Friday, November 20, 1998
Bruins ready to send Trojans down into flames
PREVIEW: Two wins from Fiesta Bowl, UCLA fired up for meeting
with perennial foe USC
By Vytas Mazeika
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Saturday’s showdown against USC could be the toughest, most
emotionally draining and exciting game UCLA plays all season.
The reason for the hype against the Trojans is not because the
Bruins are ranked second in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS).
It’s not because UCLA is undefeated at 9-0 and only two wins away
from a national championship Fiesta Bowl appearance.
The hype comes from the fact that in this crosstown rivalry,
anything and everything can happen.
"Of course (it’s a big game)," UCLA senior guard Andy Meyers
said. "It’s the ‘SC game. You know, our rival. ‘SC probably is the
toughest team we’re going to play all year."
The game is also important for the personal pride of the UCLA
and USC players – many of which have known each other since their
high school days.
"You respect your crosstown rival, and you want to do well
against them," senior center Shawn Stuart said. "You know that your
whole existence for the year depends on who wins this game."
Bragging rights for a whole year depend on this game since the
winner can claim possession of the City Championship. A year gone
wrong can be made right with a win against the despised enemy.
But the Trojans haven’t had much to brag about lately, since
they’ve lost the last seven games of this 65-year series.
"I think (the seven-game win streak) gives us a mental edge,"
junior cornerback Ryan Roques said. "There is no question in my
mind that we can beat this team because we have done it before. But
we’ve done it through hard work and not taking the game for
granted."
Since neither team can afford to lose the City Championship and
risk the backlash from fans, both teams will throw everything and
anything they have at their opponent – including some of those much
reported UCLA trick plays.
"We’ll have a few deals, but we always do," offensive
coordinator Al Borges said. "I’m sure they will have some. (The
Trojans) have two weeks to prepare, and we’re going in with the
philosophy to expect the unexpected."
The Bruin seniors don’t want to be looked upon as the team that
ended the longest winning streak in UCLA vs. USC history.
Some players, like senior quarterback Cade McNown, also don’t
want USC to make any excuses about how this game isn’t important –
like the Trojans did in 1995 after they lost to UCLA but still
advanced to the Rose Bowl.
"They dismiss a lot of (the UCLA) wins because they end up doing
better throughout the year," McNown said. "This year is different.
They have a lot of motivation because they can’t do better than
we’ve done. We’re undefeated; they’ve lost a couple of games.
They’re not going to the Rose Bowl; we are. So now they can’t say
if they lose, ‘Well, we did this’ and kind of take solace in
that.
"So I expect them to play probably one of the best games they’ve
played this year because of that situation."
Bad blood emanates from this game, and the fact that first year
USC head coach Paul Hackett made comments about how Oregon, not
UCLA, is the best team in the Pac-10 only adds fuel to the
fire.
Since then, however, Hackett has tried to smooth out the
controversy stemming from his statement.
"UCLA is peaking right now for the last run at the national
championship," Hackett said. "They could be the best team in the
country."
And what if the Bruins don’t happen to be the best team in the
country? Then the 90,000 fans in attendance on Saturday will not be
shocked by a Trojan victory. After all, it is the UCLA vs. USC
game.
* * *
The winner of Saturday’s UCLA vs. USC game will not only take
home the Liberty Bell for one year, but will also receive the first
Jim Murray Trophy.
Murray was a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Los
Angeles Times who died Aug. 16 of this year.
In addition to the trophy, the Times will provide a $1,000 grant
to either the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the UCLA School of
Medicine or the Doheny Eye Institute, affiliated with USC. Murray
briefly lost his eyesight because of a detached retina.
Comments, feedback, problems?
© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]