There’s a lot of buzz surrounding UCLA’s football
team these days, what with its undefeated record and all.
A buddy of mine first told me Drew Olson was the second coming
of Cade McNown, then Troy Aikman, and I’m still waiting to
see if he goes all the way back to 1967 Heisman Trophy winner Gary
Beban. Meanwhile, fourth-year Jonathan Mihara e-mailed to say how
much Olson’s final touchdown pass to Marcus Everett this past
Saturday resembled Joe Montana’s famous one to Dwight Clark
in the 1981 NFC Championship game.
Indeed, there are plenty of similarities being tossed around
with respect to these Bruins, but I can’t help but think the
closest of all comparisons is right across town. You see, both UCLA
and USC are unbeaten and have scored three recent come-from-behind
victories, none more dramatic than the pair of thrillers they each
pulled out last Saturday.
On Tuesday, I asked coach Karl Dorrell whether his team has been
watching the Trojans and then following suit.
“We were in the Pullman locker room not knowing anything
about was going on in college football last week,” Dorrell
said, as though he was offering a not-guilty plea. “I know
their game came on exactly when we left the hotel. We were trying
to ask people if they knew anything about any of the scores in
college football.”
Someone must have clued Dorrell in about Matt Leinart’s
game-winning touchdown for the Trojans, because coincidences just
can’t explain UCLA winning a couple hours later with a
similar fracas at the goal line. Nevertheless, the Bruins have done
a good job dismissing suggestions of their copycat act.
“I didn’t really know that,” senior weak side
tackle Ed Blanton said regarding the Trojans’ comeback
victories. “I don’t really care about them right
now.”
Given his cavalier attitude toward something so identical,
I’m assuming Blanton doesn’t have a twin. If he does,
that brother of his is probably playing right tackle at USC under
some pseudonym.
In any case, perhaps it’s unfair to call the Bruins
copycats just because they’ve been playing later in the day
than the Trojans. That kind of scheduling is appropriate for a
shadow figure, but this year, the Bruins aren’t hiding behind
anyone. If anything, they’re stealing some of USC’s
national spotlight. More power to them that they’ve done so
by borrowing the same manual for stylish victories.
The end result is two programs that look remarkably similar at
this point in the season. In fact, they couldn’t look any
more alike unless their jerseys were cross-bred so that each
uniform sported a frightening mixture of ketchup red and powder
blue. This color combination aside, I figured the comparison would
be a compliment to the Bruins, considering the Trojans are the
top-ranked team in the nation and own a six-game win streak in the
rivalry series. To some players though, likening their team to the
one across town was akin to equating accounting and art
history.
“I don’t like to compare myself to them,”
senior center Mike McCloskey said. “They’re doing their
thing, and we’re doing ours.”
It seems to me though, that both programs are doing the same
thing, and this goes beyond the record and dramatic style of
victories thus far. Each school boasts a tailback who is a threat
from any position on the field. Each has defensive liabilities that
have been exposed in recent weeks. And each absolutely hates being
linked to the other.
“I don’t like comparing too much,” senior
linebacker Justin London said. “We’re trying to finish
up this season, and let other people do the comparisons.”
However, deep down, I think London and other Bruins were a
little flattered by my comparison. After all, everyone likes a view
from the top.
E-mail Finley at afinley@media.ucla.edu if you watched the
Notre Dame game last week and thought it was Drew Olson scoring on
a quarterback sneak.