By Adam Karon Daily Bruin Reporter
Forget the Bowl Games, and ignore the Trojans’ 1-6
conference record. Neither the future nor the past have any
significant meaning when UCLA takes on USC.
Saturday marks the 70th meeting between the two schools. USC
holds a 35-27-7 lead in the series, but UCLA has a 7-2 record when
the game is played in the Rose Bowl, including four straight
wins.
Players young and old know the significance of the battle for
the City of Angels.
“I remember watching all the seniors give their speeches
at Friday’s meeting each year,” senior receiver Drew
Bennett said. “Now I have no idea what I’m going to
say. There’s just so much emotion involved in this game.
I’d love to go out beating USC.”
At Tuesday’s practice there was no talk of Hawaii or the
Sun Bowl or even last week’s game against Washington. All
attention was turned toward what you could call the most important
meaningless game all year.
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“This is prime time,” receiver Freddie Mitchell
said. “This game decides who gets to keep their heads up in
the city and who has to put them down.”
This past year, the Trojans have held their heads high, perhaps
consoling their 1-6 conference record with the fact that they beat
the Bruins 17-7 a year ago.
“Last year we broke the streak and it was obviously a
great moment for USC football,” USC head coach Paul Hackett
said on Tuesday. “2000 is a whole new year and none of us
anticipated being in the position we are now.”
The position the Trojans are in is a dire one indeed, and as the
shirts sold on Bruin walk will tell you, “Revenge is
Bruin.”
“I’m just thankful to be able to play this
game,” Cory Paus said. “There’s a lot of payback
for that loss last year.”
Paus had to sit out the last contest between the two schools
after breaking his collarbone against Washington a week earlier.
This time the redshirt sophomore should be ready, having six
straight starts under his belt. In those starts Paus averaged just
under 300 yards per game en route to throwing 14 touchdown passes
and nine interceptions.
His counterpart, sophomore Carson Palmer, has been more stable
physically but has struggled all year to find his rhythm. On the
season, Palmer has thrown just 10 touchdown passes compared to 16
interceptions. He was replaced in the Trojans’ last game by
backup Mike Van Raaphorst.
The Trojans as a team have failed to live up to expectations
that had many believing they were one of the top three teams in the
conference.
“They’ve had some tough losses this year,”
Paus said. “But then again, so have we.”
USC started the Pac-10 season with five straight losses before
finally beating Arizona State two weeks ago. Last week they lost to
Washington State in a battle of last place teams.
The Trojans can take solace in the fact that they do better
against the Bruins when entering the game with a losing record. USC
is 5-4-1 in such contests, with last year’s victory included
in the record.
“It’s amazing what a great inter-city rivalry it
is,” UCLA head coach Bob Toledo said on Monday.
“It’s the city of Los Angeles and the city
championship.”
Saturday’s game was sold out weeks ago, which is amazing
considering the contest has no bearing on final standings.
The game also marks the first time during conference play that
most of the UCLA team will be able to compete together. Aside from
Kenyon Coleman and Ryan McCann, all Bruins who have been injured
will play Saturday.
“I’m playing,” injured linebacker Robert
Thomas said. “I’ve got to play. It’s ‘SC
week. nobody’s hurt during ‘SC week.”
The week’s festivities in Westwood included the sale of
T-shirts, the smashing of a car, and the burning of a Trojan
effigy.
This is one game that fans from both schools take very
seriously.
“There is no way I would miss this game,” UCLA
sophomore Justin Stone said. “I have friends at USC, and I
can’t wait to rub it in their faces when we beat them like a
wet noodle.”
In the recent past, the rivalry has remained somewhat clean,
though both Tommy Trojan and the Bruin Bear are covered all week to
prevent vandalism. Even the mascots are getting into the act with
Joe and Josie Bruin dressing up as Super Bruins to inspire the
student body.
Saturday’s game will break the Rose Bowl record for season
attendance with a six-game total of about 480,000. Whether wearing
blue or red, the fans will be crazy. Those involved know the energy
that comes with the battle for Los Angeles. As Hackett said,
“The one thing that we all know is that if you are not fired
up to play in this game, then there’s something really wrong
with you.”