We have just three big days before USC plays UCLA. It's a big game. Big games have big players, and this is no exception. This year's game might feature more talent than any game in the history of this great rivalry:
Heisman Trophies: USC has six Heisman Trophy winners: Mike Garrett (1965), OJ Simpson (1968), Charles White (1979), Marcus Allen (1981), Carson Palmer (2002) and Matt Leinart (2004). That's the second-most of any college. Their jerseys are spread out below the peristyle: Garrett (20), Simpson (32), White (12), Allen (33), Palmer (3) and Leinart (11). Four Trojans have been runner-up: Simpson, Anthony Davis, Ricky Bell and Rodney Peete. Two current Trojans were invited to New York last year, and each (Bush and Leinart) are considered favorites this year. UCLA has had one winner: Gary Beban (1967). The last Bruin invited to the Heisman Trophy presentation was Cade McNown in 1998 -- the last season in which UCLA beat the Trojans.
Current Heisman Implications: Last year, the Bruins became the first team to prevent Leinart from completing a touchdown pass, but that didn't keep him from winning the Heisman Trophy. This year, Leinart is considered a top-three Heisman hopeful, but it's probably a two man race between Vince Young and USC's Reggie Bush and, according to most pundits, the award is Reggie Bush's to lose. UCLA's Drew Olsen and Maurice Drew are both strong enough candidates to get a possible invite to New York for the ceremony, but neither is considered a likely winner.
Other Awards: Both teams have several national award finalists: For USC, Quarterback Matt Leinart and running back Reggie Bush are finalists for the Maxwell Award, presented annually to the college player of the year and the Walter Camp Award (top player). Leinart is also a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award (national quarterback of the year) and today, he won the Unitas Award (top senior quarterback). Bush is a finalist for the Doak Walker Award (top running back). Sophomore Dwayne Jarrett (who needs 3 TD receptions to become the USC career leader and 5 to become the Pa-10 career leader) is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best receiver.
For UCLA, Marcedes Lewis is a finalist for the John Mackey Award (tight ends). Spencer Hayward was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award (linebackers) and Lombardi Award (lineman); Justin Medlock was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award (placekickers); Maurice Drew was a semi-finalist for the Doak Walker Award; and Drew Olsen was a semi-finalist for the Davey O'Brien.
Pac-10 Honors: Pete Carroll and Karl Dorrell were named Pac-10 Co-Coaches of the Year.
USC had 21 players on the Pac-10 first team, second team and honorable mention lists. Every offensive starter got at least an honorable mention in conference honors. Reggie Bush was named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year. Bush became the fifth player to win the offensive award in back-to-back seasons, joining USC's Charles White (1978-79), Stanford's John Elway (1980-82), Washington State's Rueben Mayes (1984-85) and Matt Leinart (2003-04). With Bush on the first team: QB Matt Leinart, wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett and three offensive linemen, guard Taitusi Lutui, tackle Sam Baker and center Ryan Kalil, safety Darnell Bing and ends Lawrence Jackson and Frostee Rucker. USC's second team All-Pac-10 picks were tailback LenDale White, offensive guard Fred Matua and safety Scott Ware, plus Bush again, as a punt returner. Nine Trojans received honorable mentions: placekicker Mario Danelo, defensive tackles Sedrick Ellis and LaJuan Ramsey, offensive tackle Winston Justice, fullback David Kirtman, linebackers Oscar Lua and Keith Rivers, wide receiver Steve Smith and cornerback Justin Wyatt.
For UCLA, Marcedes Lewis and Maurice Drew were named first-team All-Pac-10. Drew was named first-team as a punt returner and second team as a tailback, joining Drew Olson, Spencer Havner and Justin Medlock. Offensive tackle Ed Blanton, defensive end Justin Hickman, fullback Michael Pitre and offensive guard Shannon Tevaga earned honorable mention.
