<p>SAN FRANCISCO ? It was a lackluster epilogue. <br/>UCLA?s upset over arch nemesis USC, which seemed to carry the emotional weight only found in mythology, was bound to be followed up by a bowl game that was forgettable in comparison. <br/>And it was. <br/>UCLA?s 44-27 loss to Florida State in the Emerald Bowl on Wednesday night reflected a season of uneven play and squandered chances for the Bruin players and coaches, but the loss also provides a charmed season with an eminently mediocre conclusion. <br/>The euphoric state of the Bruin football program was brought back to earth by a Seminole team at AT&T Park, and now the offseason hopes for progress become the mantra. <br/>?We came in here prepared to play, but we just didn?t finish,? running back Chris Markey said. ?It?s a bad way to finish the season, coming off the (USC) win, but we knew we had to keep the momentum rolling. <br/>?The season has been up and down, and it came back to bite us in the butt.? <br/>The Bruins (7-6, 5-4 Pac-10) quieted any talks of a USC hangover in the first quarter with an offensive spark that was missing for most of the year. Quarterback Pat Cowan found a streaking Brandon Breazell down the middle of the field for a 78-yard touchdown pass that tied the game at 7. With the momentum firmly in hand, the Bruins were able to win the battle at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. <br/>Thanks in large part to comfortable running lanes opened up by the offensive line, Markey ran for over 100 yards in the first half alone. He finished with 148 yards on 19 carries. <br/>Cowan?s second touchdown of the game, a 7-yard pass to wide receiver Junior Taylor in the back of the end zone, and a 19-yard field goal by Justin Medlock gave the Bruins a 20-13 lead going into halftime. <br/>?Their defense was not as tough as we expected it to be,? junior guard Shannon Tevaga said. ?We had no problem executing on offense. If that?s what it?s like to play in the ACC, then we?d be fine. <br/>?But we just made stupid mistakes in the second half.? <br/>The Bruins were hindered by several mental miscues. They were nursing a 20-16 lead with nine minutes left in the third quarter when a successful fourth-down conversion was negated by an illegal motion penalty. On the following play, a missed blocking assignment resulted in Aaron Perez?s punt being blocked and returned for a touchdown. <br/>The Bruins would regain the lead after freshman running back Chane Moline bounced off tacklers into the end zone on an 8-yard run. But the Bruin defense, which had been so dominant in its 13-9 win over the Trojans on Dec. 3, was unable to contain a Seminoles offense that had been held to 20 points or less in six games this season. <br/>Running back Lorenzo Booker was the engine of the Seminole offense, amassing 238 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. <br/>Quarterback Drew Weatherford gashed the Bruin secondary for 325 yards. <br/>?We just didn?t make enough plays on defense,? junior Chris Horton said. ?We had one interception, but no other turnovers and we gave up too many big plays.? <br/>Cowan was leading his team deep into Seminole territory with just over five minutes left when he was intercepted by Tony Carter, whose 86-yard touchdown return made it 44-27 and sealed the Bruins? fate. <br/>The UCLA locker room following the game was filled with a sense of mild frustration. Players acknowledged that their win over USC provides them with enough confidence and momentum heading into the offseason. At the same time, it is obvious that inconsistency is something that will have to be corrected. <br/>The Bruins return 20 starters for next year?s club, and there were several voices that spoke of potential for next year. <br/>?These are the kind of games that we need to learn how to close out,? Markey said. ?And they have to get solved before next year.? <br/>But not everybody was able to gaze into forecasts of next year. <br/>After the game, Taylor sat at his locker in full pads while his teammates were changing. His eyes were wet and red and teammates came up to him one by one to hug him. Taylor ended his UCLA career with a loss, but that?s not what made him melancholy. <br/>?It?s sad that it?s all over,? he said. ?But I had so many great memories with teammates, coaches and fans that I won?t let this game outweigh those memories.? <br/>Senior defensive end Justin Hickman enjoyed breakthrough success this season, but he said that to finish his career with a loss does take some of the shine off his year. <br/>?I?ve had some personal accolades come my way, and the win over ?SC was unlike anything I?d ever experienced before, but it?s too bad to end it like this,? he said.</p><br><br><a href='; target='_blank'>;