With a 47-22 victory over UCLA on Saturday, No. 2 USC again made
its case for a shot at the national championship in the Sugar Bowl,
while UCLA made its case for a lot of hard work in the
off-season.
For the fifth straight year, the Bruins lost to their crosstown
rival, and for the third consecutive year, it was a blowout. The
Bruins were never in the game, and the loss in front of a sellout
crowd of 93,172 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum highlighted
deficiencies across the board.
“What is happening?” senior defensive end Mat Ball
asked. “The seniors are done, but the coaches and players
(who remain with the program) have got to evaluate
everything.”
What UCLA (6-6, 4-4 Pac-10) saw happening was USC’s
successful implementation of a West Coast offense ““ similar
to the kind the Bruins have struggled with this season ““ and
a smothering defense. USC (10-1, 6-1 Pac-10) had 444 total yards of
offense, and held the Bruins to 11 rushing yards, sacking
quarterback Drew Olson six times.
UCLA did not make huge early-game errors like it had in recent
defeats. Unlike last year’s rivalry game, there was no
game-opening fumble for the Bruins. So, when UCLA was forced to
punt on its first offensive possession it was almost a moral
victory. In fact, UCLA didn’t even give up a kickoff return
for a touchdown until the second half.
Despite the lack of first-half mistakes, the Bruins entered the
locker room trailing 33-2, a score that signified the Bruins’
ineptitude in almost every phase of the game. In the first half,
the Bruins accumulated 50 yards in penalties, and amassed only 36
yards of offense. With UCLA unable to move the ball all season,
offensive impotence was to be expected, but even UCLA’s
vaunted defense was not up to par ““Â allowing touchdown
drives of 81, 80 and 71 yards on the Trojans’ first three
possessions.
Throughout the first half, UCLA was plagued by USC sophomore
wide receiver Mike Williams, who finished with 11 catches for 181
yards and two touchdowns. For most of the half, UCLA chose not to
place 6-foot-3 junior cornerback Matt Ware on Williams, opting for
the zone defense it utilized all season. Junior cornerback Matt
Clark, who stands at 5-foot-9, was no match for Williams, who
caught USC’s first touchdown over Clark’s head on a lob
pass in the end zone.
“It was a nice day’s work,” USC coach Pete
Carroll said. “The offense was hitting on all cylinders and
everything fit right. We got the early lead and then we were just
waiting for the game to be over.”
In the second half, with the game clearly over and Williams
resting on the bench, the Bruins started making mistakes, none more
visible than a special teams collapse that resulted in Reggie
Bush’s 96-yard third- quarter touchdown on a kickoff
return.
In the third quarter USC had only 26 yards of offense and one
first down, but the Trojans still managed 14 points on Bush’s
return and a Olson fumble that was brought back for a touchdown by
Trojan defensive tackle Mike Patterson.
Not to be outdone by Bush, freshman running back Maurice Drew
took the kickoff on the next play 99 yards for a touchdown to start
the fourth quarter. UCLA went for two, and Olson’s pass was
intercepted by Shaun Cody, who looked to equal Clark’s
second-quarter feat of returning a failed extra-point attempt for
two points. However, a hustling Marcedes Lewis caught Cody at the
Bruins’ five yard line, preserving the 47-15 score.
“Our team played hard,” UCLA coach Karl Dorrell
said. “It didn’t necessarily play the best game, but it
kept fighting. We tried to battle with them but we couldn’t
keep up.”
The Bruins got their first touchdown of the game in the final
minute of the third quarter after a Dave Ball sack of backup
freshman quarterback John David Booty caused him to fumble the ball
and break his left wrist. Senior defensive tackle Rodney Leisle
pounced on the loose ball at the USC 17-yard line, setting up an
Olson touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Lewis on the ensuing
play.
Still, a couple of late-game touchdowns did nothing to lessen
UCLA’s feelings of inferiority and aggravation.
“It’s extreme bitterness and frustration.”
Dave Ball said.
The Bruins had 294 yards of offense on the day, and were led by
Olson, who passed for 266 yards. He threw two touchdowns and
completed 21 of 39 attempts, but when he wasn’t flushed out
of the pocket and forced to scramble, he was sacked.
“That is up to me to pick up the blitzes,” sophomore
Olson said. “They are tough blitzes. But I’ll battle
for as long as I’m in there.”
“Battle” was the word of the day for the Bruins;
however, for the players and coaches, it was unfulfilling to have
to resort to a “never give up” mantra in the face of
such a lopsided defeat.
“I just got here, and I just finished my first season as
coach,” Dorrell said. “I don’t understand why we
are where we are. But I know why I am here. We will make a great
deal of effort in the off-season.”