, the Bruins’ season could be transformed — and Neuheisel resurrected — if they beat No. 19 Arizona State on Saturday. Not only would a victory improve their record to 5-4 overall — just one win away from bowl eligibility — it would give the Bruins control of the Pac-12’s South Division. UCLA and Arizona State would be tied atop the division at 4-2 in conference play (USC isn’t eligible due to NCAA sanctions), but the Bruins would own the tiebreaker due to head-to-head victory.Rick Neuheisel badly needs a win when the Bruins take on No. 19 Arizona State Saturday. Which would mean that the Bruins actually control their Rose Bowl destiny. They are a six-game winning streak away from being the Rose Bowl champs. Ridiculous? Perhaps. But Neuheisel could tell you about a team that started 0-3-1 in 1984 and won the Rose Bowl. So this isn’t the most ridiculous scenario ever. One of them. But not the most. Things already are pretty odd. Who thought after Prince started 3-of-7 with three interceptions against Texas and got benched that we’d ever hear him receiving justified praise again as the Bruins’ quarterback? Prince has thrown just one more interception since his ill-fated afternoon against the Longhorns. He was the difference-maker against Cal, rushing for a career-high 163 yards on 19 carries,  just as he was while leading a comeback victory over Washington State after Richard Brehaut was lost for the season with a broken leg. His career, which includes 20 starts, has been star-crossed, riddled with injuries and inconsistency.  And yet here is. Again. “No. 1, he hasn’t given up on himself,” Neuheisel siad. ”He believes he’s got what it takes, and we do, too. No. 2, he’s healthy. It’s not been that way for most of his career. And I was really pleased that he ran as physically as he ran the other night

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Prince, Neuheisel fight on (in a good way)