MIKE CHIEN UCLA defensive coordinator Phil
Snow signals during a game against Oregon.
By Hannah Gordon
Daily Bruin Reporter
First year coordinators Phil Snow and Norm Chow may not be
familiar with the history of the USC-UCLA rivalry. But UCLA’s
defensive coordinator and USC’s offensive coordinator have a
history all their own.
“(Chow’s) brother was my car insurance salesman 20
years ago so I’ve known him a long time,” said Snow,
referring to the years he coached at Boise State and Chow was at
BYU.
Their paths will cross again this weekend when each tries to
out-scheme the other in the Crosstown Battle.
Arriving in Southern California this season, both were subject
to great anticipation thanks to their success on their respective
sides of the ball.
Chow was hailed as an offensive guru as the former coach of NFL
quarterbacks Steve Young and Jim McMahon during his 27-year tenure
at BYU. Having coached six of the top 12 career passing efficiency
leaders in the NCAA, USC hoped he could develop Carson Palmer into
a consistent force.
UCLA had similarly high expectations of Snow, who coached
Arizona State defenses that ranked in the top three in the Pac-10
in three of the last five seasons. Snow came on board a Bruin unit
that, in contrast, ranked ninth in the Pac-10 in 2000, allowing
31.5 points a game. Snow’s impact was immediately felt by the
Bruins who now rank first in scoring defense giving up 17.3 points
a game and in total defense allowing 315.7 yards a game.
Chow’s influence was slower to appear as his team went 0-3
in conference play, but now that they are riding a three-game
winning streak, things seem to have turned around. Perhaps more
importantly, Palmer has improved from a 54.9 completion percentage
to 58.5, the best in the Pac-10. Still the Trojan offense ranks
last in yards per game and seventh in passing yardage.
 USC Sports Information Norm Chow is in
his first season as USC’s offensive coordinator. “(Chow)
struggled a bit early in his season but it appears to me they are
starting to gel now,” Snow said. “Norm is really
innovative and very good at what he does.”
The respect is mutual.
“He’s terrific,” Chow said of Snow.
“UCLA is probably as good a defense as we’ve seen all
year. They are big, strong, sturdy and well-coached.”
When the battle of the gurus begins Saturday, it will not be the
first time they have faced each other. In Snow’s years at
ASU, he coached against Chow four times.
The two have split their confrontations.
“Coach Snow wouldn’t mind getting one up on
him,” cornerbacks coach R. Todd Littlejohn said.
The familiarity may be an advantage.
“We know what (Chow’s) done in the past because
I’ve coached against him,” Snow said.
Chow is known for creative and “pass-happy”
offenses, but he also emphasizes ball control and time of
possession. Chow faced a challenge in preparing for a defense that
held Washington State ““ which averages 37.3 points per game
““ to 20 points and Oregon ““ which averages 35.7 points
““ to 21.
As for how the Trojans will prepare, Chow simply said as best
they can. He knows the UCLA defense is not impenetrable, given that
it allowed 39 points at Stanford. But Stanford was running with two
excellent tailbacks while USC has lost both of theirs since
Malaefou MacKenzie left for personal reasons and Sultan McCullough
is out with a strained abdominal muscle.
“If we don’t run ““ if we become
one-dimensional ““ we don’t have a chance,” Chow
said.
Yet one-dimensional is exactly what UCLA hopes to make USC.
“If we stop their running game and put the game in Carson
Palmer’s hands, I think we have a good chance of dominating
them on offense,” senior free safety Marques Anderson
said.
Ranked second in the Pac-10 in rushing defense, the Bruins
should be capable of that.
“I think Palmer doesn’t work well under
pressure,” Anderson added. “If we put pressure on him
with our front seven then he’s going to throw some balls that
are opportune for picking.”
When the offensive and defensive masterminds face off this
weekend it will be with the same respect but different emotion than
their last meetings.
“The other one was just a game, Snow said. “This is
not just a game. It’s different.”
Let the battle of the gurus begin.