Bruins Hope To Play Spoiler To Trojans Plans

Written by Benton Vale

Friday, 01 December 2006

Bruins Hope To Play Spoiler To Trojans Plans The University of Southern California football team has a very good chance to be playing Ohio State for the BCS National Championship on January 8th in Glendale, Arizona but face what could be a very large obstacle in route to the championship game and that is arch rival UCLA. The Bruins have been living in the shadows of the cross-town Trojans would like nothing more than to knock USC off its string of consecutive championship game appearances and have that chance when USC comes into UCLA’s home field, the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena for a 4:30 p.m. (EST) kickoff. The game will be televised by ABC.

The Bruins have picked up some momentum coming into the game having won two in a row including a 25-7 win over Oregon State on Nov 11. It was the Beavers who rained on USC’s parade in Corvallis back on October 28th beating the Trojans 33-31. Since that loss USC has played with a new attitude and won four in a row including convincing wins over PAC-10 challenger California and Notre Dame last Saturday (Nov.25).

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Odds makers tagged USC favorite by a -13 ½ point chalk but as of Friday (Dec.1) the line has dropped a point to -12 ½. The total is currently set at 48. The Trojans have covered ATS the four games played since their loss to the Beavers. UCLA has covered three in a row including a +5 ½ win ATS and SU on the road at Arizona State in Tempe on Nov. 18. UCLA enjoyed a bye last week.

The Trojans lead the series, which dates back to a 1929 meeting, 41-27-7. The Bruins have lost the last seven meetings in the series after running off an eight-game streak of their own in the previous eight contests. USC won last year's meeting, played in the Coliseum, by a score of 66-19. UCLA owns a 7-5 edge in the 12 contests played in the Rose Bowl, but lost the last meeting, 29-24, in 2004.

The Trojans rank among the national leaders in passing offense (17th at 251.36), total offense (23rd at 393.27), scoring offense (15th at 32.27), rushing defense (17th at 95.55), total defense (28th at 299.09) and scoring defense (13th at 15.09). Junior running back Chauncey Washington (66.09) ranks sixth in the league in rushing. Junior quarterback John David Booty ranks first in the Pac-10 in passing efficiency (145.11), passing yards (243.8) and touchdown passes (25). Senior wide receiver Steve Smith ranks third in the Pac-10 in receptions per game and yards per game while junior receiver Dwayne Jarrett ranks second in receptions per game and sixth in yards per game.

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USC coach Pete Carroll expects the UCLA game to be a more difficult game than the Notre Dame contest. “I said to some guys on the side last week that this game [against UCLA] would be the more difficult game,” Carroll said. “I say that not because of the rankings but because of their style of play and what DeWayne Walker has brought to them. That is not to make light of last week's team, I just thought this was going to be a great challenge.”