UCLA Week 2008 - Thursday
Some comparisons between USC and UCLA:
Signature Victories: USC's top 10 wins over the Bruins. UCLA's top 10 wins over the Trojans.
Weekly Releases: USC's. UCLA's.
Webcams: USC has Tommy Trojan on a webcam. UCLA has Royce Hall on a webcam. UCLA also has a countdown to kickoff on their website.
Offenses: USC ranks No. 12 nationally in pass efficiency (159.83)
USC ranks No. 13 nationally in scoring offense (38.36 ppg)
USC ranks No. 16 nationally in total offense (450.82 ypg)
UCLA's Team Rushing Offense ranks 116th in NCAA, 10th in Pac-10 (86.00)
UCLA's Passing Offense ranks 64th in NCAA, 5th in Pac-10 (208.73)
UCLA's Total Offense ranks ranks 110th in NCAA, 8th in Pac-10 (294.73)
UCLA's Scoring Offense ranks 107th in NCAA, 8th in Pac-10 (18.64)
UCLA's Third Down Conversion Offense ranks 7th in Pac-10 (36.9%)
UCLA's Red Zone Offense ranks T-6th in Pac-10 (82.5%)
UCLA's Sacks Allowed ranks 9th in Pac-10 (3.18)
UCLA's Fumbles Lost: T-3rd in Pac-10 (8)
Defenses: USC ranks No. 1 nationally in scoring defense (7.82 ppg)
USC ranks No. 1 nationally in total defense (210.55 ypg)
USC ranks No. 1 nationally in pass defense (124 ypg)
USC ranks No. 6 nationally in rush defense (86.55 ypg)
USC ranks No. 1 nationally in pass efficiency defense (81.76)
USC ranks No. 3 nationally in tackles for a loss (8.27 per game)
UCLA's Rushing Defense ranks 86th in NCAA, 8th in Pac-10 (166.18)
UCLA's Pass Defense ranks 2nd in NCAA, 2nd in Pac-10 (158.45)
UCLA's Total Defense ranks 35th in NCAA, 4th in Pac-10 (324.64)
UCLA's Scoring Defense ranks 81st in NCAA, 8th in Pac-10 (29.09)
UCLA's Third Down Conversion Defense ranks 5th in Pac-10 (35.7%)
UCLA's Red Zone Defense ranks 4th in Pac-10 (82.5%)
UCLA's Turnover Margin ranks 8th in Pac-10 (-1.00)
UCLA's Sacks ranks 7th in Pac-10 (1.91)
Special Teams: USC ranks No. 1 nationally in kickoff returns (28.11 per attempt)
USC ranks No. 103 in net punting (32.41 ypa)
USC ranks No. 72 in punt returns (8.17 ypa)
UCLA's Kickoff Returns ranks 16th in NCAA, 2nd in Pac-10 (24.10)
UCLA's Punt Returns ranks 35th in NCAA, 5th in Pac-10 (10.89)
Team Stats: Here are the Trojans' team stats for 2008. Here are UCLA's.
National Finalists: USC linebackers Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga are among the dozen finalists for the Butkus Award (top linebacker). USC safety Taylor Mays was named as one of three finalists for the Thorpe Award (top defensive back). USC linebacker Rey Maualuga was named as one of three finalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award (top defensive player), one of the five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (top defensive player), and one of four finalists for the Lombardi Award (best lineman). QB Mark Sanchez was a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award (top player) and the Davey O’Brien Award (top quarterback),and is also one of ten finalists for the Manning Award (top quarterback). OG-C Jeff Byers is a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award (top senior student-athlete).
All-Americans: Since 2000, USC has had more players selected to the All-American teams than any other Pac-10 school. UCLA is a distant second. This season, USC LB Rey Maualuga was named to the AFCA All-American team. He is USC’s 152nd selection. UCLA had no players selected.
All-Pac 10 Selections: For UCLA, DT Brigham Harwell, CB Alterraun Verner, PK Kai Forbath, P Aaron Perez and returner Terrence Austin were named to the first-team by Phil Steele's College Football Annuals; LB Reggie Carter and DE Korey Bosworth made the second team; and DT Brian Price and Austin, as WR, were named to the third team. At USC, nine Trojans made Phil Steele’s 2008 All-Pac-10 teams, including four on the first team: Quarterback Mark Sanchez, offensive guard Jeff Byers, linebacker Rey Maualuga, safety Taylor Mays, three on the second team: Wideout Damian Williams, defensive lineman Fili Moala, linebacker Brian Cushing, and two on the third team: Center Kris O’Dowd, defensive end Clay Matthews.
All-Academics: The Pac-10 All-Academic teams have been announced. For USC, QB Mark Sanchez and DL Clay Matthews made the first team; QB Garrett Green made the second team, and OG Jeff Byers, FB Adam Goodman and NT Christian Tupou earned honorable mentions. For UCLA, DB Alterraun Verner and P Aaron Perez made the first team; RB Trevor Theriot made the second team; and OG Nick Ekbatani, FL Gavin Ketchum, TE Ryan Moya, TE Logan Paulsen and K Jimmy Rotstein earned honorable mentions.
