Four seasons, and still that one game stands out.
I’ve attended or covered nearly all of the UCLA home football games since my freshman year in 2006. During my junior year I reported most of the road games. Through it all, I’ve never seen anything like Dec. 2, 2006, when UCLA beat USC 13-9.
And I’ve seen a lot.
I spoke to Karl Dorrell days before his firing. I sat with quarterback Kevin Craft in the locker room after a 59-0 loss at Brigham Young. I was standing in the end zone when Cory Harkey caught the game-winner last year against Stanford, and I was at the Rose Bowl on Saturday after the big win over Arizona State.
But still, nothing compares to my memory of 13-9. Nothing compares to the excitement of that afternoon, and the stunned jubilation that overtook the student section.
Now I’m asking myself, is there a chance it will happen again?
The rivalry matters so much to me because of the electricity of that afternoon in 2006. I still have the ticket stub in my wallet, and I still turn to the YouTube clips of the game when I need a reminder of how thrilling UCLA football can be.
I hope all UCLA fans have savored something like that epic afternoon. I’m sure USC fans have. That electric feeling is what makes rivalries so great. Without it, this would be just another game.
Instead, the game takes over this city. It’s a celebration of college football, and a week of intense speculation.
This time, it’s the Bruins who enter with momentum and swagger.
UCLA has won three straight games ““ albeit against the weakest Pac-10 teams.
USC has stumbled badly for the first time this decade. It couldn’t hang with Oregon, and it was embarrassed by Stanford in its homecoming game.
Rahim Moore seems confident enough ““ the sophomore safety announced at the end of the Arizona State game that the Bruins would beat USC. That’s not the kind of thing UCLA fans typically hear the week before the USC game.
But still, there’s a lot going against the Bruins.
UCLA has not won in the Coliseum since 1997, when most of the Bruin freshmen were six years old. And this time, USC has had an entire bye week to prepare for the big game. It’s an especially important game for the Trojans, who are trying to stop the bleeding and reassert themselves as a powerful team.
Plus, the UCLA offense still hasn’t delivered a consistent performance against a top-notch defense.
Sure, the Bruin offense torched Washington State, but it couldn’t muster any touchdowns against the Sun Devils on Saturday. They aren’t explosive, and they tend to play very conservatively against solid defenses.
But I think the Bruins have a chance.
UCLA’s defense is not the best in the Pac-10, but I think it has the potential to play lights-out Saturday. I think they can rattle USC freshman quarterback Matt Barkley, and I think cornerback Alterraun Verner can contain Trojan playmaker Damian Williams.
I won’t predict a UCLA victory. A college newspaper columnist would be silly to throw out a prognostication about this type of matchup, with so much emotion and grit on each side of the ball.
All I’m saying is that I think there’s a chance for magic on Saturday.
I think there’s a real possibility that coach Rick Neuheisel will capture his signature victory, quarterback Kevin Prince will emerge as a top college quarterback, and Bruin fans everywhere will remember just how great it feels to beat USC.
After all, I’ve seen crazier things happen.
E-mail Allen at sallen@media.ucla.edu.