Seniors: USC will honor the seniors playing in their final home game. They include:
59 Collin Ashton LB 6-1 220 SR (4V) Mission Viejo, CA (Mission Viejo HS)
31 William Buchanon WR 6-3 185 SR (4V) Oceanside, CA (Oceanside HS)
61 Ross Burruel C 6-2 290 SR (4V) Castro Valley, CA (Chabot JC)
86 Dominique Byrd TE 6-3 260 SR (3V) Minneapolis, MN (Breck HS)
19 Greig Carlson WR 5-10 190 SR (4V) Woodland Hills, CA (Pacific Palisades HS)
34 Hershel Dennis RB 5-11 200 SR (3V) Long Beach, CA (Poly HS)
46 Alex Gomez CB 5-10 180 SR (4V) Monterey Park, CA (Bishop Amat HS)
37 David Kirtman RB 6-0 230 SR (4V) Mercer Island, WA (Mercer Island HS)
11 Matt Leinart QB 6-5 225 SR (4V) Santa Ana, CA (Mater Dei HS)
71 Taitusi Lutui T 6-6 365 SR (3V) Mesa, AZ (Snow College)
14 Tom Malone P 6-0 205 SR (3V) Lake Elsinore, CA (Temescal Canyon HS)
98 LaJuan Ramsey DT 6-3 290 SR (3V) Compton, CA (Dominguez HS)
90 Frostee Rucker DE 6-3 260 SR (4V) Tustin, CA (Colorado State University)
42 Dallas Sartz LB 6-5 240 SR (3V) Granite Bay, CA (Granite Bay HS)
25 Wil Smith WR 6-1 200 SR (4V) Rancho Palos Verdes, CA (Peninsula HS)
18 John Walker CB 6-1 200 SR (4V) Wahiawa, HI (Birmingham HS)
29 Scott Ware S 6-2 215 SR (3V) Santa Rosa, CA (Santa Rosa JC)
28 Andre Woodert RB 6-0 220 SR (4V) Los Angeles, CA (Agoura HS)
24 Justin Wyatt CB 5-10 185 SR (3V) Compton, CA (Dominguez HS)
These seniors will be exiting with four straight Pac-10 titles, four BCS bowls, four wins over Notre Dame and, if they can win this week, four wins over UCLA. Win or lose, however, this will be the finest record of accomplishment any USC football class has ever achieved in four seasons. It will probably be Reggie Bush and maybe Darnell Bing and LenDale White's last game in the Coliseum, too. Senior Hershel Dennis, on the other hand, will likely return after a medical redshirt.
Fifteen Bruins will be suiting up for their last regular season game: Ed Blanton, Brian Callahan, Marcus Cassel, Robert Cleary, Marko Dragovic, Spencer Havner, David Koral, Marcedes Lewis, Justin London, Mike McCloskey, Kyle Morgan, Drew Olson, Jarrad Page, Matt Raney, Wesley Walker.
The Victory Bell: The winner of the game gets 10 points toward winning the Lexus Gauntlet. More importantly, the winner keeps the Victory Bell for a year and paints it their team's colors. Since 1942, the Victory Bell has awarded to the winner of the cross-town contest. The bell originally rang atop a Southern Pacific locomotive. It was donated to the UCLA student body in 1939 and it was used to ring in UCLA touchdowns for two seasons. In 1941, six USC fraternity men heisted the bell and it was hidden for more than a year. A series of retaliatory pranks ended with a truce in which the student body presidents signed an agreement to make the bell a trophy given to the annual winner of the football game. This year, and every year since 1999, the Victory Bell is painted crimson and gold.
The Schedule: UCLA has beaten 9 of 10 opponents. None are currently ranked. USC has played three ranked teams and five teams headed to bowls, including at least one and possibly two BCS-bound teams. (Plus, of course, the Bruins and Trojans play each other....)
Milestones: USC's current winning streak is the eighth-longest in NCAA Division I-A history. The Trojans need two more to tie Toledo's 7th best record of winning 35 in a row from 1969-71. Oklahoma has the all-time record of 47 consecutive victories (1953-57); Washington is second with 39 in a row (1908-11). But for a missed extra point against Cal three years ago, the Trojans would be looking for their 46th straight win.
Bulletin Board Material: Frostee Rucker had this to say about the Bruins. "I can't say I hate them. I dislike them a lot, let's put it that way. It feels good to know that since I've been in school, we haven't lost to them." Brandon Hancock was more blunt: "We respect Notre Dame and at the end of the day it's a pretty healthy rivalry. But all bets are off with these pansies," he said. "We don't want to just beat them. We want to hurt them. We're not going to call the dogs off in the third or fourth quarter. We want to send a message."
Rivalry Joke of the Day:
Q. What does UCLA have in common with marijuana?
A. They both get smoked in a bowl.
(2004 Silicon Valley Classic version: "Rednecks like to smoke them in a bowl.")
Recent Comments