Sibling Rivalries: UCLA has two sets of brothers on the team: Kyle and Korey Bosworth and Chase and Chane Moline. However, UCLA TE Jeff Miller's brother, Jimmy Miller, played TE for USC. USC LB Kaluka Maiava’s brother is UCLA OL Kai Maiava. USC LB Michael Morgan’s brother, Steve Morgan, was a defensive tackle at UCLA from 1999 to 2002,
Connections: Bruin offensive coordinator/ QB coach Norm Chow was on the USC staff (2001-04). Running backs coach Wayne Moses served as an assistant coach at USC in the 2001 season. Offensive line coach Bob Palcic was an assistant at USC in 1992. Bruin head football coach Rick Neuheisel earned his law school degree at USC in 1990. Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker was on the USC staff as associate head coach in 2001. UCLA All-America linebacker Ken Norton (1984-87) is on USC’s football coaching staff. Wendell Tyler, fifth on UCLA’s career rushing list, is the father of USC tailback Marc Tyler.
Fight Songs - UCLA:
"Sons of Westwood" (played after a good play)
We are Sons of Westwood
And we hail to Blue and Gold
True to thee our hearts will be
Our love will not grow old,
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
Bruins roam the hills of Westwood
By the blue Pacific shores
And if we chance to see
A man from USC
Every Bruin starts to roar.
U...C...L...A...
UCLA, fight, fight, fight!
"Mighty Bruins" (played after a score)
We are the mighty Bruins
The best team in the west!
We're fighting on to victory
To conquer all the rest.
We are the mighty Bruins,
Triumphant ever more,
And you can hear
From far and near
The mighty Bruins roar!
Fight Songs - USC:
"FIGHT ON!" (after first downs and touchdowns)
Fight On for ol’ SC
Our men Fight On to victory.
Our Alma Mater dear,
looks up to you
Fight On and win
For ol’ SC
Fight On to victory
Fight On!
During World War II, an American task force attacked an island held by the Japanese and blasted "Fight On" from the deck of one of the transports to improve moral.
"ALL HAIL"
All hail to Alma Mater,
To thy glory we sing;
All hail to Southern California,
Loud let thy praises ring;
Where Western sky meets Western sea
Our college stands in majesty.
Sing our love to Alma Mater,
Hail, all hail to thee.
TRIBUTE TO TROY: this stanza of pounding drums and blaring horns is played when the band takes the field and again after every defensive stop.
CONQUEST: This battle cry, from Alfred Newman's score to the 1947 film "Captain from Castile," has been played after every USC score and victory since the Trojans adopted it in 1950.
FANFARE: This introduction to Tribute To Troy is played when the band takes the field.
OTHERS: 'All Right Now' is played after USC gets a turnover. 'Another One Bites the Dust' is played after USC gets a sack. The 'William Tell Overture' is played at the start of the fourth quarter. "The Emperor's Theme" from Star Wars is played when USC is flagged for a major penalty.
TUSK: If you don't go to USC, and never have, you might think that the lyrics to Fleetwood Mac's hit song "Tusk" go like this:
Why don't you ask him if he's going to stay?
Why don't you ask him if he's going away?
Why don't you tell me what's going on?
Why don't you tell me who's on the phone?
Why don't you ask him what's going on?
Why don't you ask him who's the latest on his throne?
Don't say that you love me!
Just tell me that you want me!
Tusk! Tusk! Tusk! Tusk!
Tusk! Tusk! Tusk! Tusk!
Tusk! Tusk! Tusk! Tusk!
Tusk! Tusk! Tusk! Tusk!
Tusk!
Not so. The lyrics are actually as follows:
Why don't you ask him if he's going to stay?
Why don't you ask him if he's going away?
Why don't you tell me what's going on?
Why don't you tell me who's on the phone?
Why don't you ask him what's going on?
Why don't you ask him who's the latest on his throne?
Don't say that you love me!
U-C-L-A sucks!
Just tell me that you want me!
Tusk!
U-C-L-A sucks!
Just say that you love me!
Tusk! Tusk!
U-C-L-A sucks!
Tusk!
U-C-L-A sucks!
Tusk!
U-C-L-A sucks!
Tusk! Tusk! Tusk!
U-C-L-A sucks!
Tusk!
It looks odd on paper, but it sounds great in a stadium. Basically, you mumble or skip all the parts that are not U-C-L-A sucks! Those parts, you scream at the top of your lungs. Tonight, whilst watching our ESPN, we were singing Tusk like a Trojan does.
Websites Devoted to the Trojans or the Bruins:
There are UCLA blogs, too:
More tomorrow.
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